Information processing device, information processing method, and computer program

Abstract

To provide an information processing device capable of determining appropriate insurance coverage according to the robot's tasks, etc.SOLUTION: An information processing device for determining the insurance coverage covering potential damages which may occur during a robot task comprises: robot attribute information acquisition means for acquiring robot attribute information related to the robot; task information acquisition means for acquiring task information including information on at least one of the task execution environment and the contents of the robot's task; and insurance coverage determination means for determining the insurance coverage on the basis of at least the task information and the robot attribute information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, a computer program, and the like. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, autonomously mobile robots have begun to take on various tasks in place of humans, and insurance has emerged to compensate for damages caused by accidents caused by robots working.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a method for determining whether or not a robot is involved in delivery work, and if a robot is involved, determining that the probability of an accident occurring is higher than if the delivery work were performed by a human, and setting a higher insurance premium. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-149729 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the method described in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that it is not possible to determine an appropriate insurance policy depending on the type of work the user desires for the robot and the work environment.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and one of its objects is to provide an information processing device that can determine appropriate insurance coverage depending on the work content of a robot, etc. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, an information processing device according to one aspect of the present invention is an information processing device that determines the content of insurance covering damage that may occur during work by a robot, the information processing device comprising: a robot attribute information acquisition means for acquiring robot attribute information related to the robot; a task information acquisition means for acquiring task information including information on at least one of an environment in which the task is performed or a task content of the robot; an insurance content determination means for determining the content of the insurance based on at least one of the work information and the robot attribute information; An information processing device comprising: [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize an information processing device that can determine appropriate insurance coverage depending on the type of work a robot performs, etc. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a usage scene according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an information system including an information processing device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an information processing device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information system including an information processing device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 5] 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of an information processing method using the information processing device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 3 is a diagram showing an example of distribution of objects in a work environment according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a risk factor occurrence probability according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9]FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration example of an information system including an information processing device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of an information processing method using an information processing device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information system including an information processing device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 13] 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of an information processing method using an information processing device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. In each drawing, the same members or elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions will be omitted or simplified.

[0011] <Embodiment 1> In the first embodiment, an example of an information processing device will be described in which a cleaning robot that cleans floors in the living space of a user of the robot (hereinafter, referred to as a user) is used.

[0012] This paper also describes an information processing method for determining appropriate insurance coverage for a user against the risk of a cleaning robot colliding with an object in a living space. However, the robot is not limited to a cleaning robot and may be a robot that performs any task. The present invention can also be applied to mobile objects other than robots, such as autonomously operated drones and vehicles.

[0013] In this embodiment, the robot provider (hereinafter referred to as the provider) will rent or provide the cleaning robot to the user as a service, and in return, the user will pay the provider a usage fee for the robot.

[0014] Furthermore, the provider or insurance company provides the user with liability insurance to cover damages in the event of an accident caused by the robot's operation. If the user purchases insurance, the user shall pay a premium to the provider or insurance company.

[0015] In this embodiment, before the robot starts working, the user uses an information terminal equipped with a camera to measure the user's living space, which will be the robot's working environment, and sends the measured information to an information processing device operated by the provider or insurance company.

[0016] The information processing device of this embodiment determines the insurance content based on the conditions of the work environment in which the robot actually performs work and information about the robot's main body, thereby enabling it to determine insurance content that is more suitable for the user.

[0017] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a usage scene according to the first embodiment of the present invention. A data center 1000 is a data center in which an information system 100 including an information processing device according to this embodiment is located.

[0018] The information system 100 is an information system including an information processing device 110 according to this embodiment, and is, for example, a server or a PC. The information system 100 is capable of communicating with an information terminal 1102 owned by a user 1101. In this embodiment, the information system 100 is operated by a robot provider or an insurance company.

[0019] The work environment 1100 is the work environment of the robot according to this embodiment. The work environment is the area where the robot performs work and the area where the robot may travel for work, and is also called the work area. In this embodiment, the work environment 1100 is the living space of a user 1101 who is the user of the robot.

[0020] As described above, the information terminal 1102 is an information terminal owned by the user 1101, such as a smartphone or a PC. The information terminal 1102 communicates with the information system 100, and the user 1101 operates the information terminal 1102 to carry out procedures for using the robot and for purchasing insurance. The information terminal 1102 is also equipped with a camera or is connected to a camera.

[0021] In this embodiment, before the robot starts working, the user 1101 measures the space of the work environment 1100 using the camera of the information terminal 1102 held by the user 1101, and transmits the measured information to the information system 100 as work information regarding the work environment 1100.

[0022] The information system 100 of this embodiment determines the insurance content based on the transmitted work information regarding the work environment 1100 and information regarding the robot's main body, transmits the determined insurance content to the information terminal 1102, and presents the insurance content to the user 1101.

[0023] 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information system including an information processing device according to embodiment 1. The information system 100 includes a communication device 101 and an information processing device 110. The communication device 101 has a communication function, communicates with a robot 200 and an information terminal 1102, and transmits and receives information to and from the information processing device 110.

[0024] The information processing device 110 acquires work information about the robot's work environment 1100 and information about the robot's main body from the robot 200 and the information terminal 1102 via the communication device 101, and determines the insurance content based on this information. That is, the information processing device 110 determines the insurance content that covers damage that may occur during the robot's work.

[0025] Then, the information processing device 110 transmits the determined insurance details to the information terminal 1102 via the communication device 101. The robot 200 is a robot according to this embodiment, and performs work requested by the user 1101 in the work environment 1100 of the user 1101.

[0026] 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device according to embodiment 1. Reference numeral 31 denotes a CPU as a computer, which executes various processes according to this embodiment and controls various devices connected to a system bus 38. Reference numeral 32 denotes a ROM, which stores a BIOS program and a boot program.

[0027] Reference numeral 33 denotes a RAM, which is used as the main storage device of the CPU 31. Reference numeral 34 denotes an external memory, which stores programs processed by the information processing device 110. An input unit 35 is a keyboard, mouse, or robot controller, and performs processing related to the input of information, etc.

[0028] The display control unit 36 outputs the calculation results of the information processing device 110 to the display device in accordance with instructions from 31. The display device may be a liquid crystal display device, a projector, an LED indicator, or the like, and any type of display device is acceptable. The display device may be provided in the information processing device, or may be provided in an information terminal 1102 external to the information processing device. 37 is an I / O (input / output interface).

[0029] Fig. 4 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration example of an information system including an information processing device according to embodiment 1. Note that some of the functional blocks shown in Fig. 4 are realized by causing a CPU 31, which serves as a computer in the information processing device, to execute a computer program stored in a memory, which serves as a storage medium.

[0030] However, some or all of these functions may be implemented by hardware, which may be a dedicated circuit (ASIC) or a processor (reconfigurable processor, DSP).

[0031] 4 may not be contained in the same housing, but may be configured as separate devices connected to each other via signal paths. The above explanation regarding FIG. 1 also applies to FIG. 9 and FIG. 12.

