Robot, robot control method, and program

Abstract

To express a feeling of a living thing by a simple configuration.SOLUTION: A robot 200 simulates a living thing, and includes a body part 206, a head part 204 connected to a front end of the body part 206, a movable part for moving the head part 204 relative to the body part 206, and a control part. In a state that the body part 206 is placed on a placing surface, the control part executes first control for controlling the movable part to move the head part 204 so that the state that the head part 204 pushes the placing surface changes, and to change a distance between the front end of the body part 206 and the placing surface alternately between a first distance and a second distance.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a robot, a robot control method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] There is known a technique for controlling the operation of a robot so as to approximate it to a familiar entity such as a friend or a pet. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a dog-type robot including a body part, a head part, and four leg parts, and capable of executing various biological operations by driving the head part and the leg parts with respect to the body part.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, conventional robots such as those disclosed in Patent Document 1 have a relatively large number of driving parts, and thus have a complicated configuration and it is difficult to make movements expressing a sense of living things.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a robot, a robot control method, and a program capable of expressing a sense of living things with a simple configuration.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above object, one aspect of the robot according to the present invention is a robot imitating a living thing, including a body part, a head connected to the front end of the body part, and a movable part for moving the head with respect to the body part A control unit, is provided with in a state where the body part is placed on a placement surface, the control unit moves the head so that the state in which the head presses the placement surface changes, and controls the movable part so that the distance between the front end of the body part and the placement surface alternates between a first distance and a second distance, and executes a first control.

Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, a biological feeling can be expressed with a simple configuration.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

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Figure 13

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0010] (Embodiment 1) As shown in FIG. 1, the robot 200 according to Embodiment 1 is a pet robot imitating a small animal. For ease of understanding, FIG. 1 shows the front-back, left-right directions, and the description will be made with appropriate reference to this direction. The robot 200 includes two decorative parts 202 imitating eyes on the front side. Also, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the robot 200 includes a housing 207 and an exterior 201 having flexibility to cover the housing 207. And the exterior 201 imitates fur and has a large number of fluffy hairs 203. In FIGS. 2 and 3, for ease of viewing the drawings, hatching is omitted.

[0011] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the housing 207 of the robot 200 is composed of a head 204, a connecting part 205, and a body part 206, and the rear end of the head 204 and the front end of the body part 206 are connected by the connecting part 205. The body part 206 extends in the front-back direction as shown in FIG. 2. And the body part 206 contacts the placement surface such as the floor or table on which the robot 200 is placed through the exterior 201. Also, as shown in FIG. 2, a twisting motor 221 is provided at the front end of the body part 206, and the head 204 is connected to the front end of the body part 206 through the connecting part 205. And a vertical motor 222 is provided in the connecting part 205. In FIG. 2, the twisting motor 221 is provided in the body part 206, but it may be provided in the connecting part 205 or in the head 204.

[0012] The connecting part 205 connects the body part 206 and the head part 204 so as to be rotatable (by the twisting motor 221) about a first rotation axis that passes through the connecting part 205 and extends in the front-rear direction of the body part 206. The twisting motor 221 can rotate the head part 204 clockwise or counterclockwise about the first rotation axis with respect to the body part 206. Here, the clockwise direction in this description is the clockwise direction when looking from the head part 204 towards the body part 206. Also, the clockwise rotation is also referred to as a "rightward twisting rotation", and the counterclockwise rotation is also referred to as a "leftward twisting rotation". The maximum value of the angle by which the twisting motor 221 twists the head part 204 to the right (clockwise) or to the left (counterclockwise) is arbitrary. The angle of the head part 204 in the state where the head part 204 is not twisted either to the right or to the left is defined as the twisting reference angle, and the left-right rotation angle of the head part 204 at this time is set to 0 degrees. Also, the value of the left-right rotation angle of the head part 204 when the head part 204 is rotated to the right of the twisting reference angle is positive, and the value of the left-right rotation angle of the head part 204 when the head part 204 is rotated to the left of the twisting reference angle is negative.

[0013] Also, the connecting part 205 connects the body part 206 and the head part 204 so as to be rotatable (by the up-down motor 222) about a second rotation axis that passes through the connecting part 205 and extends in the width direction of the body part 206. The up-down motor 222 can rotate the head part 204 up and down as shown by the arrow Y1 about the second rotation axis. The maximum value of the angle of rotation upward or downward is arbitrary. The angle of the head part 204 in the state where the head part 204 is not rotated either upward or downward is defined as the up-down reference angle, and the up-down rotation angle of the head part 204 at this time is set to 0 degrees. Also, the value of the up-down rotation angle of the head part 204 when the head part 204 is rotated upward of the up-down reference angle is positive, and the value of the up-down rotation angle of the head part 204 when the head part 204 is rotated downward of the up-down reference angle is negative.

[0014] When the head 204 rotates up and down around the second rotation axis and rotates above the vertical reference angle or the vertical reference angle (when the vertical rotation angle of the head 204 is 0 degrees or more), it can contact the placement surface such as the floor or table on which the robot 200 is placed through the exterior 201. In FIG. 2, an example is shown where the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis are orthogonal to each other, but the first and second rotation axes may not be orthogonal to each other.

[0015] Also, the body part 206 that constitutes a part of the housing 207 has a shape like a rectangular parallelepiped that is long in the front-rear direction, and as shown in FIG. 2, it is placed on the placement surface 101 such as the floor or table through the exterior 201. Therefore, in a state where the body part 206 is placed on the placement surface 101, the head 204 is connected to the front end of the body part 206 so that it can rotate in a direction in which the distance between the front end of the head 204 and the placement surface 101 changes around the connection position (the second rotation axis of the connecting part 205) with the body part 206.

[0016] The head 204 that constitutes a part of the housing 207 corresponds to the head of the robot 200 that mimics a small animal. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, on the left and right side surfaces of the head 204, convex parts 271A as first engaged parts that engage with the first engaging parts (engaging plates 275A) provided on the exterior 201 are respectively attached to the left and right. That is, the first engaged part is located on the front side with respect to the connection position (the second rotation axis of the connecting part 205). Further, on the exterior 201, exterior convex parts (convex parts 276) are provided within a specific range of the engaging plate 275A (for example, within 2 cm from the engaging plate 275A), and on the head 204, head concave parts (concave parts 272) are provided within a specific range of the convex part 271A (for example, within 2 cm from the convex part 271A).

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, convex parts 271B as second engaged parts similar to those provided on the head 204 are provided on the left and right side surfaces and the upper surface of the body part 206, respectively. Similar to the first engaged part, the convex part 271B as the second engaged part engages with a second engaging part (engaging plate 275B) provided on the exterior 201. In the following description, the first engaging part (engaging plate 275A) and the second engaging part (engaging plate 275B) are collectively referred to simply as the engaging part (engaging plate 275). Also, the first engaged part (convex part 271A) and the second engaged part (convex part 271B) are collectively referred to simply as the engaged part (convex part 271).

[0018] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the exterior 201 has an elongated shape in the front-rear direction and is in the shape of a bag having elasticity capable of accommodating the housing 207 inside. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the surface of the exterior 201 has a number of hairs 203 imitating the hair of a small animal, which can be formed of, for example, a pile fabric. Thereby, the texture of the robot 200 can be made to resemble the texture of a small animal.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, a wire fastener 208 is attached to the rear part of the exterior 201. With the housing 207 accommodated inside the exterior 201, by sliding the slider 208a of the wire fastener 208 to close the wire fastener 208, the state in which the housing 207 (FIG. 2) is accommodated in the exterior 201 is maintained. On the other hand, by sliding the slider 208a to open the wire fastener 208, the housing 207 can be taken in and out of the exterior 201.

[0020] When housing the housing 207 in the exterior 201, the engaging portion (engaging plate 275) of the exterior 201 and the engaged portion (convex component 271) are engaged, and the exterior convex portion (convex component 276) is inserted into the head concave portion (concave portion 272). When the engaging portion (engaging plate 275) of the exterior 201 and the engaged portion (convex component 271) are engaged, the exterior 201 is locked to the housing 207 and follows the movement of the housing 207. As a result, the upper side of the exterior 201 is pulled or sagged according to the movement of the housing 207. Further, when the exterior convex portion (convex component 276) is inserted into the head concave portion (concave portion 272), the position of the exterior convex portion of the exterior 201 is fixed to the position of the head concave portion of the housing 207, and the following accuracy of the exterior 201 to the movement of the housing 207 is improved.

