Robot device, method of controlling robot device, and program

• US 8,880,222 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2011
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kawamoto, Kenta, Shimizu, Satoru, Tsuboi, Toshimitsu, Suto, Yasuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Figueroa, Jaime
• Application Number:
  US13/043,897
• Publication Number:
  US 20110245974A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,336 Days
• Field of Search: 700/245, 700/250, 700/253, 700/255, 700/257, 700/258, 700/259, 318/568.11, 318/568.12, 318/568.14, 318/568.16, 901/1, 901/46, 901/47, 744/900.1
• US Class Current: 700/259
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1664 characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning

Abstract

There is provided a robot device including an instruction acquisition unit that acquires an order for encouraging a robot device to establish joint attention on a target from a user, a position/posture estimation unit that estimates a position and posture of an optical indication device, which is operated by the user to indicate the target by irradiation of a beam, in response to acquisition of the order, and a target specifying unit that specifies a direction of the target indicated by irradiation of the beam based on an estimation result of the position and posture and specifies the target on an environment map representing a surrounding environment based on a specifying result of the direction.

Claims

1. A robot device, comprising:

circuitry configured to;

acquire an order for encouraging the robot device to establish joint attention on a target from a user;

estimate a position and a posture of an optical indication device, which is operated by the user to indicate the target by irradiation of a beam, in response to acquisition of the order; and

specify a direction of the target indicated by irradiation of the beam based on an estimation result of the position and posture and specifies the target on an environment map representing a surrounding environment based on a specifying result of the direction,

wherein the robot device does not detect the beam indicated by the optical indication device.

2. The robot device according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to confirm establishment of interaction performed on establishment of joint attention with the user.

3. The robot device according to claim 2, wherein establishment of the interaction after the order is acquired is confirmed.

4. The robot device according to claim 2, wherein the circuitry is further configured to confirm establishment of the interaction before the order is acquired.

5. The robot device according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to estimate the position and posture of the optical indication device by recognizing the optical indication device gripped by the user.

8. The robot device according to claim 1, wherein estimating the position and the posture of the optical indication device excludes detecting the beam indicated by the optical indication device.

9. The robot device according to claim 1, wherein estimating the position and the posture of the optical indication device is based only on the optical indication device and not on the beam.

10. The robot device according to claim 1, wherein the environment map specifies elevation differences in the surrounding environment, which surrounds the target.

6. A method of controlling a robot device, comprising the steps of:

acquiring an order for encouraging establishment of joint attention with a robot device on a target from a user;

estimating a position and posture of an optical indication device, which is operated by the user to indicate the target by irradiation of a beam, in response to acquisition of the order; and

specifying, by processing circuitry, a direction of the target indicated by irradiation of the beam based on an estimation result of the position and posture and specifying the target on an environment map representing a surrounding environment based on a specifying result of the direction,

wherein the robot device does not detect the beam indicated by the optical indication device.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer readable program codes embodied in the computer readable storage medium that, when executed cause a computer to execute:

acquiring an order for encouraging establishment of joint attention with a robot device on a target from a user;

estimating a position and posture of an optical indication device, which is operated by the user to indicate the target by irradiation of a beam, in response to acquisition of the order; and

specifying a direction of the target indicated by irradiation of the beam based on an estimation result of the position and posture and specifying the target on an environment map representing a surrounding environment based on a specifying result of the direction,

wherein the robot device does not detect the beam indicated by the optical indication device.