Interactive systems employing robotic companions

• US 8,909,370 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2008
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Stiehl, Walter Dan, Breazeal, Cynthia, Lee, Jun Ki, Knight, Heather, Toscano, Robert L., Cheung, Iris M., Maymin, Allan Z
• Primary Examiner(s): Amin, Bhavesh V
• Application Number:
  US12/117,389
• Publication Number:
  US 20090055019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,406 Days
• Field of Search: 700245-264
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2200/00 Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/00 Controls for manipulators programme controls B25J9/16; control in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/081 Touching devices, e.g. pressure-sensitive
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1656 characterised by programming, planning systems for manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1671 characterised by simulation, either to verify existing program or to create and verify new program, CAD/CAM oriented, graphic oriented programming systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33051 BBC behavior based control, stand alone module, cognitive, independent agent
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35444 Gesture interface, controlled machine observes operator, executes commands
• 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

Abstract

An interactive system for interacting with a sentient being. The system includes a robotic companion of which the sentient being may be a user and an entity which employs the robot as a participant in an activity involving the user. The robotic companion responds to inputs from an environment that includes the user during the activity. The robotic companion is capable of social and affective behavior either under control of the entity or in response to the environment. The entity may provide an interface by which an operator may control the robotic companion. Example applications for the interactive system include as a system for communicating with patients that have difficulties communicating verbally, a system for teaching remotely-located students or students with communication difficulties, a system for facilitating social interaction between a remotely-located relative and a child, and systems in which the user and the robot interact with an entity such as a smart book. Also disclosed are control interfaces for the robotic companion, techniques for rendering the robotic companion sensitive to touch and responding to those touches, and techniques for providing quiet, back-drivable motion to components of the robotic companion.

Claims

1. An interactive system comprising, in combination:

(a) a robot; and

(b) an operator interface for accepting input from and displaying output to a remote human operator;

in which system

(i) the robot includes actuators and movable parts for performing at least one of an affective touch and a social touch;

(ii) the robot includes a plurality of sensors for taking sensor measurements selected from the group consisting of a pressure sensor, a proximity sensor, a light sensor and a sound sensor;

(iii) the robot is programmed to function in a plurality of modes, the plurality of modes comprising at least two of an autonomous robotic behavior mode, a non-autonomous behavior mode in which actions of the robot are controlled by the remote human operator, and a semi-autonomous behavior mode in which a sequence of actions by a robot are initiated by a command by the remote human operator; and

(iv) the input from the remote human operator comprises a selection by the remote human operator of a mode out of the plurality of modes or a selection by the remote human operator of a behavior, out of a set of behaviors by the robot, which set of behaviors by the robot includes at least one of a group consisting of laughing, giggling, crying, and clapping.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of one of the affective touch and the social touch comprises the robot nuzzling into a human user other than the remote human operator.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of one of the affective touch and the social touch comprises the robot touching a human user other than the remote human operator.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of one of the affective touch and the social touch comprises the robot, in response to a touch by a human user other than the remote human operator, nuzzling into the human user.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the system includes one or more processors programmed to cause the robot to make a secondary expressive motion while the robot performs the action.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the system includes one or more processors programmed to cause the robot to perform at least one of an affective interaction and a social interaction with a human user wherein the user is not the remote human operator.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one of the affective interaction and the social interaction comprises the robot directing a user'"'"'s attention toward an object by gesturing toward the object.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one of the affective interaction and social interaction comprises the robot engaging in at least one of looking at an object and pointing at an object, in each case while the user looks at the object.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one of the affective interaction and the social interaction comprises the robot responding to a cue selected from the group consisting of a sound, a touch, a motion and a visual stimulus by engaging in an action selected from the group consisting of turning the robot'"'"'s gaze toward the source of the cue and pointing toward the source of the cue.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one of the affective interaction and social interaction comprises the robot moving the robot'"'"'s head to direct the robot'"'"'s gaze toward the user'"'"'s face.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one of the affective interaction and social interaction comprises the robot moving the robot'"'"'s head to direct the robot'"'"'s gaze toward a point on the robot where the robot is being touched by the user.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one of the affective interaction and social interaction comprises the robot moving a part of the robot to touch a point on the robot where the robot is being touched by the user.

13. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one of the affective interaction and social interaction comprises the robot clapping.

14. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one of the affective interaction and social interaction comprises the robot making a giggle sound.

15. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more processors are further programmed to analyze the sensor measurements to recognize a movement of the robot, which movement is actuated by a human, and to cause the robot to laugh in response to the movement.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein one or processors are programmed to analyze the sensor measurements:

(a) to distinguish between physical contact with a human and physical contact with another object;

(b) to categorize the physical contact with a human as being one of a plurality of types of contact; and

(c) to determine affect of the physical contact with a human.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of types of contacts comprise at least one of tickling and hugging.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more processors are further programmed to cause the robot to perform behavior in response to the physical contact with a human, and selection of the behavior is based at least in part on the affect of the physical contact with a human.

19. A method comprising, in combination:

(a) using an operator interface to accept input from and display output to a remote human operator; and

(b) using actuators onboard a robot to move moveable parts of the robot to perform at least one of an affective touch and a social touch;

in which method

(i) robot includes a plurality of sensors for taking sensor measurements selected from the group consisting of a pressure sensor, a proximity sensor, a light sensor and a sound sensor;

(ii) the robot is programmed to function in a plurality of modes, the plurality of modes comprising at least two of an autonomous robotic behavior mode, a non-autonomous behavior mode in which actions of the robot are controlled by the remote human operator, and a semi-autonomous behavior mode in which a sequence of actions by a robot are initiated by a command by the remote human operator; and

(iii) the input from the remote human operator comprises a selection by the remote human operator of a mode out of the plurality of modes or a selection by the remote human operator of a behavior, out of a set of behaviors by the robot, which set of behaviors by the robot includes at least one of a group consisting of laughing, giggling, crying, and clapping.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising using a processor to analyze the sensor measurements:

(a) to distinguish between physical contact with a human and physical contact with another object;

(b) to categorize the physical contact with a human as being one of a plurality of types of contact; and

(c) to determine affect of the physical contact with a human.