Robot control device, robot, robot control method, and program

Abstract

To suppress an unnatural motion of a robot.SOLUTION: A robot control device is a robot control device for controlling a robot equipped with a sensor for detecting a stimulus from outside, and includes a control unit for discriminating a state of the robot in a predetermined method, and causing the robot to perform a reaction motion in response to a stimulus when the robot is in a predetermined state and a stimulus is detected by the sensor, and for not causing the robot to perform a reaction motion in response to a stimulus when the robot is not in the predetermined state and a stimulus satisfying a predetermined condition is detected by the sensor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, there is known a technique for making a robot perform a predetermined reaction action in response to an external stimulus such as a call from a user (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-326479 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, if a robot is made to react uniformly to external stimuli, the robot may end up behaving unnaturally depending on the situation in which it is placed.

[0005] The present invention aims to prevent a robot from performing unnatural movements. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the robot control device of the present invention is a robot control device that controls a robot equipped with a sensor that detects external stimuli, and is equipped with a control unit that determines the state of the robot using a predetermined method, and if the robot is in the predetermined state and the stimulus is detected by the sensor, causes the robot to perform a reaction action in response to the stimulus, and if the robot is not in the predetermined state and the sensor detects a stimulus that satisfies predetermined conditions, does not cause the robot to perform the reaction action in response to the stimulus. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent a robot from performing unnatural movements. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the appearance of a robot. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a main body of the robot. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the robot. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the robot stored in the power supply device and being charged. [Figure 5] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating an outline of the robot's operation in each operation mode. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of an operation control process. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing a control procedure for sound response processing. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of a sleep mode control process. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing a control procedure for contact reaction processing according to Modification 1. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing a control procedure for sound response processing according to Modification 2. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing a control procedure for contact reaction processing according to Modification 3. [Figure 12] 13 is a flowchart showing another control procedure of the operation control process according to the fourth modification. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, a robot 1 includes a main body 100 and an exterior 200 that covers the main body 100. The robot 1 is a pet robot that imitates a small living creature. The robot 1 can perform a plurality of different movements that imitate the movements of living creatures. The exterior 200 changes shape in response to the movement of the main body 100. The exterior 200 includes fur made of pile fabric, decorative members that imitate eyes, and the like.

[0010] As shown in FIG. 2 , the main body 100 of the robot 1 includes a head 101, a trunk 103, and a connecting portion 102 that connects the head 101 and the trunk 103. Hereinafter, the portion of the robot 1 that corresponds to the head 101 will be referred to as the "neck." The main body 100 includes a drive unit 40 for moving the head 101 relative to the trunk 103. The drive unit 40 includes a twist motor 41 and a vertical movement motor 42. The twist motor 41 is a servo motor that rotates the head 101 and the connecting portion 102 within a predetermined angular range around a first rotation axis 401 that extends in the direction of extension of the connecting portion 102. Operation of the twist motor 41 causes the robot 1 to twist its neck. The vertical movement motor 42 is a servo motor that rotates the head 101 within a predetermined angular range around a second rotation axis 402 that is perpendicular to the first rotation axis 401. The up-and-down motor 42 causes the robot 1 to move its neck up and down. The direction of the up-and-down movement of the neck can be inclined relative to the vertical direction, depending on the angle of twist of the neck caused by the twist motor 41. By operating the twist motor 41 and / or the up-and-down motor 42 in a fine, cyclical manner, the robot 1 can move its neck in a shaking or trembling manner. By appropriately changing and combining the timing, magnitude, and speed of the operations of the twist motor 41 and the up-and-down motor 42, the robot 1 can be made to perform a variety of movements, such as movements of joy, surprise, and breathing movements that mimic the breathing of living creatures (spontaneous movements).