[0021] Then, the exterior 201 moves following the housing 207 according to the operation of the housing 207 caused by driving the torsion motor 221 and the up - down motor 222. When the exterior 201 moves following the housing 207, the upper side of the exterior 201 is pulled or sagged, and this movement becomes a movement imitating the movement of a small animal. Therefore, the control unit 110 can operate the robot 200 imitating a small animal as if it were alive by controlling the movable unit 220.

[0022] Conventionally, in order to make the exterior 201 accurately follow the movement of the housing 207, it was necessary to provide a large number (for example, 9 each) of the engaging plate 275 and the convex component 271. However, in the present embodiment, the convex components 271A of the head 204 can be reduced to 1 each on the left and right (2 in total), and the convex components 271B of the body portion 206 can be reduced to 1 each on the left, right, and upper surface (3 in total). Even when the number of components is reduced in this way, the housing 207 is provided with the convex component 271, and the exterior 201 is provided with the engaging plate 275 at appropriate positions where the exterior 201 is easily pulled or sagged during the breathing operation described later. And by providing the head concave portion and the exterior convex portion, the following accuracy of the exterior 201 to the movement of the housing 207 is further improved. Also, since the number of these components has decreased, the assembly man - hours have been reduced, the attachment of the exterior 201 has been simplified, and cost reduction has become possible. Furthermore, for the user, the attachment and detachment of the exterior 201 have become easy.

[0023] In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the robot 200 is provided with a touch sensor 211 on the head 204, and the touch sensor 211 can detect when the user strokes or taps the head 204. Also, the touch sensor 211 is provided on the body 206, and the touch sensor 211 can also detect when the user strokes or taps the body 206.

[0024] In addition, the robot 200 is provided with an acceleration sensor 212 on the body 206, and can detect the posture (orientation) of the robot 200, and can also detect when the robot 200 is lifted, its orientation is changed, or it is thrown by the user. Also, the robot 200 is provided with a gyro sensor 214 on the body 206, and can detect when the robot 200 is rolling or rotating.

[0025] In addition, the robot 200 is provided with a microphone 213 on the body 206, and can detect external sounds. Furthermore, the robot 200 is provided with a speaker 231 on the body 206, and can use the speaker 231 to emit the voice (sound effect) of the robot 200.

[0026] In addition, the robot 200 is provided with a power receiving unit 251 on the bottom surface of the body 206. The robot 200 is driven by a rechargeable battery 252 provided inside the housing 207, and receives the power transmitted from the wireless charger by the power receiving unit 251 to charge the battery 252. The wireless charger is in the shape of a pet cage (house) and has a sheet-shaped power supply placement surface. When the robot 200 is placed on the power supply placement surface of the wireless charger, the charging of the battery 252 starts.

[0027] In addition, in this embodiment, the acceleration sensor 212, the gyro sensor 214, the microphone 213, and the speaker 231 are provided in the body part 206, but all or part of these may be provided in the head part 204. Further, in addition to the acceleration sensor 212, the gyro sensor 214, the microphone 213, and the speaker 231 provided in the body part 206, all or part of these may also be provided in the head part 204. Also, the touch sensor 211 is provided in the head part 204 and the body part 206, respectively, but it may be provided in only one of the head part 204 or the body part 206. Also, a plurality of these may be provided.

[0028] Further, in this embodiment, since the housing 207 of the robot 200 is covered with the exterior 201, the head part 204 and the body part 206 are indirectly in contact with the placement surface such as the floor or table on which the robot 200 is placed via the exterior 201. However, it is not limited to such a form, and the head part 204 and the body part 206 may be directly in contact with the placement surface. For example, the lower part of the exterior 201 (the part in contact with the placement surface) may not exist, and the lower part of the housing 207 (the part in contact with the placement surface, for example, the bottom surface of the body part 206) may be exposed, or the entire housing 207 may be exposed without the exterior 201 existing at all.

[0029] Next, the functional configuration of the robot 200 will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, the robot 200 includes a control device 100 for equipment, an external stimulus detection unit 210, a movable unit 220, a voice output unit 230, an operation input unit 240, and a power control unit 250. The control device 100 for equipment includes a control unit 110, a storage unit 120, and a communication unit 130. In FIG. 4, the control device 100 for equipment, the external stimulus detection unit 210, the movable unit 220, the voice output unit 230, the operation input unit 240, and the power control unit 250 are connected via a bus line BL, but this is just an example. The control device 100 for equipment, the external stimulus detection unit 210, the movable unit 220, the voice output unit 230, the operation input unit 240, and the power control unit 250 may be connected by a wired interface such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable or a wireless interface such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). Also, the control unit 110, the storage unit 120, and the communication unit 130 may be connected via a bus line BL.

[0030] The control device 100 for equipment controls the operations of the robot 200 (such as the movement by the movable unit 220 and the output of a chirping sound from the voice output unit 230) by the control unit 110 and the storage unit 120.

[0031] The control unit 110 is composed of, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or the like, and executes various processes (such as robot control processes) described later according to a program stored in the storage unit 120. Since the control unit 110 supports a multi-thread function for executing a plurality of processes in parallel, various processes (such as robot control processes, respiration imitation processes, and operations at the end of charging) described later can be executed in parallel. Also, the control unit 110 has a clock function and a timer function, and can measure time such as the date and time.

[0032] The memory unit 120 is composed of a ROM (Read Only Memory), a flash memory, a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. In the ROM, programs executed by the CPU of the control unit 110 and data necessary in advance for executing the programs are stored. The flash memory is a writable non-volatile memory, and stores data that needs to be saved even after the power is turned off. In the RAM, data created or changed during program execution is stored.

[0033] The communication unit 130 includes a communication module compatible with wireless LAN (Local Area Network), Bluetooth (registered trademark), etc., and performs data communication with an external device such as a smartphone. Examples of the content of the data communication include receiving a remaining amount notification request and transmitting information on the remaining battery level in order to display the remaining battery level of the robot 200 on a smartphone or the like.

[0034] The external stimulus detection unit 210 includes the touch sensor 211, the acceleration sensor 212, the gyro sensor 214, and the microphone 213 described above. The control unit 110 acquires the detection values detected by the various sensors included in the external stimulus detection unit 210 as external stimulus data representing the external stimuli acting on the robot 200. Note that the external stimulus detection unit 210 may include sensors other than the touch sensor 211, the acceleration sensor 212, the gyro sensor 214, and the microphone 213. By increasing the types of sensors included in the external stimulus detection unit 210, the types of external stimuli that the control unit 110 can acquire can be increased. Conversely, the external stimulus detection unit 210 does not necessarily need to include all of the sensors described above. For example, when detection of angular velocity is not required, the external stimulus detection unit 210 does not have to include the gyro sensor 214.

[0035] The touch sensor 211 detects that an object has made contact. The touch sensor 211 is constituted by, for example, a pressure sensor or a capacitance sensor. Based on the detection value from the touch sensor 211, the control unit 110 can detect that the robot 200 is being stroked or tapped by the user, etc.

[0036] The acceleration sensor 212 detects the acceleration in three axial directions including the front-back direction (X-axis direction), width (left-right) direction (Y-axis direction), and up-down direction (Z-axis direction) of the body part 206 of the robot 200. Since the acceleration sensor 212 detects the gravitational acceleration when the robot 200 is stationary, the control unit 110 can detect the current posture of the robot 200 based on the gravitational acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 212. Also, for example, when the user lifts or throws the robot 200, the acceleration sensor 212 detects the acceleration accompanying the movement of the robot 200 in addition to the gravitational acceleration. Therefore, the control unit 110 can detect the movement of the robot 200 by removing the component of the gravitational acceleration from the detection value detected by the acceleration sensor 212.

[0037] The gyro sensor 214 detects the angular velocity when rotation is applied to the body part 206 of the robot 200. Specifically, the gyro sensor 214 detects the angular velocity of three-axis rotation including rotation about the front-back direction (X-axis direction) of the body part 206, rotation about the width (left-right) direction (Y-axis direction), and rotation about the up-down direction (Z-axis direction). The control unit 110 can detect the movement of the robot 200 with higher accuracy by combining the detection value detected by the acceleration sensor 212 and the detection value detected by the gyro sensor 214.

[0038] Note that the touch sensor 211, the acceleration sensor 212, and the gyro sensor 214 are synchronized, and detect the contact strength, acceleration, and angular velocity at the same timing, respectively, and output the detection values to the control unit 110. Specifically, the touch sensor 211, the acceleration sensor 212, and the gyro sensor 214 detect the contact strength, acceleration, and angular velocity at the same timing, for example, every 0.25 seconds.

