Methods and systems for facilitating interactions between a robot and user

• US 9,846,843 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2014
• Issued: 12/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corporation (University System of Georgia)
• Original Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corporation (University System of Georgia)
• Inventors: Howard, Ayanna, Brown, LaVonda, Park, Hae Won
• Primary Examiner(s): Misir, Dave
• Application Number:
  US14/524,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20150120043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,149 Days
• Field of Search: 706 12, 700246, 901 46
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0005 Manipulators having means for high-level communication with users, e.g. speech generator, face recognition means
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/003 Manipulators for entertainment
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models

Abstract

Methods and systems for facilitating interactions between a robot and user are provided. The system may include a robot and an electronic device communicatively coupled to the robot. The robot may include a plurality of actuators ones of which are configured to cause a mechanical action of at least one component of the robot, a plurality of interaction inducing components operatively connected to corresponding ones of the plurality of actuators, at least one sensor configured to detect at least one action of a user, a processor, and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory including computer readable program code embodied therein that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to: receive a task; identify, based on similarity to the task received, a similar task from a database stored in the memory, the database including at least one stored task-solution pair; execute the solution associated with the similar task; and store a new task-solution pair responsive to the robot performing a solution relating to the task.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a robot communicatively coupled to an electronic device comprising a touchscreen, the robot comprising;

a plurality of interaction inducing components, wherein each interaction inducing component is respectively coupled to one of a plurality of actuators, wherein each actuator is configured to cause a mechanical action of the respectively coupled interaction inducing component;

at least one sensor configured to detect at least one user action;

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising computer readable program code embodied therein that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving data indicative of a first task from the electronic device and/or from the at least one sensor;

identifying, based on similarity to the first task, a second task stored in a database, wherein the second task is associated with a solution as part of a task-solution pair stored in the database, wherein the database includes a plurality of stored task-solution pairs, and wherein the solution includes start and end coordinates corresponding to a touch gesture on the touchscreen; and

executing the solution associated with the second task, including providing a synthesized touch action to the electronic device based on the start and end coordinates;

wherein the solution corresponds to an action of the robot responsive to the first task.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the data includes an indication of the at least one user action.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory further comprises computer readable program code embodied therein that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to store a new task-solution pair responsive to the robot performing a solution associated with the first task, and wherein the new task-solution pair is different than the task-solution pairs stored in the database.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first task and the second task are similar tasks, wherein the robot performs a new solution relating to the first task, and wherein, responsive to the robot performing the new solution associated with the first task, the new task-solution pair is stored.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the first task and the second task are different tasks, wherein the robot performs the solution associated with the first task, and wherein, responsive to the robot receiving the data and performing the solution associated with the second task, the new task-solution pair is stored.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the second task is identified by determining that a number of similarities between the first task and the second task is greater than all other number of similarities between the first task and relative to at least one stored task in the database.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the second task is identified by a metric corresponding to pattern recognition.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein the new task-solution pair is stored responsive to the robot learning a solution associated with the first task.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the solution associated with the second task corresponds to the at least one user action, and wherein the at least one user action is responsive to the robot performing the solution associated with the second task and/or an action subsequent to the robot performing the second task.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one user action responsive to the robot performing the solution associated with the second task and/or an action subsequent to the robot performing the second task corresponds to an interaction between a user and the electronic device.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein each task-solution pair of the plurality of stored task-solution pairs is associated with a scoring metric.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the scoring metric associated with each task-solution pair corresponds to performance by a user relating to the task of each stored task-solution pair of the plurality of stored task-solution pairs.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to store a new task-solution pair responsive to the robot performing a solution associated with the first task, and determine if the new task-solution pair is within a threshold of at least a portion of the plurality of stored task-solution pairs, and wherein, responsive to determining that the new task-solution pair is within the threshold of at least a portion of the plurality of stored task-solution pairs, disregarding the new task-solution pair.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the first task corresponds to performance by a user relating to an interaction between the user and the electronic device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the performance by the user is categorized as correct, incorrect, or inactive.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the action of the robot comprises a verbal response and/or a nonverbal response.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the nonverbal response includes at least one of a head nod, head shake, eye gaze, head scratch, arm movement, wheel movement, and leg movement.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the verbal response includes at least one of a positive response, a supportive response, and a motivational response.

19. A method of increasing user participation in an activity performed on an electronic device comprising a touchscreen, the method comprising:

providing a robot comprising;

a plurality of interaction inducing components, wherein each interaction inducing component is respectively coupled to one of a plurality of actuators, wherein each actuator is configured to cause a mechanical action of the respectively coupled interaction inducing component;

at least one sensor configured to detect at least one user action;

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising computer readable program code embodied therein that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to;

receive data indicative of a first task from the electronic device and/or from the at least one sensor;

identify, based on similarity to the first task, a second task stored in a database, wherein the second task is associated with a solution as part of a task-solution pair stored in the database, wherein the database includes a plurality of stored task-solution pairs, and wherein the solution includes start and end coordinates corresponding to a touch gesture on the touchscreen; and

execute the solution associated with the second task, including providing a synthesized touch action to the electronic device based on the start and end coordinates;

wherein the solution corresponds to an action of the robot responsive to the first task; and

wherein the robot facilitates the user participation in the activity, thereby increasing the user participation in the activity on the electronic device.