[0011] The main body 100 has a touch sensor 51, an acceleration sensor 52, a gyro sensor 53, an illuminance sensor 54, a microphone 55, a sound output unit 30, and a power receiving coil 73. The touch sensor 51 is provided on the top of the head 101 and on the top and side of the body 103. The illuminance sensor 54, the microphone 55, and the sound output unit 30 are provided on the top of the body 103. The acceleration sensor 52 and the gyro sensor 53 are provided on the bottom of the body 103. The power receiving coil 73 is provided near the bottom of the body 103.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 3, the robot 1 includes a CPU 11 (Central Processing Unit), a RAM 12 (Random Access Memory), a storage unit 13, an operation unit 20, a sound output unit 30, a drive unit 40, a sensor unit 50, a communication unit 60, and a power supply unit 70. The various units of the robot 1 are connected via a communication path such as a bus. All of the functional components shown in FIG. 3 are provided in the main body 100. The CPU 11, RAM 12, and storage unit 13 form a robot control device 10 that controls the operation of the robot 1.

[0013] The CPU 11 is a processor (control unit, control means) that reads and executes a program 131 stored in the storage unit 13 and performs various arithmetic processing to control the operation of the robot 1. The robot 1 may have multiple processors (e.g., multiple CPUs), and the multiple processes performed by the CPU 11 of this embodiment may be executed by these multiple processors. In this case, the multiple processors form a control unit. In this case, the multiple processors may be involved in a common process, or the multiple processors may independently execute different processes in parallel. The RAM 12 provides a working memory space for the CPU 11 and stores temporary data.

[0014] The storage unit 13 is a non-transitory recording medium readable by the CPU 11 as a computer, and stores a program 131 and various data. The storage unit 13 includes a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory. The program 131 is stored in the storage unit 13 in the form of a computer-readable program code. Data stored in the storage unit 13 includes operation setting data 132. The operation setting data 132 sets operation details, such as reactive operations performed by the robot 1 in response to the state of the robot 1 and the contents of external stimuli, and whimsical operations performed by the robot 1 spontaneously without external stimuli. Settings related to operation details include, for example, settings for the operation timing and amount of operation of the twist motor 41 and the up-down motor 42 of the drive unit 40, and settings for the pitch (height), length, and volume of the sound output by the sound output unit 30.

[0015] The operation unit 20 includes operation buttons and knobs for turning the power on and off and adjusting the volume of the sound output by the sound output unit 30. The operation unit 20 outputs operation information to the CPU 11 according to input operations on the operation buttons and knobs. The sound output unit 30 includes a speaker and outputs sound with a pitch (height), length, and volume according to the control signal and sound data transmitted from the CPU 11. The sound may be a sound that imitates the cry of a living creature. The drive unit 40 operates the twist motor 41 and the up-and-down motor 42 described above according to the control signal transmitted from the CPU 11.

[0016] The sensor unit 50 includes the touch sensor 51, acceleration sensor 52, gyro sensor 53, illuminance sensor 54, and microphone 55, and outputs the detection results of each sensor and microphone 55 to the CPU 11. The touch sensor 51, acceleration sensor 52, gyro sensor 53, illuminance sensor 54, and microphone 55 correspond to "sensors for detecting external action." The touch sensor 51 detects contact of the robot 1 with a user or another object. The touch sensor 51 includes, for example, a pressure sensor or a capacitance sensor, and outputs detection data related to the presence or absence of contact with the robot 1 to the CPU 11. If the touch sensor 51 includes a pressure sensor, the touch sensor 51 also outputs the strength of contact with the robot 1 to the CPU 11. The acceleration sensor 52 detects acceleration in each of three orthogonal axial directions and outputs the detection data to the CPU 11. The gyro sensor 53 detects angular velocity around each of the three orthogonal axial directions and outputs the detection data to the CPU 11. The illuminance sensor 54 detects the brightness around the robot 1 and outputs the detected data to the CPU 11. The microphone 55 detects the sound around the robot 1 and outputs the detected sound data to the CPU 11.