[0039] The microphone 213 detects sounds around the robot 200. Based on the components of the sound detected by the microphone 213, the control unit 110 can detect, for example, that the user is calling the robot 200 or clapping hands.

[0040] The movable part 220 is for causing the robot 200 to perform movements imitating the movements of a living being, and includes a twisting motor 221 and a vertical motor 222. The movable part 220 (the twisting motor 221 and the vertical motor 222) is driven by the control unit 110. The twisting motor 221 and the vertical motor 222 are servo motors. When the operation time and the operation angle are specified from the control unit 110 and the rotation is instructed, they operate to rotate to the position of the specified operation angle by the time of the specified operation time. As a result, the robot 200 can perform movements such as lifting the head 204 with respect to the body part 206 (rotating upward around the second rotation axis) or twisting it horizontally (rotating rightward or leftward around the first rotation axis). The motion data for driving the movable part 220 to perform these movements is recorded in the control content table 124 described later.

[0041] Note that when the twisting motor 221 is rotated to a certain operation angle θ, the left - right rotation angle of the head 204 becomes θ. Also, when the vertical motor 222 is rotated to a certain operation angle θ, the up - down rotation angle of the head 204 becomes θ.

[0042] The voice output unit 230 includes a speaker 231. When the control unit 110 inputs sound data to the voice output unit 230, sound is output from the speaker 231. The sound output by the voice output unit 230 is not limited to voice, and any sound can be output. For example, when the control unit 110 inputs data of the cry of the robot 200 to the voice output unit 230, the robot 200 emits a pseudo - cry (for example, a cry imitating the cry of a living being). This cry data is also recorded in the control content table 124 as sound effect data.

[0043] Note that both the movable part 220 and the voice output part 230 are functional parts for causing an operation imitating a living organism (including not only an operation by physical movement but also an operation such as making a sound), and are collectively called an operation part. Further, the robot 200 may be additionally provided with other functional parts in order to cause an operation imitating a living organism, and in that case, the additional functional parts are also included and called an operation part.

[0044] The operation input part 240 is composed of, for example, operation buttons, volume knobs, etc. The operation input part 240 is an interface for receiving user operations such as turning on / off the power and adjusting the volume of the output sound.

[0045] The power control part 250 includes a sub-microcomputer, a charging IC (Integrated Circuit), a power control IC, a power receiving part 251, etc., and performs charging of the battery 252 of the robot 200, acquisition of the remaining amount of the battery 252, and power control of the robot 200.

[0046] In the robot 200, in order to express a sense of being alive, the battery 252 is charged by wireless charging without connecting a charging cable or the like. The method of wireless charging is arbitrary, but in this embodiment, the electromagnetic induction method is used. When the robot 200 is placed on the power supply placement surface of a wireless charger, an induction magnetic flux is generated between the reception antenna of the power receiving part 251 provided on the bottom surface of the body part 206 and the transmission antenna of an external wireless charger, and the wireless charger performs a power supply operation for charging the battery 252, and the battery 252 is charged.

[0047] Next, among the data stored in the storage part 120 of the control device 100 of the device, the emotion data 121, the emotion change data 122, the growth days data 123, and the control content table 124 will be described in order.

[0048] The emotional data 121 is data for giving the robot 200 pseudo-emotions, and is data (X, Y) indicating coordinates on the emotion map 300. As shown in FIG. 5, the emotion map 300 is represented by a two-dimensional coordinate system having an axis of security level (insecurity level) as the X-axis 311 and an axis of excitement level (listlessness level) as the Y-axis 312. The origin 310 (0, 0) on the emotion map represents the normal emotion. And, the higher the X coordinate value (X value) is positive and the larger its absolute value is, the higher the security level is, and the higher the Y coordinate value (Y value) is positive and the larger its absolute value is, the higher the excitement level is. Also, the higher the absolute value of the negative X value is, the higher the insecurity level is, and the higher the absolute value of the negative Y value is, the higher the listlessness level is.

[0049] The emotional data 121 has two values, an X value (security level, insecurity level) and a Y value (excitement level, listlessness level), representing a plurality (four in this embodiment) of different pseudo-emotions. The point on the emotion map 300 represented by the X value and the Y value represents the pseudo-emotion of the robot 200. The initial value of the emotional data 121 is (0, 0). Since the emotional data 121 is a parameter representing the pseudo-emotion of the robot 200, it is also called an emotion parameter. Although the emotion map 300 is represented by a two-dimensional coordinate system in FIG. 5, the number of dimensions of the emotion map 300 is arbitrary. The emotion map 300 may be defined in one dimension and one value may be set as the emotional data 121. Also, other axes may be added to define the emotion map 300 in a three-dimensional or higher coordinate system, and the number of values equal to the number of dimensions of the emotion map 300 may be set as the emotional data 121.

[0050] In this embodiment, as shown in the frame 301 of FIG. 5, the size of the emotion map 300 as the initial value has a maximum value of 100 and a minimum value of -100 for both the X value and the Y value. And during the first period, every time the pseudo growth days of the robot 200 increase by 1 day, both the maximum value and the minimum value of the emotion map 300 are enlarged by 2 each. Here, the first period is the period during which the robot 200 pseudo-grows, and it is, for example, a period of 50 days from the pseudo-birth of the robot 200. Note that the pseudo-birth of the robot 200 is the first activation by the user after the robot 200 is shipped from the factory. When the growth days reach 25 days, as shown in the frame 302 of FIG. 5, both the X value and the Y value have a maximum value of 150 and a minimum value of -150. And when the first period (50 days in this example) is over, assuming that the pseudo-growth of the robot 200 is completed, as shown in the frame 303 of FIG. 5, both the X value and the Y value have a maximum value of 200 and a minimum value of -200, and the size of the emotion map 300 is fixed.

[0051] The emotion change data 122 is data for setting the amount of change for increasing or decreasing each of the X value and the Y value of the emotion data 121. In this embodiment, as the emotion change data 122 corresponding to X of the emotion data 121, there are DXP for increasing the X value and DXM for decreasing the X value, and as the emotion change data 122 corresponding to the Y value of the emotion data 121, there are DYP for increasing the Y value and DYM for decreasing the Y value. That is, the emotion change data 122 consists of the following four variables. Since these variables are parameters for changing the pseudo-emotion of the robot 200, they are also called emotion change parameters. DXP: Ease of feeling at ease (Ease of change in the positive direction of the X value in the emotion map) DXM: Ease of becoming anxious (Ease of change in the negative direction of the X value in the emotion map) DYP: Ease of getting excited (Ease of change in the positive direction of the Y value in the emotion map) DYM: Ease of becoming listless (Ease of change in the negative direction of the Y value in the emotion map)

[0052] In this embodiment, as an example, the initial values of these variables are all set to 10, and they are increased up to a maximum of 20 by a process of learning the emotional change data during the robot control process described later. Due to this learning process, the emotional change data 122 (i.e., the degree of emotional change) changes, so the robot 200 will have various personalities according to the way the user interacts with the robot 200. That is to say, the personality of the robot 200 will be individually different according to the way the user interacts.

[0053] Therefore, in this embodiment, each personality data (personality value) is derived by subtracting 10 from each emotional change data 122. That is, the value obtained by subtracting 10 from DXP indicating ease of feeling at ease is used as the personality value (cheerful), the value obtained by subtracting 10 from DXM indicating ease of becoming anxious is used as the personality value (shy), the value obtained by subtracting 10 from DYP indicating ease of getting excited is used as the personality value (lively), and the value obtained by subtracting 10 from DYM indicating ease of becoming listless is used as the personality value (spoiled). In this way, it can be said that the value of the emotional change parameter (emotional change data 122) represents the pseudo-personality of the robot 200.

[0054] The growth days data 123 has an initial value of 1 and is incremented by 1 each day. The growth days data 123 represents the pseudo-growth days (days since pseudo-birth) of the robot 200. Here, the period of the growth days represented by the growth days data 123 will be referred to as the second period.

[0055] In the control content table 124, as shown in FIG. 6, the control conditions and the control data are stored in correspondence. When the control condition (for example, some external stimulus is detected) is satisfied, the control unit 110 controls the movable unit 220 and the voice output unit 230 based on the corresponding control data (motion data for expressing the motion by the movable unit 220 and effect sound data for outputting an effect sound from the voice output unit 230).

