Robot apparatus and method for controlling the operation thereof

• US 20040015265A1
• Filed: 03/17/2003
• Published: 01/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Asano, Yasuharu, Yamashita, Junichi
• Granted Patent: US 6,904,334 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/003 by means of an audio-responsive input audible safety signals B25J19/061
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/008 based on physical entities controlled by simulated intelligence so as to replicate intelligent life forms, e.g. based on robots replicating pets or humans in their appearance or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/78 Detection of presence or absence of voice signals switching of direction of transmission by voice frequency in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/10

Abstract

A robot apparatus which may be turned to a sound source direction by a spontaneous whole-body concerted operation. With the possible range of rotation of the neck unit of a robot apparatus 1 of ±Y° and with the relative angle of the direction of a sound source S to the front side of the robot apparatus 1 of X°, the entire body trunk unit of the robot apparatus 1 is rotated through (X−Y)°, using the leg units, while the neck joint yaw axis of the robot apparatus is rotated through Y° to the direction of the sound source S, so that the robot apparatus is turned to the direction of the sound source S. If the robot apparatus 1 has found the face of a person already known to the robot apparatus through previous learning and has verified that the person has accosted the apparatus, the body trunk unit is rotated through Y°, at the same time as the neck joint yaw axis is rotated through −Y° to eliminate neck distortion as the apparatus is gazing at the object, so that the apparatus may face the sound source S aright by a spontaneous operation.

Claims

1. A robot apparatus having a body trunk unit, to which are movably connected a head unit and two or more leg units, the robot apparatus executing operations responsive to an action from outside and/or autonomous operations based on an inner state thereof, the robot apparatus comprising:

rotation means for enabling rotation in at least one of a portion of said body trunk and a neck unit;

sound source direction estimating means for estimating the sound source direction; and

controlling means for performing control so that, on occurrence of a sound event, the front side of said head unit is directed to said sound source direction through said leg units and/or said rotation means.

2. The robot apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said controlling means is responsive to the relative angle of said sound source direction to the front side direction of said body trunk unit to determine the angle through which said body trunk unit is rotated through said leg units and the angle through which said head unit is rotated through said rotation means.

3. The robot apparatus according to claim 2 wherein, if the relative angle of said sound source direction to the front side direction of said body trunk unit is X°

which is larger than the possible angle of rotation of said rotation means, said controlling means causes the body trunk unit to rotate through Y°

to said sound source direction by said leg units, said controlling means also causing said head unit to rotate through X−

Y°

to said sound source direction by said rotation means.

4. The robot apparatus according to claim 2 wherein, after directing the front side of said head unit to said sound source direction, said controlling means causes the body trunk unit to rotate through X−

Y°

to said sound source direction by said leg units, said controlling means also causing said head unit to rotate through —

(X−

Y)°

to said sound source direction by said rotation means, to cause said head unit to face the said sound source direction aright.

5. The robot apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

recognition means for recognizing an object by picture processing, wherein

if, when the front side of said head unit is directed to said sound source direction, a preset object is recognized by said recognition means, said controlling means performs control to effect tracking of said preset object.

6. The robot apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said recognition means is able to recognize a human face.

7. The robot apparatus according to claim 5 wherein, if, when the front side of said head unit is directed to said sound source direction, the preset object cannot be recognized by said recognition means, said controlling means performs control to cause said head unit to be swung in the up-and-down direction and/or in the left-and-right direction through said rotation means and/or performs control to cause the apparatus to approach to said sound source direction through said leg units.

8. The robot apparatus according to claim 7 further comprising:

distance estimating means for estimating the distance to a sound source;

said controlling means causing changes in the order of priority of the operation of swinging the head unit in the up-and-down direction and/or in the left-and-right direction through said rotation means and the operation of approaching the apparatus to said sound source through said leg units depending on the distance to said sound source estimated by said distance estimating means.