[0032] The information processing device 110 has a robot attribute information acquisition unit 411, a work information acquisition unit 412, and an insurance coverage determination unit 413. The robot attribute information acquisition unit 411 acquires robot attribute information via the communication device 101. The robot attribute information acquisition unit 411 functions as a robot attribute information acquisition means that acquires robot attribute information related to a robot. Details of the robot attribute information will be described later.

[0033] The work information acquisition unit 412 acquires work information via the communication device 101. The work information acquisition unit 412 functions as work information acquisition means that acquires work information including information on at least one of the environment in which the work is performed or the work content of the robot.

[0034] The work information will be described in detail later. The insurance content determination unit 413 functions as an insurance content determination means, and determines the insurance content based on at least one of the robot attribute information and the work information. The insurance content determination unit 413 also transmits the determined insurance content to the information terminal 1102 via the communication device 101.

[0035] The robot attribute information according to this embodiment includes the size (depth, width, height) of the robot's body, information on safety performance, etc. Specifically, the robot's safety performance includes braking performance (the distance it takes to stop after braking), obstacle detection performance (detection distance, detection range, detection accuracy, resolution), etc.

[0036] In other words, this information is information related to the risk of an accident in which the robot collides with a surrounding object. In this embodiment, the robot attribute information is configured as a set of elements each consisting of an item name and a value in Key-Value format.

[0037] The work information according to this embodiment is information about the work environment 1100. The information about the work environment 1100 according to this embodiment includes information about objects present in the work environment 1100, and in particular information about the risk of damage when the robot collides with an object. Specifically, it includes information about the shape and location of each object present in the work environment 1100, and is used to calculate the likelihood of a collision between the robot and an object (collision occurrence probability).

[0038] The work information also includes information about the material of objects present in the work environment 1100, and is used to calculate the fragility and vulnerability (vulnerability) of the objects in the event of a collision. In this embodiment, the work information is configured as a set of elements consisting of item names and values in a Key-Value format.

[0039] Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of an information processing method using the information processing device according to embodiment 1, and shows an information processing method for determining the contents of insurance covering damage that may occur during work by a robot. Note that the CPU 31, which serves as a computer in the information processing device, executes a computer program stored in memory, thereby sequentially performing the operations of the steps in the flowchart of Fig. 5.

[0040] In step S501, initialization processing is performed on the information processing device 110. Specifically, the CPU 31 reads an insurance coverage determination table. The insurance coverage determination table lists multiple pairs of accident risk items, calculation methods (parameters, calculation formulas), and corresponding insurance coverage (insurance type, premiums) used when the insurance coverage determination unit 413 determines the insurance coverage.

[0041] In step S502 , the CPU 31 causes the robot attribute information acquisition unit 411 to acquire robot attribute information from the robot 200 or the information terminal 1102 via the communication device 101 .

[0042] Here, step S502 functions as a robot attribute information acquisition step for acquiring robot attribute information related to the robot. In step S503, the CPU 31 acquires task information from the robot 200 or the information terminal 1102 via the communication device 101 using the task information acquisition unit 412.

[0043] Here, step S503 functions as a work information acquisition step for acquiring work information including information on at least one of the environment in which the work is performed and the work content of the robot.

[0044] In step S504, the CPU 31 determines the insurance coverage for the work performed by the robot 200 in the work environment 1100 using the insurance coverage determination unit 413 based on the acquired robot attribute information and work information.

[0045] Here, step S504 functions as an insurance content determination step for determining the insurance content based on at least one of the work information and the robot attribute information. The method for determining the insurance content by the insurance content determination unit 413 will be described later. Then, the insurance content determination unit 413 transmits the determined insurance content to the information terminal 1102 via the communication device 101.

[0046] In step S505, the CPU 31 determines whether or not to terminate the entire processing of the information processing device 110. Specifically, the processing is terminated when the robot 200 has completed the work in the work environment 1100. If not, the CPU 31 returns to step S502 and continues the processing.

[0047] In step S504, the CPU 31 determines the insurance coverage through the insurance coverage determination unit 413 based on the information indicating the safety performance of the robot 200 and the information about the work environment 1100 measured by the user 1101 using the information terminal 1102. At that time, the CPU 31 calculates the risk of damage caused by a collision between each object present in the work environment 1100 and the robot 200.

[0048] First, the insurance coverage determination unit 413 calculates the distribution of objects in the work environment 1100 from information about the shape and location of each object present in the work environment 1100. Then, it searches for a set of nearest objects present in the work environment 1100 and calculates the distance between these nearest objects. Note that the distribution of objects according to this embodiment is calculated as a two-dimensional plane. Thereafter, a predetermined process is performed on each set of nearest objects.

[0049] That is, the insurance coverage determination unit 413 uses the size (depth, width) of the robot's body as robot attribute information related to the robot 200 to subtract the size of the robot's body from the distance between the nearest objects and multiply the result by 0.5. In this way, the distance between the robot 200 and the nearest objects in the working environment 1100 is calculated.

[0050] Next, the insurance coverage determination unit 413 refers to the insurance coverage determination table to acquire the calculation formula described in the set related to the collision risk, and calculates the probability of collision between the robot 200 and the object based on information about the braking performance of the robot 200 and the distance between the robot 200 and the nearest object.

[0051] The collision probability is calculated so that the closer the distance between the robot 200 and the object, the higher the collision probability (maximum value 1), and the farther the distance, the lower the collision probability, and gradually approaches 0. Furthermore, the collision probability is calculated so that the collision probability becomes 1 when the distance between the robot 200 and the object is shorter than the stopping distance of the robot 200 based on the braking performance of the robot 200. In this embodiment, the running speed of the robot 200 is calculated as a default value.

[0052] Next, the insurance coverage determination unit 413 determines the degree of damage when the robot 200 collides with an object, based on information about the material of the object present in the work environment 1100. The damage degree according to this embodiment is calculated based on the strength of the object's material, and if the object is made of glass or ceramic, the damage degree is considered high, and if the object is made of plastic or metal, the damage degree is considered low.

[0053] Next, the insurance coverage determination unit 413 calculates the degree of damage for each set of nearest objects by multiplying the probability of collision between the robot 200 and the nearest objects by the degree of damage when the robot 200 collides with an object. This completes the processing for each set of nearest objects.

[0054] The insurance content determination unit 413 then calculates a total damage degree based on the sum of the calculated damage degrees for all sets of nearest objects, and determines the type of insurance and the insurance premium according to the total damage degree. In this embodiment, the insurance content determination unit 413 increases the insurance premium for insurance when the total damage degree is large, and decreases the insurance premium for insurance when the total damage degree is small.

[0055] That is, the insurance content determination unit 413 calculates the degree of damage that indicates the magnitude of damage that may occur during the robot's work based on the work information and robot attribute information, and determines the insurance content so that the higher the calculated degree of damage, the higher the insurance premium.

[0056] 6 is a diagram showing an example of the distribution of objects in the work environment according to embodiment 1. The distribution of objects in the work environment 1100 according to this embodiment is calculated by the insurance coverage determination unit 413 from information on the shape and arrangement of each object present in the work environment 1100.