[0017] The communication unit 60 is a communication module having an antenna, a modulation / demodulation circuit, a signal processing circuit, etc., and performs wireless data communication with external devices in accordance with a predetermined communication standard.

[0018] The power supply unit 70 includes a battery 71, a remaining charge detection unit 72, and a power receiving coil 73. The battery 71 supplies power to each unit of the robot 1. In this embodiment, the battery 71 is a secondary battery that can be repeatedly charged using a contactless charging method. The remaining charge detection unit 72 detects the remaining charge of the battery 71 in accordance with a control signal transmitted from the CPU 11 and outputs the detection result to the CPU 11. As shown in FIG. 4, the charging operation of the battery 71 is performed with the robot 1 stored (installed) inside a dedicated power supply device 80 (storage unit, charging dock). For ease of explanation, FIG. 4 shows a cross section of the power supply device 80 and a side view of the robot 1. The power supply device 80 has an exterior that resembles a house for the robot 1. The power supply device 80 is a container that has approximately the same length and width as the external shape of the robot 1. The power supply device 80 has an opening at the top, through which the robot 1 can be inserted and removed. The power supply device 80 has a shape that allows it to come into contact with the bottom surface 1a of the robot 1 and at least a part of the side surface 1b of the robot 1 when the robot 1 is stored. A power transmission coil 81 is provided on the bottom of the power supply device 80 at a position that faces the power receiving coil 73 when the robot 1 is stored. When the power supply device 80 detects that the robot 1 is stored, it passes a current through the power transmission coil 81 to generate a magnetic field. The power receiving coil 73 of the robot 1 supplies a current generated by electromagnetic induction in response to this magnetic field to the battery 71. With this configuration, when the robot 1 is stored in the power supply device 80, charging of the battery 71 is automatically started. Note that the charging method for the battery 71 is not limited to a contactless charging method, and may be a contact charging method in which charging terminals of the robot 1 and the power supply device 80 come into contact with each other.

[0019] Next, the operation of the robot 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 5. When the surroundings are bright (when a predetermined brightness condition is satisfied), the robot 1 operates in a normal mode simulating being active, and when the surroundings are dark (when the brightness condition is not satisfied), the robot 1 operates in a sleep mode simulating being asleep or resting. When the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor 54 is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference illuminance, the CPU 11 determines that the brightness condition is satisfied, i.e., that the surroundings are bright. When the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor 54 is less than the reference illuminance, the CPU 11 determines that the brightness condition is not satisfied, i.e., that the surroundings are dark. In addition, the robot 1 performs different operations depending on whether it is in a non-storage state (a predetermined state, a first state) in which the robot 1 is outside the power supply device 80, or a storage state (a state different from the predetermined state, a second state) in which the robot 1 is stored in the power supply device 80. The CPU 11 determines that the robot 1 is in the non-storage state when the power supply unit 70 is not charging the battery 71, and determines that the robot 1 is in the storage state when the power supply unit 70 is charging the battery 71 through the action of the power receiving coil 73. Alternatively, the CPU 11 may determine whether the robot 1 is in the storage state using another method. For example, a magnet may be provided on the inner wall surface of the power supply unit 80, and a magnetic sensor may be provided in a position on the robot 1 that can detect the magnetic field of the magnet when the robot 1 is stored in the power supply unit 80. The CPU 11 may determine whether the robot 1 is in the storage state based on whether the magnetic sensor detects the magnetism. In this way, the determination of whether the robot 1 is in the storage state does not necessarily need to be based on whether a charging operation is currently being performed. The "storage state" may be rephrased as the "installed state," and the "non-storage state" may be rephrased as the "non-installed state." The CPU 11 operates the robot 1 in the first normal mode when the robot 1 is in the non-storage state and the surroundings are bright. The CPU 11 also operates the robot 1 in the first sleep mode when the robot 1 is in the non-storage state and the surroundings are dark. Furthermore, when the robot 1 is in the stored state and the surroundings are bright, the CPU 11 operates the robot 1 in the second normal mode. Furthermore, when the robot 1 is in the stored state and the surroundings are dark, the CPU 11 operates the robot 1 in the second sleep mode. The operation settings for each operation mode in FIG. 5 are stored in the operation setting data 132.