[0056] As shown in FIG. 6, the motion data is a series of sequence data for controlling the movable part 220 (the order of "time (milliseconds): rotation angle (degrees) of the vertical motor 222: rotation angle (degrees) of the twisting motor 221"). For example, when being stroked, initially (at 0 seconds), the rotation angles of the vertical motor 222 and the twisting motor 221 are set to 0 degrees (the vertical reference angle and the twisting reference angle), at 0.5 seconds, the head 204 is raised so that the rotation angle of the vertical motor 222 becomes 60 degrees, and at 1 second, the head 204 is twisted so that the rotation angle of the twisting motor 221 becomes 60 degrees. In this way, the control unit 110 controls the movable part 220.

[0057] Also, in FIG. 6, for easy understanding, sentences explaining each sound effect data are described. Actually, the sound effect data itself (sampled sound data) explained by these sentences is stored in the control content table 124 as the sound effect data.

[0058] Note that in the control content table shown in FIG. 6, the control conditions do not include conditions related to emotions (represented by coordinates on the emotion map 300). However, by including conditions related to emotions in the control conditions, the control data may be changed according to emotions.

[0059] Next, with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 7, the robot control process executed by the control unit 110 of the device control device 100 will be described. The robot control process is a process in which the device control device 100 controls the operations and voices of the robot 200 based on the detection values from the external stimulus detection unit 210 and the like. When the user turns on the power of the robot 200, the robot control process is started.

[0060] First, the control unit 110 initializes various data such as emotion data 121, emotion change data 122, and growth days data 123 (step S101). Note that after the second and subsequent startups of the robot 200, in step S101, the values at the time when the power of the robot 200 was turned off last time may be set. This can be achieved by the control unit 110 saving the values of each data in the non-volatile memory (such as a flash memory) of the storage unit 120 when the operation of turning off the power last time was performed, and then setting the saved values as the values of each data when the power is turned on.

[0061] Next, the control unit 110 acquires the detection value detected by the external stimulus detection unit 210 (step S102). Then, the control unit 110 determines whether an external stimulus exists based on the acquired detection value (step S103).

[0062] If an external stimulus exists (step S103; Yes), the control unit 110 acquires emotion change data 122 according to the detection value of the external stimulus acquired in step S102 (step S104). Specifically, for example, when it is detected by the touch sensor 211 of the head 204 that the head 204 has been stroked as an external stimulus, the robot 200 obtains a pseudo sense of security. Therefore, the control unit 110 acquires DXP as the emotion change data 122 to be added to the X value of the emotion data 121.

[0063] Then, the control unit 110 sets the emotion data 121 according to the emotion change data 122 acquired in step S104 (step S105). Specifically, for example, if DXP has been acquired as the emotion change data 122 in step S104, the control unit 110 adds the DXP of the emotion change data 122 to the X value of the emotion data 121.

[0064] In steps S104 and S105, for each external stimulus, what kind of emotion change data 122 is acquired and the emotion data 121 is set can be arbitrarily set. Here, an example is shown below.

[0065] The head 204 is stroked (feeling at ease): X = X + DXP The head 204 is tapped (feeling anxious): X = X - DXM (These external stimuli can be detected by the touch sensor 211 on the head 204) The torso 206 is stroked (feeling excited): Y = Y + DYP The torso 206 is tapped (feeling listless): Y = Y - DYM (These external stimuli can be detected by the touch sensor 211 on the torso 206) Held with the head up (feeling happy): X = X + DXP, and Y = Y + DYP Held upside down (feeling sad): X = X - DXM, and Y = Y - DYM (These external stimuli can be detected by the touch sensor 211, the acceleration sensor 212, and the gyro sensor 214) Called gently (feeling calm): X = X + DXP, and Y = Y - DYM Shouted angrily (feeling irritated): X = X - DXM, and Y = Y + DYP (These external stimuli can be detected by the microphone 213)

[0066] However, when adding the emotion change data 122 causes the values (X value, Y value) of the emotion data 121 to exceed the maximum value of the emotion map 300, the value of the emotion data 121 is set to the maximum value of the emotion map 300. Also, when subtracting the emotion change data 122 causes the value of the emotion data 121 to be less than the minimum value of the emotion map 300, the value of the emotion data 121 is set to the minimum value of the emotion map 300.

[0067] Subsequently, the control unit 110 refers to the control content table 124 and acquires control data corresponding to the control conditions satisfied by the detected value of the acquired external stimulus (step S106).

[0068] Then, the control unit 110 reproduces the control data acquired in step S106 (step S107) and proceeds to step S111.

[0069] On the other hand, in step S103, if there is no external stimulus (step S103; No), the control unit 110 determines whether to perform a spontaneous action (such as a breathing action that mimics the breathing of a living being) (step S108). The method for determining whether to perform a spontaneous action is arbitrary. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the determination in step S108 becomes Yes every respiratory cycle (for example, 2 seconds), and a breathing action is performed.

[0070] If a spontaneous action is not performed (step S108; No), the control unit 110 proceeds to step S111. If a spontaneous action is performed (step S108; Yes), the control unit 110 executes a breathing imitation process (step S109) to perform a breathing action, which is an action that mimics the breathing of a living being, as a spontaneous action, and then proceeds to step S111. The details of the breathing imitation process will be described later. In this embodiment, as a spontaneous action, the only action instructed to be executed by the control unit 110 is the breathing action. However, the robot 200 may perform other spontaneous actions instead of or in addition to the breathing action.

[0071] Although not shown in FIG. 7, in step S109 as well, similar to when there is an external stimulus, the control content of the spontaneous action may be changed based on the emotion data.

[0072] In step S111, the control unit 110 determines whether the date has changed by means of the clock function. If the date has not changed (step S111; No), the control unit 110 returns to step S102.

[0073] If the date has changed (step S111; Yes), the control unit 110 determines whether it is within the first period (step S112). If the first period is set to a period of, for example, 50 days from the pseudo-birth of the robot 200 (for example, at the first startup by the user after purchase), the control unit 110 determines that it is within the first period if the growth days data 123 is 50 or less. If it is not within the first period (step S112; No), the control unit 110 proceeds to step S115.

[0074] During the first period (step S112; Yes), the control unit 110 performs learning of the emotional change data 122 (step S113). Specifically, the learning of the emotional change data 122 means that if the X value of the emotional data 121 is set to the maximum value of the emotional map 300 even once on that day, 1 is added to the DXP of the emotional change data 122, and if the Y value of the emotional data 121 is set to the maximum value of the emotional map 300 even once, 1 is added to the DYP of the emotional change data 122. If the X value of the emotional data 121 is set to the minimum value of the emotional map 300 even once, 1 is added to the DXM of the emotional change data 122, and if the Y value of the emotional data 121 is set to the minimum value of the emotional map 300 even once, 1 is added to the DYM of the emotional change data 122. By doing so, the emotional change data 122 is updated.

[0075] However, if each value of the emotional change data 122 becomes too large, the amount of change in the emotional data 121 per time will become too large. Therefore, each value of the emotional change data 122 is limited to a maximum value of, for example, 20. Also, here, 1 is added to each of the emotional change data 122, but the value to be added is not limited to 1. For example, the number of times each value of the emotional data 121 is set to the maximum value or the minimum value of the emotional map 300 can be counted, and if the number of times is large, the numerical value added to the emotional change data 122 may be increased.

[0076] Returning to FIG. 7, next, the control unit 110 expands the emotional map 300 (step S114). Specifically, the expansion of the emotional map means that the control unit 110 expands the emotional map 300 by 2 both in the maximum value and the minimum value. However, the numerical value "2" for this expansion is only an example, and it may be expanded by 3 or more, or may be expanded by 1. Also, the numerical values for expansion may be different for each axis of the emotional map 300, as well as for the maximum value and the minimum value.

[0077] Also, in FIG. 7, although the learning of the emotion change data 122 and the expansion of the emotion map 300 are assumed to be performed after the control unit 110 determines that the date has changed in step S111, they may be performed after determining that the reference time (for example, 9:00 p.m.) has been reached. Also, the determination in step S111 may be made based on the value obtained by accumulating the time when the robot 200 is powered on by the timer function of the control unit 110, rather than based on the actual date. For example, every time the accumulated power-on time reaches a multiple of 24 hours, the robot 200 is considered to have grown by one day, and the learning of the emotion change data 122 and the expansion of the emotion map 300 may be performed.

[0078] Returning to FIG. 7, the control unit 110 adds 1 to the number-of-growth-days data 123 (step S115), initializes the emotion data to 0 for both the X value and the Y value (step S116), and returns to step S102. If it is better for the robot 200 to carry over the pseudo-emotion of the previous day to the next day, the control unit 110 returns to step S102 without performing the process of step S116.