[0057] Reference numeral 600 indicates the distribution of objects in the work environment 1100. Reference numerals 601 to 604 indicate the respective objects in the work environment 1100. Reference numeral 611 indicates the distance between object 601 and its nearest neighboring object 604. Reference numeral 612 indicates the distance between object 602 and its nearest neighboring object 604. Reference numeral 613 indicates the distance between object 603 and its nearest neighboring object 604.

[0058] 7 is a diagram showing an example of the risk factor occurrence probability according to embodiment 1. The risk factor occurrence probability according to this embodiment is the probability of a collision occurring between the robot 200 and each object in the work environment 1100, and the vertical axis indicates the risk factor occurrence probability. The risk factor occurrence probability according to this embodiment indicates the probability of a collision occurring between the robot 200 and each object.

[0059] The horizontal axis represents parameter values related to risk factors. The parameter values related to risk factors according to this embodiment represent the distance between the robot 200 and the object. M is the parameter value at which the probability of occurrence of a risk factor is 1, and represents a margin related to the probability of occurrence of a risk factor.

[0060] 711 indicates the probability of collision occurring at distance 611 between object 601 and object 604 shown in Fig. 6. 712 indicates the probability of collision occurring at distance 612 between object 602 and object 604 shown in Fig. 6. 713 indicates the probability of collision occurring at distance 613 between object 603 and object 604 shown in Fig. 6.

[0061] 8 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen according to the first embodiment, and shows an example of a screen displayed on the user's information terminal 1102. Reference numeral 800 denotes the display screen of the information terminal 1102. Reference numeral 801 denotes an image captured of the work environment 1100 in which the robot 200 performs work, and if the image is captured before the robot 200 starts work, it is an image captured by the camera of the information terminal 1102.

[0062] Also, 801 is an image taken by the camera of the robot 200 if the robot 200 is working. 802 is a message indicating the work content of the robot 200. 803 is a message indicating the insurance content determined by the insurance content determination unit 413.

[0063] According to the method of this embodiment, the information processing device 110 can determine the insurance content based on the status of the user's work environment 1100 and information about the robot's main body, and can provide more appropriate insurance to the user.

[0064] Although the robot attribute information according to the present embodiment is information relating to size and safety performance, it is not limited to this and may be information relating to the risk of collision between the robot and surrounding objects. For example, the robot attribute information may be appearance information relating to the shape of protrusions on the robot.

[0065] This allows the distance between the robot and the object to be calculated more accurately. If the robot is human-shaped or has a protruding shape such as an arm, the insurance content determination unit 413 determines that the distance between the robot and the object is close and the probability of collision with a surrounding object is high, and increases the insurance premium.

[0066] The robot attribute information may also be information about the weight of the robot. This allows for more accurate calculation of the degree of damage when the robot 200 collides with an object. The insurance coverage determination unit 413 determines that the heavier the robot 200 is, the higher the degree of damage when the robot 200 collides with an object, and increases the insurance premium.

[0067] Furthermore, the robot attribute information may also include information regarding safety features such as contact detection functions, emergency stop buttons, and drive recorders, as well as information regarding robot safety standards such as JIS B8463.

[0068] This allows for more appropriate insurance coverage to be determined regarding the risk of a robot accident. In other words, if the robot 200 complies with the robot safety standards, the insurance coverage determination unit 413 determines that the probability of the robot 200 colliding with an object is low, and lowers the insurance premium.

[0069] The robot attribute information may also be information about the robot's operational performance. Specifically, it may be information about the running speed, running accuracy, and stopping accuracy of the robot 200. In this case, the insurance coverage determination unit 413 calculates the probability of a collision between the robot 200 and an object based on the information about the running speed, running accuracy, and stopping accuracy of the robot 200 and the distance between the robot 200 and the nearest object.

[0070] For example, the insurance coverage determination unit 413 calculates a higher probability of collision between the robot 200 and an object as the robot 200 travels faster, travels less accurately, or stops less accurately.

[0071] Furthermore, for robots with protruding arms or other shapes, the robot attribute information may include arm precision as operational performance, collision force indicating the magnitude of impact when an arm collides as safety performance, and the degrees of freedom and number of joints indicating dexterity when grasping an object. This allows for more appropriate insurance coverage to be determined for robots with arms.

[0072] The insurance coverage determination unit 413 determines that the smaller the collision force of the arm, the smaller the impact when the robot's arm collides with an object, and therefore lowers the insurance premium. On the other hand, the insurance coverage determination unit 413 determines that the greater the degree of freedom of the arm or the greater the number of joints, the less likely the robot 200 is to drop an object when grasping it, and therefore lowers the insurance premium.

[0073] In addition, the work information in this embodiment is information about objects present in the work environment 1100, such as information about the shape and arrangement of the objects and information about the material of the objects, but it is not limited to this and can be information about the risk of damage occurring due to the work of the robot.

[0074] For example, the work information may include information regarding the number and density of objects present in the work environment 1100. This makes it possible to more easily calculate the probability of a collision occurring between the robot and surrounding objects. For example, if there are a large number of objects or the density is high, the insurance coverage determination unit 413 determines that the probability of a collision occurring between the robot 200 and the objects is high, and increases the insurance premium.

[0075] That is, the insurance content determination unit 413 calculates the probability of damage that may occur during robot work based on the work information and robot attribute information, and determines the insurance content so that the higher the calculated probability of occurrence, the higher the insurance premium.

[0076] The work information may also be information about the positional relationship of objects present in the work environment 1100 and their relationships with other objects. The insurance premium increases as the probability of a collision with another object increases due to the movement, shaking, tipping, or other movement of a nearby object.

[0077] In addition, if another object is placed on top of an object, the probability that the other object will fall due to the movement of the lower object is calculated, and the higher the probability of the other object falling, the higher the insurance premium. Specifically, if the upper object is placed on the edge of the lower object, if the center of gravity of the upper object is high, or if the upper object is not fixed to the lower object, etc.

[0078] For example, if a vase is placed on the edge of a desk, the insurance coverage determination unit 413 will take into account a combination of factors and determine that the vase is likely to fall when the robot 200 collides with the desk, and that an object placed on the edge of a high place is likely to fall, and will increase the insurance premium.

[0079] On the other hand, if the same vase is placed in the center of the desk, the insurance content determination unit 413 determines that although the vase is likely to fall over when the robot 200 collides with the desk, the vase is placed in the center of a high place, so the possibility of the vase falling is low, and so the insurance premium is lowered compared to the previous case.

[0080] Furthermore, the target may be a person instead of an object. In that case, the work information may be information regarding the degree of congestion of people in the work environment 1100. This makes it possible to determine insurance coverage with a broader coverage range and a higher compensation limit than insurance coverage for objects. The insurance coverage determination unit 413 determines that the higher the degree of congestion of people, the higher the probability of a collision between the robot 200 and a person, and increases the insurance premium compared to when the probability of a collision between objects is the same.

[0081] Similarly, the work information may be information about the location of a person in the work environment 1100. The insurance content determination unit 413 calculates the distance between the robot 200 and the person based on the information about the location of the person, and increases the insurance premium as the distance becomes shorter.

[0082] Note that the work information according to this embodiment is information about objects present in the work environment 1100, but is not limited to this and may be information about the work content of the robot 200. Specifically, the work information is information about a work type indicating the type of work performed by the robot 200, an action type indicating the type of action that constitutes the work, a work range indicating the area in the work environment 1100 where the work is performed, and a planned time until the work is completed.

