Robot

Abstract

To provide a robot that makes a user have the same emotion as an emotion for a real animal.SOLUTION: A robot includes: a robot body that includes a consumption target supply source and acts by using a consumption target supplied from the consumption target supply source; and a promoting operation control part that determines whether it is a timing of a user performing a predetermined action, and when determining that it is a timing of the user performing the predetermined action, the promoting operation control part causes the robot body to perform promoting operation of promoting the consumption target supply source to supply the consumption target.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to robots. [Background technology]

[0002] Many researches are being conducted on pet robots that can replace pet animals, relieve people's loneliness, or stabilize the mental state of the elderly. Patent Document 1 describes a robot that understands the skinship of a user by determining whether the user feels comfortable or uncomfortable depending on the strength of the user's contact with it using sensors installed on the surface of the robot's body, and changing its behavioral characteristics depending on the determination. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-072495 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Most conventional pet robots are electrically powered by rechargeable batteries and do not perform biological behaviors such as eating or defecating like pet animals. In addition, unlike pet animals, robots do not emit odors. Therefore, it is often difficult for users to feel affection or attachment toward inorganic robots that do not perform biological behaviors or emit odors, as they do toward pet animals. Therefore, there is a demand for robots that can evoke the same feelings that users have toward real animals.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a robot that causes a user to feel emotions similar to those that a user feels toward a real animal. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The robot according to the present disclosure comprises a robot main body having a consumption object supply source and acting by utilizing consumption objects supplied from the consumption object supply source, and a prompting action control unit that determines whether or not it is time for a user to take a predetermined action, and when the user determines that it is time for the predetermined action, causes the robot main body to perform a prompting action to prompt the consumption object supply source to replenish the consumption objects. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a robot that causes a user to feel emotions similar to those felt toward a real animal. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the robot. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the body part according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the control unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the body part according to the second embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a control unit according to the second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the body part according to the third embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a control unit according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments, and when there are multiple embodiments, the present disclosure also includes combinations of the embodiments.

[0010] (First embodiment) The configuration of the robot will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of the robot according to the first embodiment.

[0011] (robot) The robot 1 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is a watch robot that emits an odorous substance from the surface of the robot's body according to the user's likability rating. Specifically, the robot 1 has a plurality of odor emission ports 200 on the body surface of the robot 1 for emitting the odorous substance. In addition, the robot 1 detects the part touched by the user with a pressure sensor 100 arranged on the body surface, and emits the odorous substance from the odor emission port 200 according to the part that detects the user's contact. The robot 1 also functions as a watch robot that prevents the user from dying alone by communicating various acquired information to the outside.

[0012] The robot 1 may have any shape of a pet animal, typically a dog or cat, so as to make the user feel the same emotions as they would toward a real animal. In this embodiment, the robot 1 has a dog-shaped robot shape. The robot 1 includes a robot body 10, a release operation unit 20, and a control unit 300. The robot body 10 has each of unit components 11, including a torso 2, a head 3, legs 4, a tail 5, ears 6, and a mouth 7. The release operation unit 20 is provided inside the robot body 10 and performs a release operation to release an odor substance to the outside of the robot body 10. The release operation unit 20 includes an odor control valve V and an odor selection valve VV, which will be described later. The control unit 300 controls the overall operation of the robot 1. The robot 1 also has multiple movable parts AC, and the head 3, legs 4, and tail 5 are connected to the torso 2 via the movable parts AC. A pair of ears 6 and the mouth 7 are connected to the head 3 via the movable parts AC. A driving roller serving as a driving unit 4a is attached to each of the four legs 4 at a portion that comes into contact with the ground. The movable unit AC and the driving unit 4a are controlled by a control unit 300, which will be described later, and the movable unit AC and the driving unit 4a realize the movement of the robot 1 according to the likeability rating of the robot 1 to the user and the movement of the robot 1 to encourage the user to perform a specific action.

[0013] (Torso) The torso 2 is the main body of the robot 1. The internal structure of the main body will be described later. The torso 2 has a plurality of pressure sensors 100, a plurality of odor emission ports 200, and a plurality of odor sensors 110 on its outer surface.

[0014] (Pressure Sensor) The pressure sensor 100 is a detection unit that detects the user's contact with the robot. Specifically, it is a sensor that detects the user's contact as pressure information. To explain in detail, it detects the part of the robot 1 that the user touches and pressure information indicating the strength of the contact. The pressure information may also include the time during which the user is in contact (the time during which pressure is continuously detected). The detected pressure information is used by the control unit 300 to calculate the likeability rating of the robot 1 to the user and to determine the part from which the odor substance is released. In this embodiment, the robot 1 has a pressure sensor 100d at a part corresponding to the back in the torso 2, a pressure sensor 100f at a part corresponding to the abdomen, a pressure sensor 100c at a part corresponding to the back side (the back side of the neck) of the torso 2 near the head, and a pressure sensor 100e at a part corresponding to the abdomen side (the abdomen side of the neck) of the torso 2 near the head. The position of the pressure sensor 100 on the torso 2 is not limited to the positions of the pressure sensors 100c to 100f, but it is desirable to place it at a location that is frequently touched when the user touches a pet and that is generally believed to please pets when touched.

[0015] (odor release port) The odor emission port 200 is a hole that emits an odor substance from the robot 1 according to the favorability rating of the robot 1 to the user. In the robot 1 in this embodiment, among the multiple unit components 11 that constitute the robot main body 10, the odor emission port 200 is arranged in each of the torso 2 and the head 3, which have a large surface area and are frequently touched by the user in an actual pet animal. Specifically, the odor emission port 200d is located in the area corresponding to the back of the torso 2, and the odor emission port 200f is located in the area corresponding to the abdomen. The position of the odor emission port 200 in the torso 2 is not limited to the positions of the odor emission ports 200d and 200f, but it is desirable to arrange the odor emission ports 200 at a distance from each other so that the odor emission port 200 is not too close to each other and can be distinguished from the area from which the odor is being emitted. The odor emission port 200 may be arranged in a plurality of arbitrary positions, or may be one. In addition, at least one odor emission port 200 may be arranged for each of the multiple unit components 11 that constitute the robot main body 10.

[0016] (Odor Sensor) The odor sensor 110 is a sensor that detects the amount of odor substance emitted from the odor emission port 200 and the type of odor substance. The robot 1 according to this embodiment can change the amount of odor substance emitted depending on the user's favorability rating. Therefore, the odor sensor 110 according to this embodiment is a sensor for confirming whether the amount of odor substance emitted is the target amount. Information on the amount of odor substance detected by the odor sensor 110 is used in the control unit 300 to control the emission of the odor substance. The robot 1 according to this embodiment has an odor sensor 110d near the odor emission port 200d and an odor sensor 110f near the odor emission port 200f in the torso 2. The position of the odor sensor 110 on the torso 2 is not limited to the positions of the odor sensors 110d and 110f, but is preferably near each of the odor emission ports 200 arranged therein. This is because the odor sensor 110 needs to be unaffected by odor substances emitted from other odor emission ports 200 and to detect the odor substance emitted from the target odor emission port 200 with high accuracy.