[0079] Next, the breathing imitation process executed in step S109 of the above-described robot control process will be described with reference to FIG. 8. In the breathing imitation process, as variables for storing two angles (the first angle (reference angle) and the angle at which the movement turns back (intermediate angle)) that define the range for rotating the vertical motor 222 when performing the breathing movement, a variable RA0 for storing the reference angle and a variable RA1 for storing the intermediate angle are used. When performing the breathing movement, the control unit 110 alternately and periodically performs the process of rotating the vertical motor 222 to the reference angle and the process of rotating it to the intermediate angle at a predetermined cycle (for example, the breathing cycle).

[0080] First, the control unit 110 sets the first reference angle (e.g., 0 degrees) in the variable RA0 and the first intermediate angle (e.g., 10 degrees (upward)) in the variable RA1 (step S201). Note that since the first reference angle is the central angle at which the head 204 is not rotated upward or downward, it is also called the central reference angle. Also, since the first intermediate angle is the angle at which the head 204 is rotated upward, it is also called the upward reference angle.

[0081] Then, the control unit 110 determines whether the robot 200 is placed on the power supply placement surface of the wireless charger (step S202). Note that the control unit 110 can determine whether the robot 200 is placed on the power supply placement surface of the wireless charger by determining whether power can be received from the wireless charger by the power receiving unit 251.

[0082] Note that for the determination of whether the robot 200 is placed on the power supply placement surface of the wireless charger, when a pressure sensor or a capacitance sensor is provided in the lower part of the housing 207 and the contact or proximity between the housing 207 and the placement surface is detected by this pressure sensor or capacitance sensor, it may be determined that the robot 200 is placed on the power supply placement surface of the wireless charger.

[0083] When the robot 200 is placed on the power supply placement surface of the wireless charger, the power supply control unit 250 starts charging the battery 252, and ends the charging when the battery 252 is fully charged. However, even after the charging ends, while the robot 200 is placed on the power supply placement surface of the wireless charger, the power transmitted from the wireless charger can be received by the power receiving unit 251, so it can operate with little consumption of the battery 252, and can be charged immediately when the battery 252 is consumed.

[0084] If the robot 200 is not placed on the power supply placement surface of the wireless charger (step S202; No), the control unit 110 sets the second reference angle (for example, -10 degrees (downward direction)) in the variable RA0 and the second intermediate angle (for example, 0 degrees) in the variable RA1 (step S203), and proceeds to step S204. The second reference angle is an angle for lifting the front end of the body part 206 from the placement surface 101 by a first distance by pressing the head 204 against the placement surface 101, and since it is an angle for rotating the head 204 downward, it is also called the downward reference angle. The second intermediate angle is an angle for returning the distance between the front end of the body part 206 and the placement surface 101 to a second distance shorter than the first distance in a state where the front end of the body part 206 is not lifted from the placement surface 101, and since it is a central angle where the head 204 is not rotated upward or downward, it is also called the central reference angle.

[0085] If the robot 200 is placed on the power supply placement surface of the wireless charger (step S202; Yes), proceed to step S204.

[0086] In step S204, the control unit 110 rotates the vertical motor 222 to rotate the head 204 to the angle (reference position of the breathing operation) set in the variable RA0.

[0087] Next, the control unit 110 waits for a first waiting time (for example, 700 milliseconds) using the timer function (step S205). If the control unit 110 has a sleep function, it may be set to wake up after the first waiting time and enter the sleep mode to reduce the power consumption of the robot 200.

[0088] Then, the control unit 110 rotates the vertical motor 222 to rotate the head 204 to the angle (intermediate position of the breathing operation) set in the variable RA1 (step S206).

[0089] Next, the control unit 110 waits for a second waiting time (e.g., 700 milliseconds) using the timer function (step S207) and ends the breathing imitation process. If the control unit 110 has a sleep function, in step S207 as well, a setting may be made to wake up after the second waiting time and enter the sleep mode, thereby reducing the power consumption of the robot 200.

[0090] Note that both the reference angle and the intermediate angle can be set to arbitrary angles, but it is preferable to set them so that an angle of 0 degrees (vertical reference angle) or more is included between the reference angle and the intermediate angle. This is because when set in this way, there will be a time period during which the entire bottom surface of the body unit 206 contacts the placement surface 101 during the breathing operation (note that this contact includes indirect contact via the exterior 201). When the robot 200 is placed on the power supply placement surface 102 of the wireless charger, if the rotation angle of the head 204 is 0 degrees or more, the power control unit 250 can detect the wireless charger and start charging the battery 252.

[0091] Through the above breathing imitation process, the robot 200 will perform different breathing operations depending on whether it is placed on the wireless charger or not.

[0092] For example, when not placed on the wireless charger (when the power supply operation for charging the battery 252 is not being performed), first, as shown in FIG. 9, the robot 200 rotates the head 204 to the lower reference angle and lifts the front end of the body unit 206 from the placement surface 101 (the lifting distance is, for example, about 10% of the dimension in the height direction of the body unit 206 (first distance)) to express natural breathing. This operation of the robot 200 is referred to as the first operation. The first operation can also be said to be an operation of rotating the head 204 in a direction in which the distance between the front end of the head 204 and the placement surface 101 becomes shorter, or an operation of rotating the head 204 in a direction in which the distance between the front end of the head 204 and the body unit 206 becomes shorter.

[0093] After that, as shown in FIG. 10, the head 204 is rotated to the intermediate reference angle so that the bottom surface of the body portion 206 contacts the placement surface 101 through the exterior 201 (the distance between the bottom surface of the body portion 206 and the placement surface 101 through the exterior 201 is, for example, about 5 mm (a second distance shorter than the first distance), which is a distance at which the body portion 206 can receive power from the wireless charger). This operation of the robot 200 is referred to as the second operation. The second operation can also be said to be an operation of rotating the head 204 in a direction in which the distance between the front end of the head 204 and the placement surface 101 increases, or an operation of rotating the head 204 in a direction in which the distance between the front end of the head 204 and the body portion 206 increases. By performing the second operation, the bottom surface of the body portion 206 becomes parallel to the placement surface 101.

[0094] When the first operation is performed, the first engaged portion moves to a position lower than the upper surface of the head 204 above the connection position (the second rotation axis of the connecting portion 205), and the distance from the exterior 201 through the upper surface of the head 204 from the first engaged portion to the second engaged portion becomes longer than when the second operation is performed, so that the upper side of the exterior 201 is in a pulled state.

[0095] Then, the control unit 110 of the robot 200 controls the movement of the movable unit 220 so as to alternately and periodically repeat the first operation and the second operation at a predetermined cycle (for example, the breathing cycle). This control is referred to as the first control. The first control can also be said to be a control for moving the head 204 so that the state in which the head 204 presses the placement surface 101 changes, and controlling the movable unit 220 so that the distance between the front end of the body portion 206 and the placement surface 101 alternately changes between the first distance and the second distance.

[0096] Note that the position of the head 204' when the rotation angle of the vertical motor 222 is 0 degrees is indicated by a broken line in FIG. 9 and FIG. 12 described later, and θ is the angle of the difference between RA0 and RA1 (for example, 10 degrees).

[0097] When the control unit 110 executes the first control, the robot 200 performs a breathing motion, which is a motion imitating the breathing of a living being. Since the control unit 110 executes the first control when the battery 252 is not being charged, the breathing motion performed by the robot 200 when the control unit 110 executes the first control is referred to as a non-charging breathing motion. In the non-charging breathing motion, the control unit 110 controls the movable part 220 so that the distance between the power receiving part 251 and the power supply placement surface 102 changes. That is, the control unit 110 moves the head 204 so that the distance between the front end of the body part 206 and the placement surface 101 changes. Note that the first control includes a first operation of lifting the front end of the body part 206 from the placement surface 101, and since proximity to the placement surface 101 is not maintained, it is also referred to as non-proximity-maintaining control.

[0098] Also, when placed on the power supply placement surface 102 of the wireless charger (when a power supply operation for charging the battery 252 is being performed), the robot 200 rotates the head 204 to the central reference angle as shown in FIG. 11 so that the bottom surface of the body part 206 contacts the power supply placement surface 102 of the wireless charger. This operation of the robot 200 is referred to as the third operation. Then, as shown in FIG. 12, the head 204 is rotated to the upper reference angle so that the bottom surface of the body part 206 contacts the power supply placement surface 102 while the head 204 faces upward. This operation of the robot 200 is referred to as the fourth operation. And the control unit 110 of the robot 200 controls the movement of the movable part 220 so as to periodically perform the third operation and the fourth operation alternately at a predetermined cycle (for example, the breathing cycle). This control is referred to as the second control.