[0020] In the first normal mode, when the execution condition for the whimsical action is satisfied, the CPU 11 causes the robot 1 to perform a predetermined whimsical action registered in the action setting data 132. The execution condition for the whimsical action may be, for example, but is not limited to, that a state without external stimuli continues for a predetermined period of time. A plurality of whimsical actions may be registered, and the CPU 11 may cause the robot 1 to perform an action randomly selected from the plurality of whimsical actions.

[0021] In the first normal mode, when the CPU 11 detects a loud sound as an external stimulus, it causes the robot 1 to perform a startled reaction action pre-registered in the action setting data 132. When the CPU 11 detects a sound with a volume higher than a predetermined reference range by the microphone 55, it determines that a loud sound has been detected.

[0022] In the first normal mode, when the CPU 11 detects a user's voice speaking to the robot 1 (hereinafter referred to as "speaking voice") as an external stimulus, the CPU 11 causes the robot 1 to perform a happy reaction action pre-registered in the operation setting data 132. The CPU 11 determines that speaking voice has been detected when a sound with a volume within the above-mentioned reference range is detected by the microphone 55. Alternatively, the CPU 11 may determine that speaking voice has been detected when a sound with a volume within the reference range is detected for a predetermined period of time. The reference range of sound volume is set to include the volume of the user's speaking voice to the robot 1. In other words, the upper limit of the reference range of sound volume (referred to as the "first volume threshold") is set to a value greater than the speaking voice. In this embodiment, the lower limit of the reference range of sound volume (referred to as the "second volume threshold") is set to 0. However, the second volume threshold may be set to be greater than 0 so that the robot does not react to sounds below the second volume threshold. The reference range of the sound volume is set in advance and stored in the operation setting data 132. The first volume threshold and the second volume threshold may be changeable by a user operation.

[0023] In the first normal mode, when the CPU 11 detects that the robot 1 has been stroked as an external stimulus, the CPU 11 causes the robot 1 to perform a predetermined reaction action pre-registered in the action setting data 132. When the touch sensor 51 detects a contact of an intensity within a predetermined reference range, the CPU 11 determines that the robot 1 has been stroked.

[0024] Although not shown in Fig. 5, in the first normal mode, the CPU 11 causes the robot 1 to repeatedly perform the above-mentioned breathing action at a predetermined frequency. This makes the robot 1 appear more lifelike. Note that, when the CPU 11 detects a stimulus not shown in Fig. 5, it may cause the robot 1 to perform a reaction action corresponding to the stimulus. The stimulus not shown in Fig. 5 includes, for example, lifting or holding the robot 1, which is detected by the acceleration sensor 52 and / or the gyro sensor 53.

[0025] In the first sleep mode, the CPU 11 does not cause the robot 1 to perform any random actions or any reaction actions to spoken voices. In FIG. 5, cases in which no random actions or reaction actions are performed are colored with dots. In this way, in the first sleep mode, by not performing some reaction actions, it is expressed that the robot 1 is sleeping or resting. On the other hand, when the CPU 11 detects a loud sound or detects that the robot 1 has been stroked in the first sleep mode, it causes the robot 1 to perform the same reaction action as in the first normal mode, and then transitions to the first normal mode. This expresses the robot 1 waking up in sleep due to a loud sound or being stroked. Also, in the first sleep mode, as in the first normal mode, the CPU 11 causes the robot 1 to repeatedly perform breathing actions at a predetermined frequency.