[0017] (head) The head 3 is a part that is connected to the torso 2 via the movable part AC. The head 3 also has a plurality of pressure sensors 100, an odor emission port 200a, an odor sensor 110a, a display part DS, a camera CA, and a mouth part 7. The functions of the pressure sensor 100, the odor emission port 200a, and the odor sensor 110a are the same as those of the torso 2, so a description thereof will be omitted. The head 3 has a pressure sensor 100a at the top of the head and a pressure sensor 100b under the jaw. The position of the pressure sensor 100 on the head 3 is not limited to the positions of the pressure sensors 100a and 100b, but it is desirable to set it at a part that is frequently touched when the user touches a pet animal and is generally a part that pet animals are happy to be touched. The head 3 also has an odor emission port 200a and an odor sensor 110a at the top of the head. As with the pressure sensor 100, the locations of the odor emission outlet 200a and the odor sensor 110a are not limited to those in this embodiment, but are preferably located in areas that are frequently touched when the user touches a pet and that are generally considered to be pleasing to be touched by pets.

[0018] (Display unit, audio output unit) The display unit DS is a device that outputs information from the robot 1 to the user and inputs information from the user to the robot 1. For example, it may be a display with a touch panel function. The display unit DS according to this embodiment may output any information (image), but may, for example, use a variety of facial expressions to display an image (facial expression) according to the user's favorability rating on the display. In addition, it may display an image (facial expression) corresponding to a touch input from the user. Alternatively, it may display an image that prompts the user to take a specific action (such as refilling fuel or an odorous substance). The audio output unit SK outputs audio information such as a cry. The audio output unit SK may be provided in the display unit DS.

[0019] (camera) The camera CA is a sensor that tracks and monitors the user's behavior. The robot 1 uses the user's behavior information detected by the camera CA to determine whether the user is performing a specific behavior, and performs an operation according to the determination. In more detail, the robot 1 according to this embodiment determines whether the user is performing a predetermined behavior based on the information detected by the camera CA, and when it is determined that the user is performing the predetermined behavior, performs an operation to prompt the user to refuel, which is an energy supply source for the robot 1, which will be described later. Examples of the predetermined behavior include eating, waking up, and sleeping. The robot 1 can start up and rest at a timing that matches the user's life rhythm by acquiring the user's meal, wake-up, and sleep timing from the camera CA, thereby strengthening the bond with the user. In addition, the current location of the robot 1 can be specified by the image acquired by the camera CA. Furthermore, the robot 1 can transmit the information acquired from the camera CA (monitoring information) to the outside, and can be used not only for determining the user's life rhythm, but also for a monitoring function such as confirming the user's survival.

[0020] (foot) The feet 4 are connected to the torso 2 via movable parts AC, and the robot 1 is self-supporting thanks to the four feet 4. Each foot 4 has a driving roller, which is a drive unit 4a, on the surface that contacts the ground. Each drive unit 4a can be controlled independently, and the robot 1 can move freely on a flat surface using the drive units 4a. When there is a step, the step can be overcome by moving the movable parts AC that connect the feet 4 and the torso 2. Although the number of feet 4 according to this embodiment is assumed to be four, the number may be set arbitrarily as long as the robot 1 can be supported in a well-balanced manner and can be self-supporting.

[0021] (Tail) The tail 5 is a part that is connected to the torso 2 via the movable part AC. The tail 5 is a part that allows the robot 1 to express emotions to the user. Specifically, when the robot 1 wants to convey a happy feeling, it may move the tail 5 widely using the movable part AC, or the movement pattern may be changed according to the likeability rating. The shape of the tail 5 may be any shape, and may be changed to match the breed of dog or cat that is used as a model for the robot 1.

[0022] (ear) The pair of ears 6 are connected to the head 3 via the movable part AC. Like the tail 5, the ears 6 are used by the robot 1 to express emotions to the user. Specifically, when the robot 1 wants to convey a happy feeling, it may use the movable part AC to hang the ears 6 down toward the ground, or change its movement pattern according to the likeability rating. The shape of the ears 6 may be any shape, and may be changed to match the breed of dog or cat that is used as a model for the robot 1.

[0023] (mouth) The mouth 7 is a part connected to the head 3 via the movable part AC. The mouth 7 is a part that expresses emotions from the robot 1 to the user by changing facial expressions by moving like an animal, and is also a part that hides the fuel and scent substance refill ports of the robot 1 except when refilling. Specifically, when the robot 1 wants to convey its feelings, it may repeatedly open and close the mouth 7 to create a facial expression in which the robot 1 is having a conversation. Alternatively, only when refilling fuel or scent substances, the mouth 7 may be opened wide to expose the refill port, and an action may be performed to urge the user to refill the fuel or scent substances.

[0024] (internal structure) Next, there will be described the internal structure of the main body (torso 2) of the robot 1. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the torso according to the first embodiment.

[0025] 2, the robot 1 is a robot that operates using electricity generated by a fuel cell FC as an energy source. To explain in detail, the robot 1 has a fuel tank FT, a fuel cell FC, a battery BA, a control unit 300, a used fuel tank 400, a charging port CH, and a disposal port GA.

[0026] (fuel cell) The fuel cell FC is an electrochemical cell that converts the chemical energy of fuel and oxidant into electricity through an oxidation-reduction reaction. The fuel cell FC according to this embodiment is a solid oxide fuel cell (Direct Fuel Cell) that uses bioethanol containing a volatile odorant as fuel. The fuel may be selected from methanol, dimethyl ether, hydrazine, formaldehyde, formic acid, ammonia, etc., but an alcohol-based fuel is preferable because it is easy to handle and obtain and has a high level of safety. The electricity generated by the oxidation-reduction reaction is charged into a battery BA that is connected to the fuel cell FC by an electric wire (not shown).

[0027] (battery) The battery BA is charged with electricity generated by the fuel cell FC and supplies power to the robot 1. The battery BA is connected to the control unit 300, the movable parts AC of each part, and the drive unit 4a via electric wires (not shown), and supplies power to these components. When mounting the battery BA on the robot 1, any type may be used as long as it is small, lightweight, and has a high energy density. The battery BA in this embodiment is a lithium-ion battery.