[0099] When the fourth operation is performed, the first engaged part moves to a higher position than when the third operation is performed, and the distance from the first engaged part through the upper surface of the head 204 to the second engaged part of the exterior 201 becomes shorter than when the third operation is performed, so that the upper side of the exterior 201 becomes even more sagging.

[0100] Even when the control unit 110 executes the second control, the robot 200 performs a breathing motion, which is a motion imitating the breathing of a living being. Since the control unit 110 executes the second control when charging the battery 252, the breathing motion performed by the robot 200 when the control unit 110 executes the second control is referred to as the charging-time breathing motion. In the charging-time breathing motion, the control unit 110 controls the movable unit 220 so as to keep the power receiving unit 251 in a state close to the power supply placement surface 102. That is, the control unit 110 moves the head 204 so that the distance between the front end of the body unit 206 and the placement surface 101 does not change. Note that since the second control keeps the bottom surface of the body unit 206 close to the placement surface 101, it is also referred to as proximity holding control.

[0101] By making the breathing motion imitating the breathing of a living being such an operation, when not charging (when not placed on the wireless charger), when the control unit 110 performs the first operation (at the reference position (FIG. 9)), the rear end of the body unit 206 remains close to the placement surface 101, and the front end of the body unit 206 rises from the placement surface 101. When the second operation is performed (at the intermediate position (FIG. 10)), the front end of the body unit 206 returns from the state of rising from the placement surface 101 to a state where it does not rise. That is, in the non-charging-time breathing motion, since the central portion of the robot 200 moves up and down at a predetermined cycle, the robot 200 covered with fur can be made to appear to be breathing in a natural state. Further, since the body unit 206 itself moves up and down, it is possible to stably imitate the breathing motion of a living being without being affected by the attachment state of the exterior 201 or the like.

[0102] As described above, in the non-charging-time breathing motion, it is possible to imitate the breathing motion of a living being separately from the change in the pulling state of the upper side of the exterior 201. Furthermore, the breathing motion of a living being is also imitated as follows by the change in the pulling state of the upper side of the exterior 201.

[0103] When the control unit 110 performs the first operation (at the reference position (FIG. 9)), the upper side of the exterior 201 is pulled, so that the central portion of the exterior 201 becomes flat. When the second operation is performed (at the intermediate position (FIG. 10)), the upper side of the exterior 201 sags, so that the central portion of the exterior 201 bulges upward. In this way, due to the breathing motion, both the height of the front end of the body portion 206 and the tension state of the exterior 201 periodically change at a predetermined cycle, so that it is visually obvious that the robot 200 is breathing.

[0104] Also, during charging (when placed on the wireless charger), when the control unit 110 performs the fourth operation (at the intermediate position (FIG. 12)), the upper side of the exterior 201 sags more than when the third operation is performed (at the reference position (FIG. 11)), so that it is visually obvious that the robot 200 is breathing. As can be seen from FIG. 11 (reference position) and FIG. 12 (intermediate position), during these operations, the entire bottom surface of the body portion 206 is always in contact with the power supply placement surface 102 (this contact includes indirect contact via the exterior 201). Therefore, the power transmission antenna 253 for power supply of the wireless charger and the power receiving unit 251 of the robot 200 are always in a close state during the breathing operation, enabling stable charging.

[0105] In this way, the control unit 110 executes a process of making the control contents of the movable part 220 in the breathing operation different between the breathing operation during charging (charging-time breathing operation) when the battery 252 is being charged and the breathing operation when the battery 252 is not being charged (non-charging-time breathing operation). As a result, stable power supply can be received from the wireless charger during charging, and a more lifelike feeling can be expressed by making the tension state of the exterior clear during non-charging. In the above description, the control contents in the breathing operation are mainly described as the control contents of the movable part 220. However, instead of or in addition to the movable part 220, the control contents (that is, the control contents of the operation part) for controlling the voice output part 230 may be used.

[0106] Note that, as described above, in steps S205 and S207, the control unit 110 may reduce the power consumption of the robot 200 by entering the sleep mode. In the sleep mode, by making each motor provided in the movable unit 220 free, the power consumption of each motor can also be reduced. However, in this case, with the vertical motor 222 being made free, it is affected by the force (gravity) that brings the rotation angle of the vertical motor 222 closer to 0. To reduce this influence, it is preferable to make the difference between the reference angle and the intermediate angle less than 10 degrees.

[0107] Also, the first standby time and the second standby time do not have to be fixed values. For example, when the robot 200 is stroked, talked to, startled, turned over, etc., and receives an external stimulus, the respiratory cycle at the time of determination in step S108 of the robot control process (Figure 7) may be shortened, or the first standby time and the second standby time may be made smaller and then gradually returned to the original state. By doing so, it is possible to imitate the state where the breathing becomes faster when the pseudo-emotion of the robot 200 rises and then gradually calms down.

[0108] Also, in the above-described breathing imitation process (Figure 8), not only the first standby time and the second standby time may be changed, but also the control content of the movable unit 220 may be changed according to the emotion data 121 and the emotion change data 122. For example, when the pseudo-emotion of the robot 200 tends to be calm, the head 204 may only be slowly moved up and down, and when there is a tendency to be irritated, the head 204 may be moved not only up and down but also left and right. Then, the difference in the vertical rotation angle and the difference in the left and right rotation angles between the reference position and the intermediate position may be increased according to the magnitude of each value of the emotion data 121.

[0109] (Embodiment 2) When the robot 200 is placed on the power supply placement surface 102 of the wireless charger, the power control unit 250 charges the battery 252. And the remaining battery level can be displayed on the wireless charger or on a smartphone or the like connected via the communication unit 130. Also, the robot 200 may be provided with a display unit such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode) to display the remaining battery level. However, in order to express a sense of living things, it is desirable that the remaining battery level can be expressed by the movement of the robot 200. Therefore, an embodiment 2 will be described in which the robot 200 performs an operation (gesture) according to the remaining battery level when taken out from the power supply placement surface 102 of the wireless charger.

[0110] The functional configuration and structure of the robot 200 according to Embodiment 2 are the same as those of Embodiment 1, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

[0111] When the robot 200 is placed on the power supply placement surface 102 of the wireless charger, the battery 252 of the robot 200 enters a power supply state (a state in which charging is being performed by receiving power supply from the wireless charger). More specifically, when the robot 200 is placed on the power supply placement surface 102, an induced magnetic flux is generated between the receiving antenna of the power receiving unit 251 provided on the bottom surface of the body unit 206 and the transmitting antenna provided on the power supply placement surface 102 of the wireless charger, and the power control unit 250 detects this induced magnetic flux and starts charging the battery 252.

[0112] Also, when the robot 200 moves away from the power supply placement surface 102, the battery 252 of the robot 200 enters a non-powered state (a state where it is not receiving power from the wireless charger and charging is not being performed). More specifically, when the robot 200 moves away from the power supply placement surface 102, the induced magnetic flux that was generated between the receiving antenna of the power receiving unit 251 and the transmitting antenna of the wireless charger disappears, and the power supply operation stops. The power control unit 250 detects the disappearance of this induced magnetic flux and ends the charging of the battery 252. When the robot 200 is equipped with a pressure sensor or a capacitance sensor in the lower part of the housing 207, the charging may be ended by detecting that the robot 200 has moved away from the power supply placement surface 102 using this pressure sensor or capacitance sensor. Also, as described above, when the robot 200 is removed from the charger by a user operation, the power supply operation stops, but the power supply operation also stops when the battery 252 is fully charged regardless of the user operation.

[0113] When the power control unit 250 ends the charging of the battery 252, the control unit 110 starts executing the operation processing at the end of charging. The operation processing at the end of charging will be described with reference to FIG. 13. However, the timing at which the control unit 110 starts executing the operation processing at the end of charging is not limited to the point in time when the robot 200 moves away from the power supply placement surface 102, and may also be the point in time when the power supply operation stops.

[0114] First, the control unit 110 determines whether the remaining amount of the battery 252 is equal to or greater than a first threshold value (for example, 80%) (step S301). If the remaining amount of the battery 252 is equal to or greater than the first threshold value (step S301; Yes), the control unit 110 controls the movable unit 220 and the voice output unit 230 so as to perform an operation (first imitation operation) imitating the operation of a lively creature as an operation after the first charging (step S302), and ends the operation process at the end of charging. The operation imitating the operation of a lively creature means, for example, outputting a lively cry from the voice output unit 230 and performing a grooming operation (controlling the movable unit 220 so that the head 204 is tilted diagonally downward and moved slightly up and down). Note that the first imitation operation is not limited to an operation imitating the operation of a lively creature. For example, it may be an operation imitating the operation of a creature such as "an operation indicating satisfaction", "an operation of looking around curiously because it is happy to be able to go outside", "an operation of dancing out because it is happy to be able to go outside", or "an operation of grooming while being satisfied".