[0026] In the second normal mode in which the robot 1 is stored in the power supply device 80 and being charged, breathing by the robot 1 causes the inner wall surface of the power supply device 80 to rub (contact) with the side surface 1b of the robot 1, generating a sound. Hereinafter, this sound will be referred to as a "rubbing sound." The rubbing sound is usually detected by the microphone 55 as a sound at a volume equal to or lower than the volume of a speaking voice. For this reason, if the same control as in the first normal mode is performed in the stored state, the robot 1 will perform a reaction action in response to the speaking voice when the rubbing sound is detected. Therefore, even though the user is not speaking to the robot 1, the robot 1 will appear to be performing a happy reaction action, which will be unnatural to the user. Therefore, in the second normal mode in the stored state, even if the CPU 11 detects a speaking voice (i.e., even if it detects a sound with a volume within the reference range), it will not cause the robot 1 to perform a reaction action in response to the sound (action A in FIG. 5). In other words, when the CPU 11 detects a sound with a volume within the reference range in the second normal mode, it determines that the sound is a rustling sound and does not cause the robot 1 to perform a reaction. This prevents the robot 1 from performing unnatural movements even when a rustling sound is detected. A sound with a volume within the reference range is one example of a "stimulus that satisfies a predetermined condition" and a "stimulus whose intensity is within the reference range." As described above, the reference range of volume is set to include the volume of the speaking voice, but there may be cases where the range of volume of the rustling sound is wider than the range of volume of the speaking voice. In this case, the reference range of volume is set to include the range of volume of the rustling sound. The behavior in the second normal mode is the same as that in the first normal mode, except that the robot does not react to the speaking voice.

[0027] In the second sleep mode, the CPU 11 does not cause the robot 1 to perform any random actions or any action in response to a spoken voice, as in the first sleep mode. Furthermore, the CPU 11 does not cause the robot 1 to perform any action in response to a loud sound. As a result, in the second sleep mode in which the robot 1 is stored in the power supply device 80, the robot 1 appears to be in a deeper sleep than in the first sleep mode. On the other hand, when the CPU 11 detects that the robot 1 has been stroked in the second sleep mode, the CPU 11 causes the robot 1 to perform a reaction action and then operates in the second normal mode only for a predetermined temporary awakening time (one minute in this embodiment). After the temporary awakening time has elapsed, the CPU 11 returns the operation mode of the robot 1 to the second sleep mode. As a result, when the robot 1 is stored in the power supply device 80 and charging and the surroundings are dark, the robot 1 appears to wake up temporarily and then return to sleep even when stroked. In the first and second sleep modes, the robot 1 does not react to speaking voices (sounds with a volume within a reference range), so the robot 1 does not make unnatural movements in response to the rustling sounds caused by breathing.

[0028] Next, with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8, the movement control process executed by the CPU 11 to realize each movement in FIG. 5 will be described. The movement control process is started when the robot 1 is powered on and activated. Although not shown in FIG. 6, the CPU 11 causes the robot 1 to perform breathing at a predetermined frequency during the movement control process. Note that the CPU 11 may cause the robot 1 to perform breathing only when the robot 1 is stored in the power supply 80 and in the stored state. As shown in FIG. 6, when the movement control process is started, the CPU 11 determines whether the above-mentioned brightness condition is satisfied based on the illuminance detection result by the illuminance sensor 54 (step S101). If it is determined that the brightness condition is satisfied (i.e., the surroundings are bright) ("YES" in step S101), the CPU 11 executes the following steps S102 to S109 and S111 to operate the robot 1 in the first normal mode or the second normal mode. As will be described later, the first normal mode and the second normal mode differ from each other only in part of the sound response process in step S104. The CPU 11 determines whether or not an external stimulus has been detected based on the detection results of the touch sensor 51 and the microphone 55 (step S102). If it is determined that a stimulus has been detected ("YES" in step S102), the CPU 11 determines whether or not the stimulus is sound (step S103). If it is determined that the stimulus is sound ("YES" in step S103), the CPU 11 executes sound response processing (step S104).