[0028] (charging port) The charging port CH is a portion to which a charging port connector is connected when the battery BA is directly charged from an external power source. To explain in detail, the robot 1 according to this embodiment is basically operated by electricity generated by the fuel cell FC and charged in the battery BA. However, when the fuel tank FT of the fuel cell FC runs out of fuel and the fuel cell stops generating electricity without being replenished, and the battery BA runs out of power due to continued consumption of electricity, all functions of the robot 1 are stopped and the robot 1 cannot request new refueling or start new fuel electricity to start generating electricity. In that case, the robot 1 can be started again by directly charging the battery BA from an external power source. The position of the charging port CH may be set arbitrarily, but since it is a component that is used infrequently, it is preferable to set it in a portion that is difficult to see from the outside. The charging port CH according to this embodiment is set on the abdominal side of the torso 2.

[0029] (Fuel Tank) The fuel tank FT according to this embodiment is a tank that stores bioethanol, which is the fuel for the fuel cell FC. The fuel for the fuel cell FC according to this embodiment is bioethanol containing volatile odorous substances. The fuel is introduced through a fuel supply port IL and reaches the fuel tank FT through a fuel pipe FP. The fuel tank FT has therein a heater HE, an internal odor sensor 111 that measures the concentration of odorous substances in the fuel tank FT, and a fuel level sensor WL that measures the remaining amount of fuel.

[0030] (Heating heater) The heater HE in this embodiment is an electric heating wire. The heater HE is disposed inside the fuel tank FT in a position where it is constantly in contact with the fuel. Since the odorous substances contained in the fuel are volatile, the amount of the odorous substances that volatilize from the fuel and become gas increases when heated by the heater HE. In other words, the amount of the odorous substances released can be controlled by whether or not the heater HE is heating.

[0031] (Internal odor sensor) The internal odor sensor 111 is a concentration meter that measures the concentration of the fuel in the fuel tank FT. As described above, the fuel of the robot 1 according to this embodiment is heated by the heater HE to control the amount of odorous substances. At that time, to prevent the fuel from being overheated by the heater HE, the concentration of the odorous substance in the fuel tank FT is measured by the internal odor sensor 111. Information regarding the concentration of the odorous substance in the tank acquired by the internal odor sensor 111 is used by the control unit 300 to control the heater HE.

[0032] (Fuel Level Sensor) The fuel level sensor WL is a sensor that measures the remaining amount of fuel. Information regarding the remaining amount of fuel acquired by the internal odor sensor WL is used by the control unit 300 to control the operation of the robot 1 to prompt the user to refuel.

[0033] The fuel tank FT is connected to the odor emission port 200 via an odor passage SP. To explain in detail, the fuel tank FT according to this embodiment is connected to the odor emission port 200a, the odor emission port 200d, and the odor emission port 200f via odor passages SP1-SP3 that connect them. In other words, the odorous substance vaporized in the fuel tank FT passes through each of the odor passages SP1-SP3 and is released to the outside from the odor emission port 200. In addition, the odor passage SP has an odor control valve V in the middle of the passage that controls the release of the odorous substance released from the fuel tank FT to the outside.

[0034] (Odor Control Valve) The odor control valve V is an electromagnetic valve. The odor control valve V is connected to the control unit 300 via an electric wire (not shown), and the opening degree of the odor control valve V is controlled by the release operation control unit 307 included in the control unit 300. Here, the opening degree refers to the degree of opening of the valve. The opening degree includes, for example, not only fully closed and fully open, but also any degree of opening between fully closed and fully open. Here, the robot 1 according to this embodiment selects a part from which to release the odor substance based on the part (contact position) touched by the user detected by the detection unit, which is the pressure sensor 100. In other words, the release operation control unit 307 opens only the odor control valve V on the odor passage SP connected to the odor emission port 200 closest to the part touched by the user, so that the robot 1 can release the odor substance only from a specific odor emission port 200.

[0035] (Spent fuel tank) The used fuel tank 400 is a tank for storing waste generated in the oxidation-reduction reaction in the fuel electricity FC. Specifically, carbon dioxide generated by the oxidation reaction of ethanol, an odorant vaporized by the heat generated by the oxidation reaction, and an aqueous solution of the odorant that has not vaporized are stored in the used fuel tank 400 as waste. The used fuel tank 400 also has a waste level sensor GL therein for measuring the amount of stored waste. Information on the amount of stored waste acquired by the waste level sensor GL is used by the control unit 300 to control the operation of the robot 1 to process the waste. Specifically, when the amount of stored waste in the used fuel tank 400 reaches a certain level or more, the robot 1 according to this embodiment moves to a place previously set as a toilet and automatically performs an operation of discharging the waste outside the body of the robot 1.

[0036] (Disposal outlet) The waste outlet GA is a hole for discharging waste stored in the spent fuel tank 400 to the outside of the main body of the robot 1. The waste outlet GA is opened and closed by a valve (not shown). Specifically, when the amount of waste stored in the spent fuel tank 400 reaches a certain level, the robot 1 moves to a place that has been set in advance as a toilet. After that, the control unit 300 controls the valve that opens and closes the waste outlet GA, and the waste is discharged. The waste outlet GA is also connected to the spent fuel tank 400 via a pipe P3. The position of the waste outlet GA is desirably at a position lower from the ground than the bottom surface of the spent fuel tank 400 in order to discharge the waste in the spent fuel tank 400.

[0037] The fuel tank FT and the fuel cell FC are connected via a pipe P1. In other words, fuel for the fuel cell FC is supplied from the fuel tank FT through the pipe P1. Similarly, the fuel cell FC and the used fuel tank 400 are connected via a pipe P2. In other words, waste generated by the oxidation-reduction reaction in the fuel cell FC is sent to the used fuel tank 400 through the pipe P2 and stored therein.

[0038] (Control unit) 3 is a schematic block diagram of a control unit according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG 3, the control unit 300 according to the present embodiment includes a CPU 300a and a storage unit 300b.

[0039] (Storage part) The storage unit 300b is a memory that stores the calculation contents of the CPU 300a, programs, and various information input by the user via the touch panel of the display unit DS described above, and includes at least one of a main storage device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory), and an external storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive).

[0040] (CPU) The CPU 300a is a calculation device including a calculation circuit such as a central processing unit. The CPU 300a includes a pressure acquisition unit 301, a favorability rating calculation unit 302, a level determination unit 303, a battery capacity determination unit 304, an odor acquisition unit 305, a user determination unit 306, a release operation control unit 307, a heater control unit 308, a fuel cell control unit 309, a movable unit control unit 310, a drive control unit 311, a display control unit 312, and a sound control unit 313. The CPU 300a reads out and executes a program (software) from the storage unit 300b, thereby implementing a pressure acquisition unit 301, a favorability rating calculation unit 302, a level determination unit 303, a battery capacity determination unit 304, an odor acquisition unit 305, a user determination unit 306, a release operation control unit 307, a heater control unit 308, a fuel cell control unit 309, a movable unit control unit 310, a drive control unit 311, a display control unit 312, a sound control unit 313, and a prompting operation control unit 315, and executing the processes thereof. The CPU 300a may execute these processes by one CPU, or may be provided with multiple CPUs and execute the processes by the multiple CPUs. In addition, at least a portion of the pressure acquisition unit 301, the likability calculation unit 302, the level determination unit 303, the battery capacity determination unit 304, the odor acquisition unit 305, the user determination unit 306, the release operation control unit 307, the heater control unit 308, the fuel cell control unit 309, the movable part control unit 310, the drive control unit 311, the display control unit 312, the audio control unit 313, and the prompting operation control unit 315 may be realized by hardware.