[0083] For example, for a delivery robot, the work type is delivery, and the action type is movement, loading, unloading, etc. This makes it possible to determine more appropriate insurance coverage according to the work content of the robot. If the robot 200 is a delivery robot that not only moves but also loads, the insurance coverage determination unit 413 determines that there is a high probability that the robot 200 will collide with an object other than the object being loaded during the loading work, and increases the insurance premium.

[0084] In this embodiment, before the user 1101 starts work with the robot 200, the work information acquisition unit 412 measures the space of the work environment 1100 using a camera on the information terminal 1102 held by the user 1101, and acquires the measured information as work information in the work environment 1100. However, this is not limited to this. For example, work information regarding the work environment 1100 may be acquired by measuring it using a robot for insurance premium estimation sent by an insurance company.

[0085] Alternatively, the work information acquisition unit 412 may acquire work information about the work environment 1100 measured on the spot while the robot 200 is working in the work environment 1100. In this way, more appropriate insurance coverage can be determined based on the latest work information about the work environment 1100.

[0086] Furthermore, the work information may not be information obtained by measuring the work environment 1100, but may be work information based on design information regarding the work environment 1100. The design information may be, for example, CAD (Computer Aided Design) information or BIM (Building Information Modeling) information. This simplifies the measurement operation performed by the user before starting the robot work.

[0087] The work information may be a combination of measurement information of the work environment 1100 and design information related to the work environment 1100. For example, the work information may be information obtained by measuring the positional relationships between objects in real space and creating a database of typical positional relationships.

[0088] In this way, the work information is information based on the measurement results of the environment in which the work will be performed, information based on design information about the environment in which the work will be performed, or information based on a combination of these. By doing so, it is possible to supplement the information that is lacking in either the measurement information or the design information alone, and more appropriate insurance coverage can be determined.

[0089] The insurance content according to this embodiment is the insurance type and insurance premium, but is not limited to this and may also include the scope of compensation, compensation limit, exemptions, deductible amount, etc. The scope of compensation according to this embodiment is the range of compensation provided by insurance for various damages that may occur due to work by the robot 200.

[0090] For example, compensation for damage to a robot or an object caused by a collision between a robot and an object, compensation for injury to a person caused by a collision between a robot and a person, etc. The compensation limit according to this embodiment is the upper limit of the amount of compensation provided as insurance.

[0091] The disclaimer in this embodiment refers to damages that occur as a result of work by the robot 200 and are not covered by insurance. For example, this applies when the user 1101 intentionally damages the robot 200. The deductible amount in this embodiment refers to the amount that the user must pay out of pocket for a certain amount of damages that occur as a result of work by the robot 200.

[0092] In this embodiment, the insurance content determination unit 413 determines the insurance content for damage to surrounding objects caused by the work of the robot 200, but this is not limited thereto. For example, the insurance content determination unit 413 may determine the insurance content for damage or malfunction of the robot 200 itself. That is, the insurance content determination unit 413 determines the insurance content for damage to objects or people present in the environment where the robot performs work, or to the robot itself.

[0093] Furthermore, there may be cases where the robot provider is unable to lend the robot 200 to other users for a while due to damage or malfunction of the robot 200 itself. In preparation for this, the insurance content determination unit 413 may determine the insurance content regarding non-operation charge (NOC). This allows users to use expensive robots with peace of mind.

[0094] In this embodiment, the insurance coverage determination unit 413 calculates the risk factor occurrence probability based on a calculation formula related to the factors of each accident risk and an insurance coverage determination table, and determines the corresponding insurance coverage. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and any method may be used as long as the insurance coverage can be determined based on the robot attribute information and the work information.

[0095] For example, the insurance coverage determination unit 413 does not need to calculate the probability of risk factor occurrence. That is, it may use an insurance coverage determination table in which insurance premiums are set according to each item of robot attribute information or work information, such as the presence or absence of safety features of the robot, the presence or absence of an object in the work environment 1100, or the material of the object.

[0096] Then, the insurance coverage may be determined by adding up all the insurance premiums for the corresponding items using the insurance coverage determination table, thereby enabling the processing of the insurance coverage determination unit 413 to be executed at high speed.

[0097] In this embodiment, the insurance coverage determination unit 413 calculates the distribution of objects in the work environment 1100, and calculates the probability of collision between the robot 200 and each object based on the distance between the robot 200 and the nearest object. However, the invention is not limited to this, and any method may be used as long as it can calculate the probability of collision between the robot 200 and each object in the work environment 1100.

[0098] For example, the insurance content determination unit 413 may make the calculation based on the proportion of the object in the working area of the robot 200 in the working environment 1100. For example, the insurance content determination unit 413 determines that the greater the proportion of the object in the working area of the robot 200, the higher the probability of a collision between the robot 200 and the object, and increases the insurance premium.

[0099] The insurance content determination unit 413 may also make a calculation based on the number of objects present in the work environment 1100. That is, the insurance content determination unit 413 determines that the greater the number of objects present in the work environment 1100, the higher the probability of a collision between the robot 200 and the objects, and increases the insurance premium.

[0100] Furthermore, the robot attribute information acquisition unit 411 may acquire, as the robot attribute information, information on the travel path of the robot 200 in the work environment 1100. Then, the insurance content determination unit 413 may calculate the probability of a collision occurring between the robot 200 and an object that exists on the path along which the robot 200 travels, based on the travel path information of the robot 200. This allows the processing of the insurance content determination unit 413 to be performed efficiently.

[0101] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the insurance content determination unit 413 determines the insurance content based on the work information measured by the user before the robot 200 starts working, but this is not limited to this. For example, the work information acquisition unit 412 may sequentially acquire work information measured on the spot by the robot 200 while the robot 200 is working, and the insurance content determination unit 413 may sequentially determine the insurance content accordingly. This makes it possible to determine the insurance content according to the latest status of the work environment 1100.

[0102] Furthermore, the insurance content determination unit 413 may determine the insurance content according to the recency of the work information relative to the time of the robot work, with respect to the work information related to the work environment 1100. Specifically, the insurance content determination unit 413 determines the insurance content so that the older the work information relative to the time of the robot work, the higher the possibility that the situation in the work environment 1100 will change.

[0103] In other words, the more recent (newer) the time when the work information is acquired by the work information acquisition means, the lower the insurance premium will be. This makes it possible to determine insurance coverage that corresponds to the risk due to environmental differences between the time of advance estimate and the time of actual work.

[0104] Furthermore, when the user measures the work environment 1100 using the information terminal 1102 before the robot 200 starts working, if they forget to measure some of the space or if some areas cannot be measured because they are hidden by other objects, there is a possibility that work information will be insufficient.

[0105] In this case, the insurance content determination unit 413 may determine the insurance content according to the amount of work information or the coverage range (sufficiency) for the work environment 1100. Specifically, if the insurance content determination unit 413 determines that the work information for the work environment 1100 is not sufficiently covered, it determines a higher insurance premium, since it cannot calculate the probability of risk factor occurrence in areas that cannot be measured.