9. The robot apparatus according to claim 7 further comprising:

preset outputting means;

wherein

if, when the head unit is swung in the up-and-down direction and/or in the left-and-right direction through said rotation means and/or when the apparatus is approached to said sound source by said leg units, said preset object has not been recognized by said recognition means, that purport is output by said outputting means.

10. The robot apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said object is the human being and wherein, if the object has not been recognized by said recognition means, the human being is requested to re-input the speech.

11. The robot apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the apparatus has an appearance simulated to the human being and wherein said rotation means is the neck unit and/or the waist unit of the body trunk unit.

12. A method for controlling the operation of a robot apparatus, having a body trunk unit, to which are movably connected a head unit and two or more leg units, the robot apparatus executing operations responsive to an action from outside and/or autonomous operations based on the inner state thereof, said method comprising:

a sound source direction estimating step of estimating the sound source direction; and

a turning step of directing the front side of said head unit to said sound source direction by rotation means which, on occurrence of a sound event, causes rotation in different directions of said body trunk unit and said head unit in said leg units and/or at least one of a portion of said body trunk unit and a neck unit.

13. The method for controlling the operation of a robot apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said turning step is responsive to the relative angle of said sound source direction to the front side direction of said body trunk unit to determine the angle through which said body trunk unit is rotated through said leg units and the angle through which said head unit is rotated through said rotation means.

14. The method for controlling the operation of a robot apparatus according to claim 13 wherein, if the relative angle of said sound source direction to the front side direction of said body trunk unit is X°

which is larger than the possible angle of rotation of said rotation means, said turning step causes the body trunk unit to rotate through Y°

to said sound source direction by said leg units, said turning step also causing said head unit to rotate through X−

Y°

to said sound source direction by said rotation means.

15. The method for controlling the operation of a robot apparatus according to claim 13 further comprising:

a step of causing the front side of said head unit to face the sound source aright by causing the front side of said head unit to said sound source direction, causing the body trunk unit to rotate through X−

Y°

to said sound source direction by said leg units, and causing said head unit to rotate through —

(X−

Y)°

to said sound source direction by said rotation means to cause said head unit to face said sound source direction aright.

16. The method for controlling the operation of a robot apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the robot apparatus includes recognition means for recognizing an object by picture processing, said method further comprising:

a tracking step of tracking said object if, when the front side of said head unit has been turned to said sound source direction, the preset object is recognized by said recognition means.

17. The method for controlling the operation of a robot apparatus according to claim 16 wherein said recognition means is able to recognize a human face.

18. The method for controlling the operation of a robot apparatus according to claim 16 wherein, if, when the front side of said head unit is directed to said sound source direction, the preset object cannot be recognized by said recognition means, control is performed to cause said head unit to be swung in the up-and-down direction and/or in the left-and-right direction through said rotation means and/or to cause the apparatus to approach to said sound source direction through said leg units.

19. The method for controlling the operation of a robot apparatus according to claim 18 wherein the robot apparatus includes distance estimating means for estimating the distance to a sound source;

and wherein

the order of priority of the operation of swinging the head unit in the up-and-down direction and/or in the left-and-right direction through said rotation means and the operation of approaching the apparatus to said sound source through said leg units is varied depending on the distance to said sound source estimated by said distance estimating means.

20. The method for controlling the operation of a robot apparatus according to claim 18 wherein the robot apparatus includes preset outputting means;

wherein

if, when the head unit is swung in the up-and-down direction and/or in the left-and-right direction through said rotation means and/or when the apparatus is approached to said sound source by said leg units, said preset object has not been recognized by said recognition means, that purport is output by said outputting means.

21. The method for controlling the operation of a robot apparatus according to claim 20 wherein said object is the human being and wherein, if the object has not been recognized by said recognition means, the human being is requested to re-input the speech.

22. The method for controlling the operation of a robot apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the apparatus has an appearance simulated to the human being and wherein said rotation means is the neck unit and/or the waist unit of the body trunk unit.