[0041] (Functions of each part) The robot 1 according to this embodiment calculates the likeability rating for the user and performs an operation of releasing an odor substance based on the calculation result. Below, the function of each part of the CPU 300a will be described along with the process.

[0042] (Pressure acquisition unit) The pressure acquisition unit 301 acquires pressure information that indicates the part of the robot 1 that the user touches, the strength of the touch, etc., detected by the pressure sensor 100. The acquired pressure information is used to calculate a favorability rating for the user.

[0043] (Likeability calculation department) The likeability calculation unit 302 calculates the likeability of the user based on the pressure information acquired by the pressure acquisition unit 301. In other words, the likeability calculation unit 302 calculates a score indicating the likeability of the contact based on the pressure information. For example, a high score may be given to a contact with a high likeability. The pressure information includes the part touched by the user and the strength of the touch, as well as information on the time during which the user is touching (the time during which pressure is continuously detected). For example, the likeability calculation unit 302 may determine whether the contact by the user is a touch of tapping or a touch of stroking based on the time during which the user is touching (the time during which pressure is continuously detected), and calculate a likeability score according to the determination. To explain in detail, the likeability calculation unit 302 may determine that the contact by the user is a touch of stroking from pressure information of continuous contact from the user for a period longer than a predetermined period, and conversely, may determine that the contact by the user is a touch of tapping from pressure information of contact for a period shorter than the predetermined period. Then, a high likeability (high score) may be calculated for the contact determined as a stroking, compared to the contact determined as a slap. Regarding the contact strength of the contact that is determined to be a stroke, a high likability score may be calculated for a contact strength within a certain predetermined range. If parts of the robot 1 that are pleased to be stroked are registered in advance, a high likability score may be calculated for pressure information obtained from a part close to the part that is pleased by the robot 1. The likability calculation unit 302 can store the calculated scores in the storage unit 300b.

[0044] (Discharge operation control unit) The release operation control unit 307 controls the odor control valve V that releases the odor substance based on the pressure information acquired by the pressure acquisition unit 301 and the likeability score calculated by the likeability calculation unit 302. To explain in detail, the release operation control unit 307 selects the odor emission port 200 closest to the pressure sensor 100 from which the pressure information was acquired based on the pressure information acquired by the pressure acquisition unit 301, and releases the odor substance from the selected odor emission port 200. Then, the odor control valve V on the odor passage SP connected to the selected odor emission port 200 is opened. At this time, the amount of the odor substance released according to the likeability can be controlled by controlling the opening degree of the odor control valve V based on the likeability score calculated by the likeability calculation unit 302.

[0045] The release operation control unit 307 may select the odor emission port 200 based on the contact position detected by the detection unit that detects the user's contact with the robot. The release operation control unit 307 may increase the amount of odor substance as the likeability rating increases. The memory unit 300b may store the likeability rating and the amount of odor substance in association with each other. The release operation control unit 307 may read out the amount of odor substance corresponding to the likeability rating stored in the memory unit 300b and control the amount of odor substance.

[0046] Here, consider a case where an odor emission port 200 is provided for each of a plurality of unitary components 11 that the robot body 10 has. The emission operation control unit 307 may select the odor emission port 200 provided in the unitary component 11 that corresponds to the contact position detected by a detection unit that detects the user's contact with the robot. The emission operation control unit 307 may select the odor emission port 200 provided in the unitary component 11 that is closest to the contact position. If the odor emission port 200 is not provided in the unitary component 11 that corresponds to the contact position, the emission operation control unit 307 may select the odor emission port 200 provided in the unitary component 11 that is closest to the contact position. If a plurality of odor emission ports 200 are provided for each unitary component 11, the emission operation control unit 307 may select the odor emission port 200 that is closest to the contact position.

[0047] (Odor Acquisition Unit) The odor acquisition unit 305 acquires concentration information of the odor substance emitted from the odor emission port 200 using the odor sensor 110. In other words, the odor acquisition unit 305 monitors whether the concentration of the emitted odor substance is released at a target concentration. The odor acquisition unit 305 also acquires concentration information of the odor substance in the fuel tank FT using the internal odor sensor 111, and monitors whether the concentration of the odor substance in the fuel tank FT is equal to or higher than a predetermined concentration (the minimum concentration at which the odor substance is effective when released). In addition, if the concentration of the odor substance in the fuel tank FT becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined concentration (deterioration threshold) and continues to remain at that concentration for a certain period of time or more, it detects the deterioration of the fuel. The detected fuel deterioration information is used for processing by the display control unit 312 described later, and is displayed to the user by the display unit DS.

[0048] (Heater control unit) The heater control unit 308 controls the amount of heat generated by the heater HE in the fuel tank FT. Specifically, the amount of heat generated by the heater HE is controlled based on the concentration information of the odor sensor 110 and the internal odor sensor 111 acquired by the odor acquisition unit 305. To explain in more detail, the heater is controlled to heat so that the concentration of the odor substance in the fuel tank FT is equal to or higher than a predetermined concentration (the minimum concentration at which release is effective). Furthermore, if the concentration of the odor substance released from the odor emission port 200 is lower than the target concentration, the amount of heat generated by the heater is increased, and the amount of odor substance released is controlled to be increased.

[0049] (Moving part control unit) The movable part control unit 310 controls the movable part AC of the robot 1. To explain in detail, the movable part control unit 310 controls the movable part AC to realize the action of the robot 1 showing a favorable impression to the user, the action of the robot 1 moving, and the action of encouraging refueling. The action showing a favorable impression to the user is assumed to be, for example, a case where the robot 1 is stroked and the favorable impression calculation unit 302 calculates a high favorable impression score. In order to realize the happy action at this time, the movable part AC of the tail part 5 may be used to realize an action of swinging the tail part 5 back and forth or side to side, or the movable part AC of the ear part 6 may be used to realize an action of hanging the tips of the ear part 6 toward the ground, or the movable part AC of the mouth part 7 may be used to realize an action of repeatedly opening and closing the mouth part 7.