[0115] On the other hand, if the remaining amount of the battery 252 is less than the first threshold value (step S301; No), the control unit 110 determines whether the remaining amount of the battery 252 is equal to or less than a second threshold value (for example, 60%) (step S303).

[0116] If the remaining amount of the battery 252 is equal to or less than the second threshold value (step S303; Yes), the control unit 110 controls the movable unit 220 and the voice output unit 230 so as to perform an operation (second imitation operation) imitating the operation of a listless creature as an operation after the second charging (step S304), and ends the operation process at the end of charging. The operation imitating the operation of a listless creature means, for example, outputting a cry indicating dislike from the voice output unit 230 and performing a sulky gesture (controlling the movable unit 220 so that the head 204 is shaken from side to side). Note that the second imitation operation is not limited to an operation imitating the operation of a listless creature. For example, it may be an operation imitating the operation of a creature such as "an operation indicating dissatisfaction", "an operation of shaking the head and showing dislike", or "an operation of crying sadly".

[0117] On the other hand, if the remaining amount of the battery 252 exceeds the second threshold (step S303; No), the control unit 110 ends the operation process at the end of charging without doing anything.

[0118] Through the operation process at the end of charging described above, when the user lifts the robot 200 from the power supply placement surface 102 of the wireless charger, the robot 200 will perform an operation according to the charging state (remaining amount) of the battery 252 at that time. In this way, when the robot 200 changes from the power supply state to the non-power supply state, the control unit 110 changes the control content of the operation unit according to the remaining amount of the battery 252 at that time. Therefore, the robot 200 can notify the user of the remaining amount of the battery 252 while expressing a sense of being alive.

[0119] For example, when the robot 200 changes from the power supply state to the non-power supply state, if the remaining amount of the battery 252 is equal to or higher than the first threshold (for example, 80%), the robot 200 performs a first post-charging operation (an operation imitating the movement of a lively organism) indicating that the remaining amount is full. If the remaining amount of the battery 252 is equal to or lower than the second threshold (for example, 60%), the robot 200 performs a second post-charging operation (an operation imitating the movement of a listless organism) indicating that the remaining amount is insufficient. Therefore, the robot 200 can notify the user of the remaining amount of the battery 252 while expressing a sense of being alive.

[0120] In the above-mentioned operation process at the end of charging (Fig. 13), when the remaining amount of the battery 252 exceeds the second threshold and is less than the first threshold, the robot 200 will perform a normal non-charging breathing operation without performing a special operation. However, as an operation in this case, the control unit 110 may control the movable unit 220 and the voice output unit 230 to perform an operation (third post-charging operation) indicating that it is somewhat lively. The operation indicating that it is somewhat lively is, for example, outputting a soft chirping sound from the voice output unit 230 and nodding (after setting both the left-right rotation angle and the up-down rotation angle of the head 204 to 0 degrees, controlling the movable unit 220 to move the head 204 slightly up and down).

[0121] Also, each of these post-charging operations (the first post-charging operation, the second post-charging operation, the third post-charging operation) does not necessarily have to be limited to two or three. By setting the threshold values more finely, four or more post-charging operations can be defined, and the control unit 110 may control the movable unit 220 and the voice output unit 230 to perform any of the post-charging operations according to the remaining amount of the battery 252.

[0122] Also, in each of the above-described post-charging operations, the control unit 110 may set (for example, change) the emotion data 121 according to the remaining amount of the battery 252, and at the same time, perform different post-charging operations according to the changed emotion data 121. In this case, for example, the less the remaining amount of the battery 252, the stronger the degree of anxiety and listlessness, and the more the remaining amount of the battery 252, the stronger the degree of relief and excitement. Also, the operation at the end of charging may be an operation that emphasizes emotions more than the operation according to normal emotions.

[0123] Also, each of the above-described post-charging operations does not necessarily have to be a fixed operation, and the control unit 110 may change the control contents of the movable unit 220 and the voice output unit 230 according to the emotion data 121 and the emotion change data 122. For example, as a lively cry and movement as the first post-charging operation, when the pseudo-emotion of the robot 200 tends to be listless, the control unit 110 may make it a quiet cry and movement, and when it tends to be excited, make it a cry and movement with an excited feeling. Also, when the pseudo-emotion of the robot 200 tends to be excited, the control unit 110 may increase the operation cycle or increase the amount of operation. Also, when it tends to be happy, it may move with the head facing upward.

[0124] Similarly, as a second post - charging operation, as crying sounds and movements indicating dislike, when the pseudo - emotion of the robot 200 tends to be sad, the control unit 110 may make crying sounds (for example, with a lower pitch and slow changes in pitch and volume) and movements that make the robot feel sad, and when it tends to be irritated, may make crying sounds (for example, with a higher pitch and fast changes in pitch and volume) and movements that make the robot feel irritated. Also, when the pseudo - emotion of the robot 200 tends to be sad, the control unit 110 may operate with the head facing downward.

[0125] Also, not only when changing from the charged state to the non - charged state, but also during charging, the processing content of the breathing imitation process (Figure 8) may be changed according to the remaining amount of the battery 252. For example, when the remaining amount is small (for example, less than 30%), the first intermediate angle is increased (for example, to 25 degrees), and as the remaining amount increases, the first intermediate angle is decreased accordingly (for example, 20 degrees if the remaining amount is less than 60% and more than 30%, 15 degrees if the remaining amount is less than 80% and more than 60%, 10 degrees if the remaining amount is 80% or more, etc.).

[0126] Also, in the above - mentioned breathing operation, the left - right rotation angle of the head 204 was set to 0 degrees, but in the breathing operation, the control unit 110 does not necessarily have to set the left - right rotation angle of the head 204 to 0 degrees.

[0127] In the breathing operation during charging, if the entire bottom surface of the body part 206 can always be kept in contact with the power - supply placement surface 102, the left - right rotation angle can be freely set within that range. For example, if the up - down rotation angle of the head 204 is set to a specific angle (for example, 20 degrees) or more, when the head 204 is rotated left - right, the head 204 will not hit the power - supply placement surface 102, so in this case, the left - right rotation angle can be freely set. And the control unit 110 may change the left - right rotation angle of the head 204 according to the remaining amount of the battery 252.

[0128] Also, during the breathing motion when not charging, the left and right rotation angles are arbitrary. However, it is desirable to create a time period during the breathing motion in which the entire bottom surface of the body portion 206 contacts the placement surface 101 between the reference position and the intermediate position. During this time period, since the transmission antenna 253 of the wireless charger and the power receiving unit 251 of the robot 200 are close to each other, an induced magnetic flux is generated between the receiving antenna of the power receiving unit 251 and the transmission antenna 253 of the wireless charger, and the power control unit 250 can detect this induced magnetic flux and start charging the battery 252.

[0129] (Modification example) Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and applications are possible. For example, Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2 may be combined. In that case, the robot 200 performs a breathing motion in which the head 204 is moved up and down while the entire bottom surface of the body portion 206 is in contact with the power supply placement surface 102 during charging. When the user lifts the robot 200 from the power supply placement surface 102 to end the charging, the robot 200 performs an operation according to the remaining battery level at that time. When not charging, the robot 200 performs a breathing motion in which the connecting portion 205 (or the rear end of the head 204 or the front end of the body portion 206) is lifted.

[0130] Also, in the above-described embodiments, the robot 200 is configured to have the device control device 100 built therein, but the device control device 100 does not necessarily have to be built in the robot 200. For example, the device control device 100 according to the modification example may be configured as a separate device (for example, a server) without being built in the robot 200. In this modification example, the robot 200 also includes a communication unit 260, and the communication unit 130 and the communication unit 260 are configured to be able to transmit and receive data to and from each other. Then, the control unit 110 acquires the external stimulus detected by the external stimulus detection unit 210 via the communication unit 130 and the communication unit 260, and controls the movable unit 220 and the voice output unit 230 via the communication unit 130 and the communication unit 260.