[0106] Conversely, the insurance coverage determination unit 413 may determine that the more detailed the work information acquired by the work information acquisition means is, the lower the insurance premium will be. This makes it possible to determine insurance coverage that compensates for insufficient work information.

[0107] Alternatively, the insurance coverage determination unit 413 may request the user to remeasure the work environment 1100 because the work information is insufficient. In other words, if the work information required to determine the insurance coverage is insufficient, the insurance coverage determination unit 413 may suggest additional work information. Alternatively, the insurance coverage determination unit 413 may decide not to accept insurance in such cases.

[0108] In this embodiment, the insurance content determination unit 413 determines the insurance content corresponding to the risk of collision between the robot 200 and an object present in the work environment 1100. However, the invention is not limited to this, and the insurance content may be any insurance content corresponding to the risk that may arise due to work performed by the robot 200 in the work environment 1100.

[0109] For example, it may be a risk of damage to an object that occurs depending on the work content of the robot 200. Specifically, for a cleaning robot, this may be the risk of the carpet discoloring due to detergent, or the risk of surrounding precision equipment malfunctioning due to water splashing on it while wiping with water, etc. Also, for a food serving robot, this may be the risk of dishes falling and breaking while serving food, or the risk of dishes falling when hitting the table.

[0110] In these cases, the work information acquisition unit 412 acquires information about the work content as work information. If the cleaning robot uses detergent for cleaning, the insurance content determination unit 413 determines that there is a high probability that the detergent will adhere to the carpet, and increases the insurance premium.

[0111] The insurance may also cover the risk of damage to the robot itself or to objects or people present in the work environment 1100 due to the robot 200 falling over. In this case, the work information acquisition unit 412 acquires information on the state of the area of the work environment 1100 as work information.

[0112] Specifically, the information relates to the road surface condition, such as whether there are any bumps, how slippery the road surface is, and how uneven the surface is. Also, the information relates to the weather, such as the amount of rain and wind strength. If there are bumps on the road surface, the road surface is slippery (the coefficient of friction is small), or there are many bumps and grooves, the insurance content determination unit 413 determines that there is a high probability that the robot 200 will fall, and increases the insurance premium.

[0113] The insurance content may also correspond to the risk of breakdown of the robot 200. In this case, the work information acquisition unit 412 acquires information about the work environment 1100 as work information. If there is a lot of sand on the road surface or the road surface is wet, the insurance content determination unit 413 determines that there is a high risk of the robot 200 breaking down due to sand getting on the robot 200 or getting wet, and increases the insurance premium.

[0114] The work information may also include information about the work content of the robot 200. Specifically, the information about the work environment 1100 includes information about the dirt on the floor and the condition of the floor, and the information about the work content of the robot, such as the work type being cleaning and the operation type being garbage collection.

[0115] If the floor is littered with garbage or wet, the insurance content determination unit 413 determines that there is a high possibility that the garbage suction unit will break down due to the garbage collection work of the robot, and increases the insurance premium.

[0116] The insurance may also cover the risk of collisions between robots when multiple robots work simultaneously in the work environment 1100. In this case, the work information acquisition unit 412 acquires, as work information, information on the number of robots, the work area and travel route of each robot.

[0117] If multiple robots work in the same work area at the same time, or if multiple robots travel the same route at the same time, the insurance coverage determination unit 413 determines that there is a high risk of collision between the robots, and increases the insurance premium.

[0118] In this embodiment, the insurance coverage determination unit 413 determines the insurance coverage based on the work information and the robot attribute information, but this is not limiting. Specifically, the insurance coverage determination unit 413 may determine the insurance coverage based only on the work information.

[0119] For example, when reserving a robot, the user uses this information to tentatively estimate the insurance premium before deciding on the robot to use. In this case, the insurance content determination unit 413 increases the insurance premium compared to when robot attribute information is used. In this case, the insurance content determination unit 413 functions as an insurance content determination means that determines the insurance content based on the work information.

[0120] Conversely, the insurance content determination unit 413 may determine the insurance content based only on the robot attribute information. For example, this is used when the user does not want to measure the work environment 1100 when reserving a robot. In this case, the insurance content determination unit 413 increases the insurance premium compared to when work information is used. In this case, the insurance content determination unit 413 functions as an insurance content determination means that determines the insurance content based on the robot attribute information.

[0121] Furthermore, although the present embodiment has been described with reference to an example of a robot, the present invention is not limited to a robot. In other words, the present invention can also be applied to an information processing device or information processing method that determines the contents of insurance covering damage that may occur in work performed by a user.

[0122] Then, work information including information about at least either the environment in which the work is performed or the work content is acquired by a work information acquisition means (work information acquisition step), and the insurance content determination means (insurance content determination step) determines the insurance content based on the work information.

[0123] As described above, by the method of embodiment 1, the information processing device 110 can determine the insurance content based on the status of the user's work environment 1100 and information about the robot's main body, thereby providing more appropriate insurance to the user.

[0124] <Embodiment 2> In the second embodiment, a method will be described in which, for an event determined to have a high accident risk by measuring the work environment, the user is requested to make improvements or provide assistance, and the insurance coverage is updated accordingly.

[0125] Specifically, if the work information acquired from measuring the work environment indicates that there is an object that poses a high risk of damage due to the robot's work, the system will notify the user of the existence of the object and suggest that if the object is removed, the user will receive a reduction in insurance premiums. This will enable the provision of more reasonable insurance to users.

[0126] That is, the insurance content determination unit 413 suggests to the user to remove causes of damage that may occur during the robot's work based on the work information or robot attribute information, and updates the insurance content if the causes of damage are removed.

[0127] 9 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information system including an information processing device according to embodiment 2. Explanation of the same functional blocks as in FIG. 4 will be omitted, and only functional blocks different from embodiment 1 will be explained.

[0128] The information processing device 110 has a robot attribute information acquisition unit 411, a work information acquisition unit 412, an insurance content determination unit 413, and an input unit 914. The input unit 914, which serves as input means, receives input from the user 1101 from the information terminal 1102 via the communication device 101.

[0129] The insurance content determination unit 413 transmits the determined insurance content update proposal to the information terminal 1102 via the communication device 101, receives input from the user 1101 at the input unit 914, and updates the insurance content in accordance with the input.

[0130] Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of an information processing method using an information processing device according to embodiment 2. Note that the CPU 31, which serves as a computer within the information processing device, executes a computer program stored in memory, thereby sequentially performing the operations of each step in the flowchart of Fig. 10. Note that explanations of the same steps as in Fig. 5 will be omitted, and only steps different from embodiment 1 will be explained. Note that, like Fig. 5, Fig. 10 also performs repeated processing.

[0131] In step S504, the CPU 31 causes the insurance coverage determination unit 413 to determine the insurance coverage for the work performed by the robot 200 in the work environment 1100 based on the acquired robot attribute information and work information.

[0132] In the second embodiment, the insurance content determination unit 413 determines, based on the work information about the work environment 1100, that there is an object that has a high risk of being damaged by the work of the robot 200, and decides to propose to the user that the insurance premium will be reduced if the object is removed. Then, the insurance content determination unit 413 transmits the determined insurance content update proposal to the information terminal 1102 via the communication device 101.