[0050] The movement of the robot 1 is assumed to be, for example, a situation in which the robot 1 overcomes a step. The movement of the robot 1 is performed by drive rollers attached to the part of the foot 4 that contacts the ground, but if there is a step, the movement of the robot 1 is hindered. In that case, the movable part AC of the foot 4 is used to realize the movement to overcome the step.

[0051] The action of encouraging refueling is an action of opening the mouth 7 using the movable part AC of the mouth 7 to open the mouth 7 and expose the refill port IL stored inside the mouth 7 to the user.

[0052] (Drive control unit) The drive control unit 311 controls the drive rollers attached to the contact surfaces of the feet 4. To explain in detail, the drive control unit 311 can control the robot 1 to move freely by independently controlling each of the drive rollers attached to the four feet 4.

[0053] (Battery capacity determination unit) The battery capacity determination unit 304 acquires battery information indicating the remaining capacity (SOC) of the battery. The acquired battery information is used for controlling the operation of the fuel cell.

[0054] (Fuel cell control unit) The fuel cell control unit 309 controls the amount of power generated by the fuel cell based on the battery information acquired by the battery capacity determination unit 304. Specifically, the fuel cell control unit 309 controls the opening and closing of a valve (not shown) attached to a pipe P1 connecting the fuel tank FT and the fuel cell, thereby controlling the amount of power generated by the fuel cell. In other words, based on the acquired battery information, when the battery capacity is low, fuel is supplied to the fuel cell, and conversely, when the battery capacity is high, the fuel shared with the fuel cell is reduced to reduce the amount of power generated by the fuel cell FC.

[0055] (Display control unit) The display control unit 312 controls the display unit DS to output information from the robot 1 to the user to the user. Specifically, the display control unit 312 may display, on the display unit DS, an image showing a facial expression according to the score of the robot 1's favorability rating for the user, or may display information urging the user to change fuel based on fuel deterioration information detected by the odor acquisition unit 305.

[0056] (Audio control unit) The voice control unit 313 controls the operation of the voice output unit SP. Specifically, the voice control unit 313 may cause the voice output unit SP to output a voice prompting the user to refuel or the like from the robot 1.

[0057] (Fuel supply reminder) In the robot 1 according to this embodiment, the robot body 10 acts by using fuel supplied from a fuel tank FT. The robot 1, under the control of the prompting operation control unit 315, determines whether or not it is time for the user to perform a predetermined action, and when it is determined that it is time for the user to perform the predetermined action, it can perform a prompting operation to prompt the user to replenish the fuel (consumption object) that will become energy to the fuel tank FT (consumption object supply source), which is an energy supply source. The predetermined action can be, for example, an action performed by the user, such as eating, getting up, sleeping, etc. The prompting operation can be, for example, at least one of an action of walking around the position where the consumption object is present, an action of outputting a voice requesting the consumption object, an action of turning the front of the robot body 10 toward the user, and an action of sending a message requesting the consumption object. In this embodiment, the consumption object is energy for the robot body 10 to perform an action, and specifically, is fuel. The above prompting operation can be stored in the storage unit 300b. The activity level can be set for the prompting operation. For example, in the action of walking around the position where the consumption object is present, the walking speed can be set to be faster as the activity level is higher. In addition, in an action of outputting a sound requesting a consumable object, the sound can be set to become louder the higher the activity level.

[0058] The prompting operation control unit 315 detects the remaining amount of fuel in the fuel tank FT, and can control the prompting operation to be more active as the remaining amount decreases. The prompting operation control unit 315 may control the moving part control unit 310, the drive control unit 311, the display control unit 312, and the voice control unit 313 to cause the robot 1 to execute the selected action. The storage unit 300b may store a plurality of actions associated with a predetermined action of the user.

[0059] The prompting operation control unit 315 may select one of the plurality of stored actions at the timing of the user's predetermined action. The prompting operation control unit 315 may select an action similar to the user's predetermined action from the plurality of stored actions. That is, the storage unit 300b stores actions such as stretching, yawning, and opening the eyes as actions associated with the user's getting up. The prompting operation control unit 315 may detect that the user has sat up at the timing of the user's getting up, and select the action of stretching from the plurality of stored actions as an action similar to the detected action from the plurality of stored actions.

[0060] The prompting operation control unit 315 can control the predetermined behavior of the user to be detected based on the type of the consumption object. For example, the storage unit 300b may store the predetermined behavior of the user associated with the consumption object. The prompting operation control unit 315 may select the predetermined behavior of the user to be detected based on the type of the consumption object. That is, the storage unit 300b stores the predetermined behavior of the user to be detected, such as breakfast or dinner, lunch or snack, and going to bed, corresponding to each of the consumption objects, such as fuel, odorous substance, and electricity. When the odorous substance is insufficient, the prompting operation control unit 315 selects the behavior of the user to take lunch or snack as the predetermined behavior of the user to be detected. In this way, the prompting operation control unit 315 can perform control in which the type of the consumption object is associated with the predetermined behavior of the user to be detected.

[0061] (User Judgment Section) The user determination unit 306 acquires the behavioral information of the user detected by the camera CA. Then, based on the acquired behavioral information, it is determined whether the user has performed a specific behavior. Specifically, for example, when behavioral information of a user eating at a specific place is registered in advance as image data, it may be determined that the user has performed the registered behavior (eating) when the difference between the acquired behavioral information of the user and the registered image is lower than a predetermined value.

[0062] (Level Judgment Section) The level determination unit 303 acquires fuel information indicating the remaining amount of fuel from the fuel level sensor WL in the fuel tank FT. The acquired fuel information is used to control the operation of the robot 1 to prompt for refueling.

[0063] The prompting operation control unit 315 can cause the robot body 10 to perform a prompting operation by controlling each unit of the movable unit control unit 310, the drive control unit 311, the display control unit 312, and the voice control unit 313. The movable unit control unit 310 can realize a prompting operation to prompt the user to refuel by controlling the movable unit AC of the mouth unit 7 based on the determination by the user determination unit 306 that the user is eating and the fuel information acquired by the level determination unit 303. Specifically, when the user determination unit 306 determines that the user is eating and the fuel information acquired by the level determination unit 303 indicates that the remaining amount is equal to or less than a threshold value that requires refueling, the movable unit control unit 310 performs an operation control to prompt the user to refuel by opening the mouth unit 7 using the movable unit AC of the mouth unit 7 and exposing the refueling port IL. In addition, the drive control unit 311 can perform an operation of walking around by controlling the drive roller. In addition, the display control unit 312 can display an image showing a facial expression prompting refueling on the display unit DS. Furthermore, the audio control unit 313 can output an audio message urging for replenishment from the audio output unit SK.