[0131] In the above-described embodiment, the control device 100 of the device is a control device that controls the robot 200. However, the device to be controlled is not limited to the robot 200. As the device to be controlled, for example, a wristwatch or the like can also be considered. For example, when a wristwatch capable of voice output and equipped with an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor is used as the device to be controlled, as an external stimulus, it is possible to assume an impact or the like applied to the wristwatch detected by the acceleration sensor and the gyro sensor. Then, the emotion change data 122 and the emotion data 121 are updated according to this external stimulus, and based on the emotion data 121 when the user wears the wristwatch, the sound effect data set in the control content table 124 is adjusted (changed) and output.

[0132] Then, it is possible to make a wristwatch that emits a sad-sounding effect when the user wears it if the wristwatch is handled roughly, and emits a happy-sounding effect when the user wears it if it is handled carefully. Furthermore, when the emotion change data 122 is set in the first period (for example, 50 days), depending on how the user handles the wristwatch during the first period, the wristwatch will have a personality (a pseudo-personality). That is, even for wristwatches of the same model number, if the user handles them carefully, they will be wristwatches that are likely to feel happy, and if they are handled roughly, they will be wristwatches that are likely to feel sad.

[0133] As described above, the control device 100 of the device can be applied not only to robots but also to various devices, and the applied devices can be provided with pseudo-emotions and personalities. Furthermore, by applying the control device 100 of the device to various devices, it is possible to make the user feel as if they are pseudo-growing the device.

[0134] In the above-described embodiment, the operation program executed by the CPU of the control unit 110 has been described as being stored in advance in the ROM or the like of the storage unit 120. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and an operation program for executing the above-described various processes may be implemented in an existing general-purpose computer or the like, so that it functions as a device corresponding to the control device 100 of the device according to the above-described embodiment.

[0135] The method of providing such a program is arbitrary. For example, it may be stored and distributed on a computer-readable recording medium (such as a flexible disk, CD (Compact Disc)-ROM, DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)-ROM, MO (Magneto-Optical Disc), memory card, USB memory, etc.). Alternatively, the program may be stored in a storage on a network such as the Internet, and provided by allowing it to be downloaded.

[0136] Also, when the above-described processing is executed by sharing between the OS (Operating System) and the application program, or by cooperation between the OS and the application program, only the application program may be stored in a recording medium or storage. It is also possible to superimpose the program on a carrier wave and distribute it via a network. For example, the above program may be posted on a bulletin board (Bulletin Board System: BBS) on the network, and the program may be distributed via the network. Then, this program may be started and configured to execute the above-described processing by being executed in the same manner as other application programs under the control of the OS.

[0137] The present invention can be implemented in various embodiments and variations without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present invention. Also, the above-described embodiments are for explaining the present invention and do not limit the scope of the present invention. That is, the scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than the embodiments. And various modifications made within the scope of the claims and within the scope of the meaning of the invention equivalent thereto are considered to be within the scope of this invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0138] 100…Control device of the machine, 101…Placement surface, 102…Power supply placement surface, 110…Control unit, 120…Memory unit, 121…Emotion data, 122…Emotion change data, 123…Number of growth days data, 124…Control content table, 130, 260…Communication unit, 200…Robot, 201…Exterior, 202…Decorative parts, 203…Hair, 204, 204’…Head, 205…Connecting part, 206…Trunk part, 207…Housing, 208…Wire fastener, 208a…Slider, 210…External stimulus detection unit, 211…Touch sensor, 212…Acceleration sensor, 213…Microphone, 214…Gyro sensor, 220…Movable part, 221…Twisting motor, 222…Up and down motor, 230…Voice output unit, 231…Speaker, 240…Operation input unit, 250…Power supply control unit, 251…Power receiving unit, 252…Battery, 253…Transmission antenna, 271, 271A, 271B, 276…Convex parts, 272…Concave part, 275, 275A, 275B…Engaging plates, 300…Emotion map, 301, 302, 303…Frames, 310…Origin, 311…X-axis, 312…Y-axis, BL…Bus line

Claims

1. A robot that mimics a living organism, A body portion and A head portion connected to a front end of the body portion; a movable portion for moving the head relative to the torso; A control unit; Equipped with With the body portion placed on a placement surface, The control unit: a first control is executed to control the movable unit so as to alternately change a distance between a front end of the body portion and the placement surface between a first distance and a second distance by moving the head so as to change a state in which the head presses the placement surface; robot.

2. The head and the torso further include a flexible exterior covering a housing including the head and the torso, In a state where the body portion is placed on the placement surface, the head is connected to the front end of the body so as to be rotatable about a connection position with the body in a direction in which a distance between the front end of the head and the placement surface changes; The control unit: the first control is executed by alternately and repeatedly executing a first action of rotating the head in a direction in which the distance between a front end of the head and the placement surface decreases and a second action of rotating the head in a direction in which the distance between the front end of the head and the placement surface increases at a predetermined cycle; When the control unit performs the first action, the upper side of the exterior covering the housing is in a pulled state, When the control unit performs the second operation, an upper side of the exterior covering the housing is in a sagging state. The robot according to claim 1.

3. the first action is an action of rotating the head in a direction in which a distance between a front end of the head and the placement surface is shortened and a distance between the front end of the head and the torso is shortened; the second action is an action of rotating the head in a direction in which a distance between a front end of the head and the placement surface increases and a distance between the front end of the head and the torso increases; The robot according to claim 2.

4. the exterior is imitation fur; The control unit: When a breathing action that imitates breathing of a living organism is instructed to be performed, the first action and the second action are alternately and repeatedly performed at a predetermined cycle. The robot according to claim 2 or 3.

5. The control unit: the first control is executed by alternately and repeatedly executing in a predetermined cycle a first operation of rotating the head to a lower reference angle, which is an angle for causing the front end of the body to be raised from the placement surface by the first distance by the head pressing the placement surface, and a second operation of rotating the head to a central reference angle, which is an angle for causing the front end of the body to not be raised from the placement surface and for returning the distance between the front end of the body and the placement surface to the second distance, which is shorter than the first distance. The robot according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. The control unit: By performing the second operation, the bottom surface of the body portion is made parallel to the placement surface. The robot according to claim 5.

7. The control unit: By performing the second action, the bottom surface of the body portion is brought into contact with the placement surface. The robot according to claim 5.

8. The exterior includes a first engagement portion and a second engagement portion, the head portion includes a first engaged portion that fixes the first engaging portion to the head portion, the body portion includes a second engaged portion that fixes the second engaging portion to the body portion, the first engaging portion engages with the first engaged portion, and the second engaging portion engages with the second engaged portion, whereby the exterior is engaged with the housing. The robot according to claim 2.

9. the first engaged portion is located forward of the connection position which is a center for rotating the head portion, When the first movement is performed, the first engaged portion moves to a position lower than the top surface of the head portion above the connection position, and the distance of the exterior from the first engaged portion through the top surface of the head portion to the second engaged portion becomes longer than when the second movement is performed, so that the upper side of the exterior is in a pulled state. The robot according to claim 8.

10. the exterior includes an exterior protrusion within a specific range of the first engagement portion, The head portion has a head recess within a specific range of the first engaged portion, The exterior protrusion is inserted into the head recess, so that the position of the exterior protrusion is fixed to the position of the head recess. The robot according to claim 8.

11. The control unit is In addition to executing the first control, a second control is executed to control the movable part so that a third action of bringing the bottom surface of the body part into contact with the placement surface and a fourth action of turning the head part upward while bringing the bottom surface of the body part into contact with the placement surface are alternately executed at a predetermined cycle and periodically. The robot according to claim 10.

12. The control unit is Selectively executing the first control and the second control. The robot according to claim 11.

13. It also has a battery, The control unit is When a power supply operation for charging the battery is not being performed, the first control is executed; When a power supply operation for charging the battery is being performed, the second control is executed. The robot of claim 12.

14. Further comprising an external stimulus detection unit for detecting an external stimulus, The control unit is setting emotion data indicating a pseudo emotion based on the external stimulus detected by the external stimulus detection unit; changing the predetermined period based on the set emotion data; The robot according to claim 2 or 3.

15. A robot including a body, a head connected to a front end of the body, a movable part for moving the head relative to the body, and a control unit, the control unit comprising: a first control is executed to control the movable unit so as to alternately change a distance between a front end of the torso portion and the placement surface between a first distance and a second distance by moving the head so as to change a state in which the head presses the placement surface while the torso portion is placed on the placement surface; A method for controlling a robot.

16. A robot including a body, a head connected to a front end of the body, a movable part for moving the head relative to the body, and a control unit, a first control is executed to control the movable unit so as to alternately change a distance between a front end of the torso portion and the placement surface between a first distance and a second distance by moving the head so as to change a state in which the head presses the placement surface while the torso portion is placed on the placement surface; A program that executes a process.

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