[0133] In step S1001, the CPU 31 receives an input from the user 1101 via the communication device 101 using the input unit 914. In step S1002, the CPU 31 again acquires work information from the robot 200 or the information terminal 1102 via the communication device 101 using the work information acquisition unit 412.

[0134] In step S1003, the CPU 31 determines whether to update the insurance coverage using the insurance coverage determination unit 413. Specifically, if it is determined that the user has given consent and that the same object does not exist in the new work information acquired by the work information acquisition unit 412 (that the user has put it away), the process proceeds to step S1004, and the CPU 31 updates the insurance coverage using the insurance coverage determination unit 413.

[0135] On the other hand, if the user did not give consent, or if the user gave consent but the work information acquisition unit 412 determines that the same object still exists in the new work information acquired (the user has not yet put it away), the process proceeds to step S505.

[0136] 11 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen according to the second embodiment, which is an example of a screen displayed on a user's information terminal 1102. Note that explanations of the same elements as in FIG. 8 will be omitted, and only elements different from the first embodiment will be explained.

[0137] 803 indicates the current insurance coverage. If the user agrees to update the insurance coverage, the updated insurance coverage is displayed. 1104 indicates an area where an object with a high risk of damage due to work by the robot 200 exists, as determined by the insurance coverage determination unit 413.

[0138] Numeral 1105 is a message indicating a proposal to update the insurance coverage determined by the insurance coverage determination unit 413. Specifically, it indicates that the object indicated by 1104 has a high risk of damage, and therefore the insurance premium will be reduced if the object indicated by 1104 is removed. Numeral 1106 is a button for accepting the update of the insurance coverage indicated by 1105. Numeral 1107 is a button for rejecting the update of the insurance coverage indicated by 1105.

[0139] According to the method of this embodiment, the information processing device 110 can notify the user of the presence of an object that poses a high risk of damage in the work environment 1100 and can suggest that the user remove the object to reduce the insurance premium. Therefore, it is possible to provide the user with more reasonable insurance.

[0140] In this embodiment, the insurance content determination unit 413 notifies the user of the presence of an object with a high risk of damage in the work environment 1100 and displays and suggests that the insurance premium be reduced by removing the object, but this is not limited to this. For example, the insurance content determination unit 413 may display and suggest that the insurance content be updated to a more expensive and comprehensive one when it determines that an object with a high risk of damage exists.

[0141] In this embodiment, insurance with comprehensive coverage means that the insurance has at least one of the following: a wide coverage range, a high coverage limit, few deductibles, a small deductible amount, and a small out-of-pocket expense; and insurance with comprehensive coverage has a higher insurance premium.

[0142] The insurance content determination unit 413 may compare the work information measured before the robot starts working with the work information measured while the robot is working, and if the accident risk in the work environment 1100 is reduced, may suggest to the user that the insurance content be updated to a cheaper one. This makes it possible to provide insurance that meets the needs of the user.

[0143] Furthermore, the insurance content determination unit 413 may present that there is a location with a high risk of collision when the distance between the robot 200 and an object is closer than a certain range. This makes it possible to present to the user 1101 that there is a location with a high risk of accident when the robot 200 performs work, and to alert the user 1101.

[0144] In this embodiment, the insurance coverage determination unit 413 notifies the user of the presence of an object in the work environment 1100 that has a high risk of damage, and displays and suggests that the insurance premium will be reduced if the object is removed. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it may simply suggest removing the accident risk factors.

[0145] For example, the work information acquisition unit 412 acquires information regarding the condition of the road surface in the work environment 1100, and if the road surface is wet, the insurance content determination unit 413 may indicate the location of the wet road surface and suggest wiping the road surface as there is a risk of the robot falling over.

[0146] Furthermore, if there is a risk that the cleaning robot's wet wiping may splash water on surrounding precision equipment, causing it to malfunction, the work information acquisition unit 412 acquires, as work information, the robot's work content and type information that can determine whether the object is a precision equipment. If a precision equipment is present near the robot's work area, the insurance content determination unit 413 suggests that the precision equipment be put away.

[0147] As described above, by the method of the second embodiment, the information processing device 110 can notify the user of the presence of an object that poses a high risk of damage in the work environment 1100 and can suggest that the user remove the object to reduce the insurance premium. Therefore, it is possible to provide the user with more reasonable insurance.

[0148] <Embodiment 3> In the third embodiment, a method is described in which multiple insurance plans are displayed and proposed to the user, and the robot control details are determined according to the insurance plan selected by the user. Specifically, based on work information acquired by measuring the work environment, an insurance plan with a high premium and comprehensive coverage, an insurance plan with a low premium and limited coverage, or an intermediate insurance plan is determined and proposed to the user.

[0149] If the user selects an insurance plan with a high premium, the system controls the robot to prioritize work over the robot, and if the user selects an insurance plan with a low premium, the system controls the robot to prioritize safety over the robot. If an insurance plan somewhere in between the two is selected, the system controls the robot so that both work and safety are compatible at a predetermined level. This makes it possible to provide highly convenient insurance linked to the robot's operation.

[0150] 12 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an information system including an information processing device according to embodiment 3. Explanation of the same functional blocks as in FIG. 9 will be omitted, and only functional blocks different from embodiment 2 will be explained.

[0151] The information processing device 110 has a robot attribute information acquisition unit 411, a work information acquisition unit 412, an insurance content determination unit 413, an input unit 914, and a robot control content determination unit 1201. The robot control content determination unit 1201 functions as a robot control content determination means that determines the control content of the robot 200 in accordance with the insurance content determined by the insurance content determination unit 413 and transmits the determined control content to the robot 200 via the communication device 101.

[0152] Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of an information processing method using an information processing device according to embodiment 3. Note that the CPU 31, which serves as a computer within the information processing device, executes a computer program stored in memory, thereby sequentially performing the operations of the steps in the flowchart of Fig. 13. Explanation of the same steps as in Fig. 10 will be omitted, and only the steps different from embodiment 2 will be explained. Note that, like Fig. 10, repeated processing is performed in Fig. 13.

[0153] In step S504, the CPU 31 causes the insurance coverage determination unit 413 to determine the insurance coverage for the work performed by the robot 200 in the work environment 1100 based on the acquired robot attribute information and work information.

[0154] The insurance content determination unit 413 then determines an insurance content with a wider coverage and higher insurance premium (enhanced compensation plan) and an insurance content with a narrower coverage and lower insurance premium (limited compensation plan) compared to the determined insurance content (intermediate plan).The insurance content determination unit 413 then displays and proposes the determined multiple insurance contents to the user 1101, and transmits them to the information terminal 1102 via the communication device 101 so that the user 1101 can select one.

[0155] In step S1001, the CPU 31 receives an input from the user 1101 via the communication device 101 through the input unit 914. In this embodiment, the input unit 914 receives the insurance coverage selected by the user 1101 from among the multiple insurance coverages proposed by the insurance coverage determination unit 413.