[0064] When the prompting operation is performed, the level determination unit 303 can detect the remaining amount of fuel in the fuel tank FT. In this case, the prompting operation control unit 315 can control each of the movable unit control unit 310, the drive control unit 311, the display control unit 312, and the sound control unit 313 so that the prompting operation becomes more active as the remaining amount decreases, that is, the activity level of the prompting operation becomes higher. In addition, the prompting operation control unit 315 can set a predetermined parameter for each user, and the greater the amount of replenishment of the consumption object, the higher the value of the predetermined parameter. The predetermined parameter may be the above-mentioned favorability level, or may be a value different from the above-mentioned favorability level. The prompting operation control unit 315 can store the set predetermined parameter in the storage unit 300b. The release operation control unit 307 can determine the amount of odor substance to be released based on the predetermined parameter.

[0065] (Waste Discharge) Furthermore, the robot 1 according to this embodiment can automatically discharge waste discharged from the fuel cell to the outside of the body. The function of each part in the control unit 300 when discharging the waste will be described below.

[0066] The level determination unit 303 acquires waste information indicating the amount of stored waste from the waste level sensor GL in the spent fuel tank 400. The acquired waste information is used to control the waste discharge behavior of the robot 1.

[0067] When the waste information acquired by the level determination unit 303 indicates a storage amount of waste equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the drive control unit 311 controls the drive rollers to move the toilet to a location that has been registered in advance as a toilet location.

[0068] When the level determination unit 303 confirms that the acquired waste information indicates a stored amount of waste equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold and that the image acquired from the camera CA indicates that the robot 1 has completed moving to a location that has been previously registered as a toilet location, it opens a valve (not shown) located on the pipe P3 connecting the waste outlet GA and the spent fuel tank 400, and expels the waste from the body of the robot 1.

[0069] After the waste has been discharged, the odor acquisition unit 305 uses the odor sensor 110 to acquire toilet odor information indicating the concentration of odor substances in the air at the toilet location. At this time, the odor sensor 110 used may be any sensor, or toilet odor information may be acquired from all odor sensors 110 and their average value may be used as the toilet odor information. If the toilet odor information acquired by the odor acquisition unit 305 is concentration information equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the display control unit 312 displays a screen on the display unit DS requesting the user to dispose of the waste accumulated in the toilet.

[0070] (Monitoring function) The robot 1 according to this embodiment also has a function of watching over the user. Specifically, the user determination unit 306 acquires watching over information including an image or video showing the user's actions using the camera CA.

[0071] (Communications Department) The communication unit 314 transmits information from the robot 1 to an external device using a communication device (such as an antenna) not shown. Any communication method may be used, and wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) may be used. The communication unit 314 according to this embodiment realizes a user monitoring function by transmitting the monitoring information acquired by the user determination unit 306 to an external device.

[0072] (effect) As described above, the robot 1 according to this embodiment is provided with a plurality of pressure sensors 100 on the surface of the robot body, which are detectors of pressure information including the contact position, contact strength, and contact time from the user, and calculates a favorable rating for the user based on the pressure information acquired by the pressure sensors 100. Then, based on the calculated favorable rating, an odorant is released from the odor emission port 200 closest to the pressure sensor 100 that acquired the pressure information. In addition, the amount of odorant released can be controlled based on the calculated favorable rating. According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a robot that evokes the same feelings as a user would have toward a real animal.

[0073] Second embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the first embodiment, the robot 1 is described as being powered by electricity generated by a fuel cell FC. However, the robot 1 according to the second embodiment is different in that it obtains power by charging from an external power source. In addition, it is different in that it does not require the supply of fuel for power generation, but instead requires the supply of only odor substances. In the second embodiment, the description of the parts of the configuration common to the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0074] Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the torso according to the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 4, the robot 1 according to this embodiment is a robot that operates using electricity generated from an external power source as an energy source. To explain in detail, the robot 1 has a fuel tank FT, a battery BA, a control unit 300, and a charging port CH.

[0075] The fuel tank FT is a tank for storing an odorant, not a fuel for generating electricity. As in the first embodiment, the odorant is supplied from the supply port IL, passes through the fuel pipe FP, and is stored in the fuel tank FT.

[0076] (Control unit) Fig. 5 is a schematic block diagram of a control unit according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 5, the control unit 300 according to this embodiment has a CPU 300a and a storage unit 300b. Descriptions of parts that are common to the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0077] (Action to prompt supply of odorant) In the robot 1 according to this embodiment, the robot body 10 acts by utilizing an odorant supplied from a fuel tank FT. Under the control of the prompting operation control unit 315, the robot 1 determines whether it is time for the user to take a predetermined action, and when it is determined that it is time for the user to take the predetermined action, it can perform a prompting operation to prompt the user to replenish the odorant (object of consumption) in the fuel tank FT (source of object of consumption), which is the odorant supply source. Hereinafter, the functions of each unit in the control unit 300 when prompting the user to replenish the odorant are the same as those in the first embodiment, except that the user is prompted to replenish the odorant instead of fuel, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0078] (Charging prompt) In the robot 1 according to this embodiment, the robot body 10 acts by utilizing electric energy supplied from a battery BA. The robot 1 can urge the user to charge the battery BA (consumption target supply source), i.e., to replenish the electric energy to be consumed, under the control of the urging operation control unit 315. This operation may be performed when the user determines whether it is time for a predetermined action, similar to the urging operation for replenishing an odorant, and the user determines that it is time for the predetermined action. However, the method of determining whether it is time for the user to perform a predetermined action is the same as in the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described.

[0079] The battery capacity determination unit 304 acquires battery information indicating the remaining capacity (SOC) of the battery. The acquired battery information is used to control the charging prompt operation.

[0080] If the battery information acquired by the battery capacity determination unit 304 indicates that the remaining battery capacity (SOC) is below a threshold value that requires charging, the display control unit 312 uses the display unit DS to output an image to the user urging charging.

[0081] (effect) As described above, the robot 1 according to this embodiment can be operated by power supplied from an external power source, and includes a plurality of pressure sensors 100 on the surface of the robot body, which are units for detecting pressure information including the contact position, contact strength, and contact time from the user, and calculates a favorable rating for the user based on the pressure information acquired by the pressure sensors 100. Then, based on the calculated favorable rating, an odorant is released from the odor emission port 200 closest to the pressure sensor 100 that acquired the pressure information. In addition, the amount of the odorant released can be controlled based on the calculated favorable rating. According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a robot that causes a user to feel the same emotions as they would feel toward a real animal.

[0082] Third embodiment Next, a third embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, the robot 1 is described as being activated by charging from an external power source and capable of emitting one type of odorous substance, but multiple odorous substances may be emitted. The robot 1 according to the third embodiment differs from the second embodiment in that it can emit multiple odorous substances. In the third embodiment, the description of the configuration common to the first and second embodiments will be omitted.