[0029] 7, when the sound response process is started, the CPU 11 determines whether the volume of the detected sound is within a reference range (step S201). If it is determined that the volume is within the reference range ("YES" in step S201), the CPU 11 determines whether the robot 1 is in the storage state (i.e., whether the robot 1 is operating in the second normal mode) based on the state of the power supply unit 70 (step S202). If it is determined that the robot 1 is in the storage state ("YES" in step S202), the CPU 11 determines that the sound detected in step S103 is a rustling sound in accordance with the setting of the second operation mode, and does not cause the robot 1 to perform a reaction action to the sound (step S203). In other words, the CPU 11 does not transmit a control signal to operate the drive unit 40 and the sound output unit 30. On the other hand, when it is determined that the robot 1 is in the non-storage state ("NO" in step S202), the CPU 11 determines that the sound detected in step S103 is a speaking voice in accordance with the setting of the first operation mode, and causes the robot 1 to perform a happy reaction action. Here, the CPU 11 identifies the content of the happy reaction action by referring to the operation setting data 132, and transmits a control signal to the drive unit 40 and the sound output unit 30 to cause the robot 1 to perform the action. The first normal mode and the second normal mode differ only in that step S203 is executed in the first normal mode and step S204 is executed in the second normal mode, and the other processing is common to both modes.

[0030] On the other hand, if it is determined that the volume is larger than the reference range ("NO" in step S201), the CPU 11 causes the robot 1 to perform a startled reaction action (step S205). Here, the CPU 11 identifies the content of the startled reaction action by referring to the action setting data 132, and transmits a control signal for causing the robot 1 to perform the action to the driving unit 40 and the sound output unit 30. Step S205 is executed whether the robot 1 is in the stored state or the non-stored state. Therefore, the processing of step S205 corresponds to processing for causing the robot 1 to perform a reaction action in response to a stimulus when the robot 1 is in the stored state (second state) and a stimulus that does not satisfy a predetermined condition is detected. When any of steps S203 to S205 is completed, the CPU 11 ends the sound reaction processing and returns the processing to the action control processing of FIG. 6.

[0031] If the CPU 11 determines that the detected stimulus is not sound ("NO" in step S103) and that the stimulus is contact ("YES" in step S105), it causes the robot 1 to perform a predetermined reaction action in response to the contact (step S106). Here, the CPU 11 identifies the content of the reaction action in response to the contact by referring to the action setting data 132, and transmits a control signal to the drive unit 40 and the sound output unit 30 to cause the action to be performed. If the CPU 11 determines that the stimulus is not contact ("NO" in step S105), the CPU 11 does not cause the robot 1 to perform a reaction action and shifts the process to step S111.

[0032] If it is determined in step S102 that no stimulus has been detected ("NO" in step S102), the CPU 11 determines whether a predetermined sleep standby time has elapsed without any external stimulus (step S107). The sleep standby time may be, for example, about two hours. If it is determined that the sleep standby time has not elapsed ("NO" in step S107), the CPU 11 determines whether the execution condition for the whimsical action is met (step S108). For example, the CPU 11 determines that the execution condition for the whimsical condition is met when a state without any external stimulus continues for a predetermined time. In this case, the predetermined time is set shorter than the sleep standby time. If it is determined that the execution condition for the whimsical action is met ("YES" in step S108), the CPU 11 causes the robot 1 to perform a predetermined whimsical action (step S109). Here, the CPU 11 identifies the content of the whimsical action by referring to the action setting data 132, and transmits a control signal to the drive unit 40 and the sound output unit 30 to perform the action.