[0156] In step S1003, the CPU 31 determines whether or not to update the insurance coverage previously determined based on the insurance coverage selected by the user 1101 using the insurance coverage determination unit 413. If it is determined that the insurance coverage should be updated, the process proceeds to step S1004. On the other hand, if it is determined that the insurance coverage should not be updated, the process proceeds to step S505.

[0157] In step S1004, CPU 31 determines, via insurance content determination unit 413, to update the insurance content to the one selected by user 1101. In step S1301, CPU 31 determines, via robot control content determination unit 1201, the control content of robot 200 based on the insurance content determined by insurance content determination unit 413.

[0158] That is, the insurance content determination unit 413 determines the content of at least one or more insurance policies each having different insurance content, and determines the insurance content selected from the at least one or more insurance policies based on the input received by the input unit 914.

[0159] In this embodiment, when the insurance content determination unit 413 determines an insurance content with a wider coverage (enhanced compensation plan), the robot control content determination unit 1201 determines to actively operate the robot 200 so as to prioritize task completion. Specifically, the robot control content determination unit 1201 increases the running speed and operating speed of the robot 200 above predetermined speeds.

[0160] On the other hand, if the insurance content determination unit 413 determines an insurance content with a narrower coverage (limited compensation plan), the robot control content determination unit 1201 determines to operate the robot 200 in a way that prioritizes safety.

[0161] Specifically, the robot control content determination unit 1201 reduces the running speed and the operating speed of the robot 200 to less than predetermined speeds. Then, the robot control content determination unit 1201 transmits the determined control content to the robot 200 via the communication device 101. In this way, if the insurance coverage is wide or the compensation amount is high, the robot's work is prioritized, and if the insurance coverage is narrow or the compensation amount is low, the robot's safety is prioritized during operation.

[0162] Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen according to embodiment 3. Note that a description of the same elements as in Fig. 11 will be omitted, and only elements different from embodiment 2 will be described.

[0163] A message 1105 indicates a proposal of multiple insurance plans determined by the insurance plan determination unit 413. Specifically, the message indicates an extensive coverage plan with a wide coverage range but high insurance premiums, a limited coverage plan with a narrow coverage range but low insurance premiums, and an intermediate plan with coverage intermediate between insurance plan A and insurance plan C.

[0164] Button 1410 is for selecting the enhanced compensation plan, button 1411 is for selecting the intermediate plan, and button 1412 is for selecting the limited compensation plan.

[0165] According to the method of this embodiment, the information processing device 110 can determine the control details of the robot according to the determined insurance details, and can provide highly convenient insurance linked to the work of the robot.

[0166] In this embodiment, the robot control content determination unit 1201 determines the movement speed of the robot 200 according to the insurance coverage. However, this is not limiting, and priority may be given to completing the work of the robot 200 for insurance coverage with a broad coverage, and priority may be given to the safety of the robot 200 for insurance coverage with a narrow coverage.

[0167] For example, for insurance content with a wide coverage range, the robot control content determination unit 1201 determines to loosen the safety margin for obstacle detection of the robot 200 (to make the distance to an object that the robot stops or avoids when an obstacle is detected shorter than a predetermined distance), or to make the spatial resolution or time resolution (frequency) lower than a predetermined value.

[0168] On the other hand, for insurance content with a narrower coverage, the robot control content determination unit 1201 determines whether to tighten the safety margin for obstacle detection by the robot 200 (make the distance from the object to be stopped or avoided when an obstacle is detected longer than a predetermined distance), or to set the spatial resolution or time resolution (frequency) higher than a predetermined value. This allows the robot to be optimally controlled according to the determined insurance content, improving user convenience.

[0169] Furthermore, if the measurement of the working environment 1100 of the robot 200 while the robot 200 is working reveals that there are many objects with a high risk of damage, the insurance content determination unit 413 suggests to the user 1101 that the insurance content be updated to one with a wider coverage and a higher premium. In this case, the robot control content determination unit 1201 may control the robot 200 to temporarily suspend its work until the user 1101 approves the new insurance content.

[0170] This temporarily reduces the risk of damage caused by the work of the robot 200. Then, when the user 1101 approves the new insurance content and the insurance content determination unit 413 decides to update the insurance content to the new insurance content, the robot control content determination unit 1201 decides to resume the work of the robot 200.

[0171] As described above, by the method of embodiment 3, the information processing device 110 can determine the control content of the robot according to the determined insurance content, and can provide highly convenient insurance that is linked to the robot's work.

[0172] Although the present invention has been described in detail above based on the preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and partial combinations of the above embodiments are possible based on the spirit of the present invention, and these are not excluded from the scope of the present invention. The present invention also includes the following combinations.

[0173] (Configuration 1) An information processing device that determines the contents of insurance covering damage that may occur during robot work, characterized by comprising: a robot attribute information acquisition means that acquires robot attribute information related to the robot; a work information acquisition means that acquires work information including information regarding at least one of the environment in which the work is performed or the work content of the robot; and an insurance content determination means that determines the contents of the insurance based on at least one of the work information and the robot attribute information.

[0174] (Configuration 2) The information processing device described in Configuration 1, characterized in that the insurance content determination means calculates a damage level indicating the magnitude of the damage that may occur in the work performed by the robot based on the work information and the robot attribute information, and determines the insurance content so that the higher the calculated damage level, the higher the insurance premium.

[0175] (Configuration 3) The information processing device described in Configuration 1 or 2, characterized in that the insurance content determination means calculates the probability of occurrence of the damage that may occur during the work of the robot based on the work information and the robot attribute information, and determines the content of the insurance so that the higher the calculated probability of occurrence, the higher the insurance premium.

[0176] (Configuration 4) An information processing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, characterized in that the work information is information based on measurement results of the environment in which the work is performed, information based on design information regarding the environment in which the work is performed, or information based on a combination thereof.

[0177] (Configuration 5) An information processing device described in any one of configurations 1 to 4, characterized in that the insurance content determination means determines the content of the insurance covering damage to objects or people present in the environment in which the robot performs the work, or to the robot's main body.

[0178] (Configuration 6) The information processing device described in any one of configurations 1 to 5, characterized in that the insurance content determination means suggests to the user to remove the cause of the damage that may occur during the work of the robot based on the work information or the robot attribute information, and updates the insurance content when the cause of the damage is removed.

[0179] (Configuration 7) An information processing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 6, further comprising an input means, wherein the insurance content determination means determines the content of at least one or more insurance policies, each of which has a different insurance content, and determines the insurance content selected from at least one or more insurance contents based on the input received by the input means.

[0180] (Configuration 8) The information processing device according to configuration 7, further comprising a robot control content determination means for determining the control content of the robot in accordance with the insurance content determined by the insurance content determination means.

[0181] (Configuration 9) The information processing device described in Configuration 8, characterized in that the robot control content determination means determines to prioritize the robot's work if the insurance coverage is wide or the compensation amount is high, and to prioritize the robot's safety when the insurance coverage is narrow or the compensation amount is low.

[0182] (Configuration 10) An information processing device described in any one of configurations 1 to 9, characterized in that the insurance content determination means determines the insurance premium to be lower the more recently the work information was acquired by the work information acquisition means.