[0083] Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the torso according to the third embodiment. As shown in Fig. 6, the robot 1 according to this embodiment is a robot that operates using electricity generated from an external power source as an energy source. To explain in detail, the robot 1 has multiple fuel tanks FT, a buffer room BU, a battery BA, a control unit 300, and a charging port CH.

[0084] The multiple fuel tanks FT according to this embodiment are connected to a buffer room, which will be described later, by piping. Specifically, the fuel tank FT1 and the buffer room are connected via a piping P4. The fuel tank FT2 and the buffer room are connected via a piping P5. The fuel tank FT3 and the buffer room are connected via a piping P6. As in the first and second embodiments, multiple odor substances are supplied from the supply port IL and stored in the respective fuel tanks FT through the respective fuel pipes FP. For example, the supply port IL is provided with a first supply port IL1 connected to the fuel pipe FP1, a second supply port IL2 connected to the fuel pipe FP2, and a third supply port IL3 connected to the fuel pipe FP3. The fuel tank FT1 is connected to the fuel pipe FP1. The fuel tank FT2 is connected to the fuel pipe FP2. The fuel tank FT3 is connected to the fuel pipe FP3. The robot 1 according to this embodiment has three fuel tanks FT, but the number is not limited to three. It is sufficient to have two or more fuel tanks FT.

[0085] Each fuel tank FT has therein an internal odor sensor 111, a fuel level sensor WL, and a heater HE. The functions of each of these are the same as those in the first and second embodiments, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0086] (Buffer Room) The buffer room BU is a closed space. The multiple fuel tanks FT and the buffer room BU are connected by pipes P4 to P6. The buffer room BU is also connected to the odor emission port 200 via the odor passage SP. To explain in detail, the buffer room BU according to this embodiment is connected to the odor emission port 200a, the odor emission port 200d, and the odor emission port 200f via the odor passages SP1 to SP3 that connect them. That is, the odor substances vaporized in the multiple fuel tanks FT pass through the pipes P4 to P6 and are temporarily stored in the buffer room BU. Then, they pass through the odor passages SP1 to SP3 and are released to the outside from the odor emission port 200. The odor passages SP1 to SP3 have an odor control valve V, as in the first and second embodiments. The pipes P4 to P6 that connect the multiple fuel tanks FT and the buffer room BU have odor selection valves VV1 to VV3 along the way.

[0087] (Odor Selection Valve) The odor selection valve VV is an electromagnetic valve. The odor selection valve VV is connected to the control unit 300 via an electric wire (not shown), and the opening degree of the odor selection valve VV is controlled by the release operation control unit 307 included in the control unit 300. Here, the robot 1 according to this embodiment can calculate the user's favorability rating from pressure information detected by the detection unit, which is the pressure sensor 100, and set the type and amount of odor substance to be released based on the calculated favorability rating. In other words, the release operation control unit 307 selects an odor selection valve VV located in the middle of the piping connecting the fuel tank FT of the odor substance whose type to be released according to the favorability rating is set in advance to the buffer room BU. The release operation control unit 307 opens only the selected odor selection valve VV and keeps the unselected odor selection valves VV closed, so that the robot 1 can release a specific odor substance. In addition, the release operation control unit 307 can control the amount of odor substance to be released by controlling the opening degree of the odor selection valve VV.

[0088] The release operation control unit 307 selects the odor emission outlet 200 closest to the pressure sensor 100 from which the pressure information was acquired based on the pressure information acquired by the pressure acquisition unit 301, and releases the odor substance from the selected odor emission outlet 200. The release operation control unit 307 may select a specific odor emission outlet 200 from the multiple odor emission outlets 200 based on the type of odor substance. The release operation control unit 307 may select only one specific odor emission outlet 200, or multiple specific odor emission outlets 200.

[0089] It is known that the parts of the body from which an animal emits the odor, such as paw pads or behind the ears, vary depending on the type of odor substance. The release operation control unit 307 may select an odor emission outlet 200 located close to the body part from which the animal imitated by the robot 1 emits the odor as the specified odor emission outlet 200. The memory unit 300b may store the type of odor substance and the body part from which it is emitted in association with each other. The release operation control unit 307 may select the odor emission outlet 200 by reading out the body part corresponding to the type of odor substance stored in the memory unit 300b.

[0090] Here, it is known that there are odor substances emitted by animals that are liked by many people and odors that are not, depending on the type. The release operation control unit 307 may select a type of odor substance that is liked by more people as the likeability rating increases. The memory unit 300b may store the likeability rating and the type of odor substance in association with each other. The release operation control unit 307 may read out the type of odor substance that corresponds to the likeability rating stored in the memory unit 300b and select the type of odor substance.

[0091] By controlling the odor control valve V and the odor selection valve VV, the robot 1 according to this embodiment can control the position where the odor substance is released and the type and amount of the odor substance to be released. In other words, by controlling the odor control valve V and the odor selection valve VV, any type of odor substance can be released from any odor emission port 200. As a result, the robot 1 according to this embodiment can select the part from which the odor substance is released according to the type of odor substance set. For example, when the robot 1 calculates a high favorability rating for the user's contact, the odor substance to be released may be selected from the odor substance stored in the fuel tank FT1, and the odor substance may be released from the odor emission port (e.g., 200a) corresponding to the selected odor substance. Also, when the robot 1 calculates a low favorability rating for the user's contact, the odor substance to be released may be selected from the odor substance stored in the fuel tank FT2, and the odor substance may be released from the odor emission port (e.g., 200d) corresponding to the selected odor substance. In addition, when predetermined parameters are set for each user based on the replenishment amount of the object to be consumed as described above, the release operation control unit 307 can determine the type and amount of odor substance to be released by controlling the odor control valve V and the odor selection valve VV based on the predetermined parameters.

[0092] By providing the buffer room BU, the robot 1 can minimize the number of odor control valves V and odor selection valves VV. Note that the robot 1 may not have the buffer room BU, and each of the multiple fuel tanks FT may be connected to each odor emission port 200 via a pipe.

[0093] Fig. 7 is a schematic block diagram of a control unit according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 7, the control unit 300 according to this embodiment has a CPU 300a and a storage unit 300b. Descriptions of parts that are common to the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0094] The release operation control unit 307 controls the opening degree of the odor selection valve VV. Detailed control contents are omitted since they have been described in the paragraph on the odor selection valve VV.

[0095] As described above, the robot 1 according to this embodiment can be operated by power supplied from an external power source, and includes a plurality of pressure sensors 100 on the surface of the robot body, which are pressure information detectors that detect the position, strength, and duration of contact from the user. Based on the pressure information acquired by the pressure sensors 100, the robot calculates the user's favorability rating. Based on the calculated favorability rating, the robot releases an odor substance from the odor emission port 200 that is closest to the pressure sensor 100 that acquired the pressure information. In addition, the type and amount of the odor substance to be released can be controlled based on the calculated favorability rating. According to the present disclosure, a robot can be provided that causes a user to feel the same emotions as they would toward a real animal.