[0033] When it is determined in step S101 that the brightness condition is not satisfied (i.e., the surroundings are dark) ("NO" in step S101), or when it is determined in step S107 that the sleep standby time has elapsed ("YES" in step S107), the CPU 11 executes a sleep mode control process. As shown in FIG. 8, when the sleep mode control process starts, the CPU 11 determines whether the robot 1 is in the storage state (step S301). When it is determined that the robot 1 is in the storage state ("YES" in step S301), the CPU 11 executes steps S302 to S305 to operate the robot 1 in the second sleep mode. In the second sleep mode, the CPU 11 determines whether or not contact has been detected as an external stimulus (step S302). When it is determined that contact has not been detected ("NO" in step S302), the CPU 11 shifts the process to step S311 without causing the robot 1 to perform a reaction behavior. In this way, in the second sleep mode, the robot 1 does not react to stimuli other than contact. Therefore, the robot 1 does not react to any sound, including speaking voices. If it is determined that contact has been detected ("YES" in step S302), the CPU 11 executes steps S303 to S305 to cause the robot 1 to perform an action related to temporary awakening. That is, the CPU 11 causes the robot 1 to perform a predetermined reaction action in response to the contact (step S303). Thereafter, the CPU 11 determines whether or not the brightness condition is satisfied based on the illuminance detection result by the illuminance sensor 54 (step S304). If it is determined that the brightness condition is satisfied ("YES" in step S304), the CPU 11 terminates the sleep mode (step S312) and returns the process to the action control process of FIG. 6. If it is determined that the brightness condition is not satisfied ("NO" in step S304), the CPU 11 determines whether or not the temporary awakening time (here, one minute) has elapsed after the execution of the reaction action (step S305). If it is determined that the temporary wake-up time has not elapsed ("NO" in step S305), the CPU 11 returns the process to step S304. If it is determined that the temporary wake-up time has elapsed ("YES" in step S305), the CPU 11 returns the process to step S301 and continues the sleep mode control process.

[0034] If it is determined in step S301 that the robot 1 is in the non-storage state ("NO" in step S301), the CPU 11 executes steps S306 to S311 to operate the robot 1 in a first sleep mode. In the first sleep mode, the CPU 11 determines whether or not an external stimulus has been detected based on the detection results of the touch sensor 51 and the microphone 55 (step S306). If it determines that a stimulus has been detected ("YES" in step S306) and that the stimulus is contact ("YES" in step S307), the CPU 11 causes the robot 1 to perform a predetermined reaction action in response to the contact (step S308). If it determines that the stimulus is not contact ("NO" in step S307), the CPU 11 determines whether or not the stimulus is a loud sound (a sound with a volume higher than the reference range) (step S309). If the CPU 11 determines that the stimulus is a loud sound ("YES" in step S309), it causes the robot 1 to perform a startled reaction action (step S310). If the CPU 11 determines that the stimulus is not a loud sound ("NO" in step S309), it causes the robot 1 to perform no reaction action and shifts the process to step S311. Therefore, in the first sleep mode, the robot 1 does not react to a speaking voice. When step S308 or S310 is completed, this corresponds to a state in which the robot 1 has woken up in response to the stimulus, so the CPU 11 terminates the sleep mode (step S312) and returns the process to the movement control process of FIG. 6. On the other hand, when the process branches to "NO" in step S306 or S309, the CPU 11 determines whether or not the brightness condition is satisfied (step S311). If it determines that the brightness condition is not satisfied ("NO" in step S311), the CPU 11 returns the process to step S301 and continues the sleep mode control process. If it is determined that the brightness condition is met (YES in step S311), the CPU 11 ends the sleep mode (step S312) and returns the process to the operation control process of FIG.

[0035] 6, when any of steps S104, S106, S109, and S110 is completed, or when the process branches to "NO" in step S105 or step S108, the CPU 11 determines whether or not a user operation to terminate the operation of the robot 1 (for example, an operation to turn off the power) has been performed (step S111). If the CPU 11 determines that the operation has not been performed ("NO" in step S111), the process returns to step S101, and if the CPU 11 determines that the operation has been performed ("YES" in step S111), the process ends.