[0183] (Configuration 11) An information processing device described in any one of configurations 1 to 10, characterized in that the insurance content determination means determines the insurance premium to be lower the more detailed the work information acquired by the work information acquisition means.

[0184] (Configuration 12) The information processing device described in any one of configurations 1 to 11, characterized in that the insurance content determination means proposes additional work information when the work information required to determine the insurance content is insufficient.

[0185] (Configuration 13) An information processing device that determines the content of insurance covering damage that may occur during robot work, characterized in that it comprises: a work information acquisition means that acquires work information including information regarding at least one of the environment in which the work is performed or the work content of the robot; and an insurance content determination means that determines the content of the insurance based on the work information.

[0186] (Configuration 14) An information processing device that determines the contents of insurance covering damage that may occur during robot work, characterized in that it comprises: a robot attribute information acquisition means that acquires robot attribute information related to the robot; and an insurance content determination means that determines the contents of the insurance based on the robot attribute information.

[0187] (Configuration 15) An information processing device that determines the content of insurance covering damage that may occur during work, characterized in that it comprises: a work information acquisition means that acquires work information including information regarding at least one of the environment in which the work is performed or the work content; and an insurance content determination means that determines the content of the insurance based on the work information.

[0188] (Method 1) An information processing method for determining the contents of insurance covering damage that may occur during work by a robot, the information processing method comprising: a robot attribute information acquisition step for acquiring robot attribute information related to the robot; a work information acquisition step for acquiring work information including information regarding at least one of the environment in which the work is performed or the work content of the robot; and an insurance content determination step for determining the contents of the insurance based on at least one of the work information and the robot attribute information.

[0189] (Method 2) An information processing method for determining the contents of insurance covering damage that may occur during work by a robot, the information processing method comprising: a work information acquisition step for acquiring work information including information regarding at least one of the environment in which the work is performed or the work content of the robot; and an insurance content determination step for determining the contents of the insurance based on the work information.

[0190] (Method 3) An information processing method for determining the contents of insurance covering damage that may occur during robot work, comprising: a robot attribute information acquisition step for acquiring robot attribute information related to the robot; and an insurance content determination step for determining the contents of the insurance based on the robot attribute information.

[0191] (Method 4) An information processing method for determining the contents of insurance covering damage that may occur during work, characterized by comprising: a work information acquisition step for acquiring work information including information regarding at least one of the environment in which the work is performed or the work content; and an insurance content determination step for determining the contents of the insurance based on the work information.

[0192] (Program) A computer program for controlling each means of the information processing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 15 by a computer.

[0193] In order to realize part or all of the control in the above-described embodiments, a computer program that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments may be supplied to an information processing device or the like via a network or various storage media. Then, a computer (or a CPU, MPU, or the like) in the information processing device or the like may read and execute the program. In this case, the program and the storage medium storing the program constitute the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0194] 100: Information Systems 101: Communication equipment 110: Information processing device 411: Robot attribute information acquisition unit 412: Work information acquisition unit 413: Insurance Content Determination Department 914: Input section 915: Robot control content determination unit

Claims

1. An information processing device that determines the contents of insurance that covers damage that may occur during work by a robot, a robot attribute information acquisition means for acquiring robot attribute information related to the robot; a task information acquisition means for acquiring task information including information on at least one of an environment in which the task is performed or a task content of the robot; an insurance content determination means for determining the content of the insurance based on at least one of the work information and the robot attribute information; An information processing device comprising:

2. the insurance content determination means calculates a degree of damage indicating the magnitude of the damage that may occur in the work performed by the robot based on the work information and the robot attribute information, and determines the insurance content such that the higher the calculated degree of damage, the higher the insurance premium.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

3. the insurance content determination means calculates the probability of occurrence of the damage that may occur in the work performed by the robot based on the work information and the robot attribute information, and determines the insurance content such that the insurance premium increases as the calculated probability of occurrence increases.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

4. The work information is information based on measurement results of an environment in which the work is performed, information based on design information regarding the environment in which the work is performed, or information based on a combination thereof.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

5. the insurance content determination means determines the content of the insurance covering damage to objects or people present in an environment in which the robot performs the work, or to the main body of the robot; 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

6. the insurance content determination means suggests to the user to remove the cause of the damage that may occur in the work of the robot based on the work information or the robot attribute information, and updates the insurance content when the cause of the damage is removed.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

7. further comprising an input means, the insurance coverage determination means determines at least one or more insurance coverages each having different insurance coverages, and determines the insurance coverage selected from the at least one or more insurance coverages based on the input received by the input means; 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

8. a robot control content determination means for determining a control content of the robot in accordance with the insurance content determined by the insurance content determination means; 8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

9. The robot control content determination means determines to prioritize the work of the robot when the insurance coverage is wide or the amount of compensation is high, and determines to prioritize the safety of the robot when the insurance coverage is narrow or the amount of compensation is low.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8,

10. The insurance coverage determination means determines the insurance premium to be lower the more recently the work information was acquired by the work information acquisition means.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

11. The insurance coverage determination means determines the insurance premium to be lower as the work information acquired by the work information acquisition means is more detailed.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

12. the insurance content determination means, when the work information for determining the insurance content is insufficient, proposes additional work information; 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

13. An information processing device that determines the contents of insurance that covers damage that may occur during work by a robot, a task information acquisition means for acquiring task information including information on at least one of an environment in which the task is performed or a task content of the robot; an insurance coverage determination means for determining the insurance coverage based on the work information; An information processing device comprising:

14. An information processing device that determines the contents of insurance that covers damage that may occur during work by a robot, a robot attribute information acquisition means for acquiring robot attribute information related to the robot; an insurance coverage determination means for determining the insurance coverage based on the robot attribute information; An information processing device comprising:

15. An information processing device that determines the contents of insurance that covers damage that may occur during work, a task information acquisition means for acquiring task information including information on at least one of the environment in which the task is to be performed and the task content; an insurance coverage determination means for determining the insurance coverage based on the work information; An information processing device comprising:

16. An information processing method for determining insurance coverage for damage that may occur during work by a robot, comprising: a robot attribute information acquisition step of acquiring robot attribute information related to the robot; a work information acquisition step of acquiring work information including information on at least one of an environment in which the work is performed or a work content of the robot; an insurance content determination step of determining the content of the insurance based on at least one of the work information and the robot attribute information; An information processing method comprising:

17. An information processing method for determining insurance coverage for damage that may occur during work by a robot, comprising: a work information acquisition step of acquiring work information including information on at least one of an environment in which the work is performed or a work content of the robot; an insurance content determination step of determining the content of the insurance based on the work information; An information processing method comprising:

18. An information processing method for determining insurance coverage for damage that may occur during work by a robot, comprising: a robot attribute information acquisition step of acquiring robot attribute information related to the robot; an insurance content determination step of determining the content of the insurance based on the robot attribute information; An information processing method comprising:

19. An information processing method for determining the contents of insurance covering damage that may occur during work, comprising: a work information acquisition step of acquiring work information including information on at least one of an environment in which the work is to be performed and a work content; an insurance content determination step of determining the content of the insurance based on the work information; An information processing method comprising:

20. A computer program for controlling each means of the information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 15 by a computer.

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