[0096] (effect) As described above, the robot 1 according to this embodiment can be operated by power supplied from an external power source, and includes a plurality of pressure sensors 100 on the surface of the robot body, which are pressure information detectors that detect the position, strength, and duration of contact from the user, and calculates the user's favorability rating based on the pressure information acquired by the pressure sensors 100. Then, based on the calculated favorability rating, an odorant is released from the odor emission port 200 that is closest to the pressure sensor 100 that acquired the pressure information. In addition, the type and amount of the odorant released can be controlled based on the calculated favorability rating. According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a robot that causes a user to feel the same emotions as they would toward a real animal.

[0097] As described above, the robot 1 according to the present disclosure includes the robot body 10, the emission operation unit 20 that performs an emission operation to emit an odor substance to the outside of the robot body 10, the likeability calculation unit 302 that calculates a likeability rating for the user, and the emission operation control unit 307 that controls the emission operation unit 20 based on the likeability rating. According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a robot that makes a user feel the same emotions as they feel toward a real animal.

[0098] In the robot 1 according to the present disclosure, the emission operation control unit 307 controls the amount of the odor substance to be emitted based on the calculation result of the likeability rating. According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a robot capable of controlling the type and amount of the odor substance to be emitted based on the calculation result of the likeability rating.

[0099] In the robot 1 according to the present disclosure, the robot body 10 has a plurality of odor emission ports 200 capable of emitting an odor substance to the outside, and the emission operation control unit 307 selects an odor emission port 200 based on the type of odor substance. According to the present disclosure, the robot 1 can show the user the likeability rating calculated for the user based on the type of odor substance emitted and the part from which the odor substance is emitted.

[0100] The robot 1 according to the present disclosure further includes a detection unit that detects the contact position of the user on the robot body 10, the robot body 10 has a plurality of odor emission ports 200 capable of releasing an odorous substance to the outside, and the release operation control unit 307 selects an odor emission port 200 based on the contact position detected by the detection unit. According to the present disclosure, the position for releasing the odorous substance can be selected based on the part of the body that the user touches.

[0101] In the robot 1 according to the present disclosure, the robot body 10 has a plurality of unit components 11, each of which is provided with an odor emission port 200, and the emission operation control unit 307 selects the odor emission port 200 provided in the unit component 11 corresponding to the contact position. According to the present disclosure, an odorant can be emitted from the plurality of unit components 11 of the robot body 10, and in addition, the position from which the odorant is emitted can be selected based on the part of the robot that the user touches.

[0102] Moreover, the robot 1 according to the present disclosure includes a robot main body 10 having a consumption object supply source (fuel tank FT, battery BA) and acting by utilizing the consumption object supplied from the consumption object supply source, and a prompting operation control unit 315 that determines whether or not it is time for the user to perform a predetermined action, and causes the robot main body 10 to perform a prompting operation to prompt the consumption object supply source to replenish the consumption object when the user determines that it is time for the predetermined action. According to the present disclosure, it is possible to prompt the user to replenish fuel or an odor substance at the time of the user's predetermined action, and it is possible to increase the user's sense of closeness and security towards the robot and the joy of repeating daily life.

[0103] In the robot 1 according to the present disclosure, the prompting operation control unit 315 detects the remaining amount of the consumable object in the consumable object supply source, and controls the prompting operation to be more active as the remaining amount decreases. According to the present disclosure, the user can grasp the remaining amount of the consumable object based on the prompting operation of the robot 1.

[0104] In the robot 1 according to the present disclosure, the object to be consumed is the energy required for the robot body 10 to perform its operation. According to the present disclosure, the robot 1 can be operated as if it were a pet that becomes more active in its need for food the hungrier it is. This effectively allows the user to feel the same emotions as those felt toward a real animal.

[0105] In the robot 1 according to the present disclosure, the robot body 10 has an internal release unit 20 that performs a release action to release an odorant to the outside, and the object of consumption is the odorant. According to the present disclosure, the user can grasp the remaining amount of the odorant based on the activity of the robot 1's prompting action.

[0106] In the robot 1 according to the present disclosure, the prompting operation control unit 315 sets a parameter for each user, and the more the replenishment amount of the consumable object, the higher the parameter value is set, and the type or amount of the odorous substance to be released is determined based on the value of the parameter. According to the present disclosure, the type or amount of the odorous substance to be released from the robot 1 is determined for each user according to the replenishment amount of the consumable object, so that the robot 1 can be operated like a pet that reacts differently depending on the user's actions. This makes it possible to provide a robot that makes the user feel the same emotions as they do toward a real animal.

[0107] In the robot 1 according to the present disclosure, the prompting operation control unit 315 controls a predetermined behavior of the user to be detected based on the type of the consumable object. According to the present disclosure, it is possible to perform control in which the type of the consumable object corresponds to the predetermined behavior of the user to be detected.

[0108] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the embodiment is not limited to the contents of this embodiment. The above-mentioned components include those that a person skilled in the art can easily imagine, those that are substantially the same, and those that are within the so-called equivalent range. Furthermore, the above-mentioned components can be appropriately combined. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the components can be made without departing from the gist of the above-mentioned embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0109] 1. Robot 10 Robot body 20 Release operation part AC moving parts 4a Drive unit DS display section CA Camera FT Fuel Tank 100 Pressure Sensor 110 Odor Sensor 111 Internal odor sensor V Odor Control Valve VV Odor Selection Valve 200 Odor outlet 300 Control section 302 Likeability Calculation Department 307 Release operation control unit 315 Prompt operation control unit

Claims

1. A robot body that uses consumables to act; a prompting action control unit that determines whether or not it is time for a user to take a predetermined action, and when it is determined that it is time for the user to take the predetermined action, causes the robot body to perform a prompting action to prompt the user to replenish the consumption object; A robot comprising:

2. The prompting operation control unit detects a remaining amount of the consumption object, and controls the prompting operation to be more active as the remaining amount decreases. The robot according to claim 1.

3. The prompting operation control unit selects the predetermined behavior of the user to be determined based on the type of the consumable object. The robot according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The robot body further includes a discharge operation unit that performs a discharge operation of discharging a substance to the outside, The consumption object is the substance. The robot according to claim 1 or 2.

5. the prompting operation control unit sets a parameter for each user, and sets the parameter to a higher value as the replenishment amount of the consumption object increases; Further comprising a release operation control unit that controls the type or amount of the substance to be released based on the parameters. The robot according to claim 4.

Images