[0036] Next, a first modification of the above embodiment will be described. Differences from the above embodiment will be described below. In the above embodiment, when the CPU 11 detects a sound within a reference range in the second normal mode, the CPU 11 prevents the robot 1 from performing a reaction action, thereby suppressing the execution of an unnatural action in response to a rustling sound. In the first modification, in addition to (or instead of) controlling the action based on such a sound, the CPU 11 prevents the robot 1 from performing a reaction action when a contact as an external stimulus satisfies a predetermined condition in the second normal mode, thereby suppressing the execution of an unnatural action in response to contact with the power supply device 80. The predetermined condition related to contact can be satisfied, for example, when the strength of the contact detected by the touch sensor 51 is within a predetermined reference range. In this case, the reference range of the strength of the contact is set to include the strength of contact between the power supply device 80 and the side surface 1b of the robot 1 caused by the robot 1 performing a breathing action when the robot 1 is stored in the power supply device 80. In other words, the first intensity threshold, which is the upper limit of the reference range of contact intensity, is set to a value greater than the intensity of contact with the power supply device 80. In this embodiment, the second intensity threshold, which is the lower limit of the reference range of contact intensity, is set to 0. However, the second intensity threshold may be set to be greater than 0 so as not to react to contacts with an intensity less than the second intensity threshold. The reference range of contact intensity is set in advance and stored in the operation setting data 132. The first intensity threshold and the second intensity threshold may be changeable by a user operation.

[0037] In the first modification, instead of step S106 in the operation control process of Fig. 6, a contact reaction process shown in Fig. 9 is executed. When the contact reaction process is started, the CPU 11 determines whether the robot 1 is in the storage state based on the state of the power supply unit 70 (step S1061). If it is determined that the robot 1 is in the storage state ("YES" in step S1061), the CPU 11 determines whether the strength of the contact detected in step S105 of Fig. 6 is within a reference range based on the detection result of the touch sensor 51 (step S1062). If it is determined that the strength of the contact is within the reference range ("YES" in step S1062), the CPU 11 determines that the detected contact is contact with the power supply device 80 in accordance with the setting of the second operation mode, and does not cause the robot 1 to perform a reaction action in response to the contact (step S1063). On the other hand, if the CPU 11 determines that the robot 1 is in the non-storage state ("NO" in step S1061) or if the CPU 11 determines that the strength of the contact is greater than the reference range ("NO" in step S1062), the CPU 11 determines that the detected contact is not with the power supply device 80 and causes the robot 1 to perform a predetermined reaction action in response to the contact (step S1064). When step S1063 or S1064 ends, the CPU 11 ends the contact reaction process and proceeds to step S111 in FIG. 6. In FIG. 9, step S1064, which is executed after branching to "NO" in step S1061, corresponds to the process in the first normal mode, and steps S1062 to S1064, which are executed after branching to "YES" in step S1061, correspond to the process in the second normal mode.

[0038] Next, a second modification of the above embodiment will be described. Differences from the above embodiment will be described below. The rubbing sound caused by contact with the power supply device 80 occurs in synchronization with the breathing movement of the robot 1. Therefore, in the second normal mode, when a sound is detected in synchronization with the breathing movement, the CPU 11 of the second modification determines that the sound satisfies a predetermined condition and does not cause the robot to perform a reaction movement in response to the sound.

[0039] In Modification 2, the sound response process shown in FIG. 10 is executed instead of the sound response process shown in FIG. 7. When the sound response process of FIG. 10 starts, the CPU 11 determines whether the robot 1 is in the storage state based on the state of the power supply unit 70 (step S401). If it is determined that the robot 1 is in the storage state ("YES" in step S401), the CPU 11 determines whether the sound detected in step S103 of FIG. 6 was detected at a timing synchronized with the breathing of the robot 1 based on the sound detection result by the microphone 55 and the movement timing related to the breathing of the drive unit 40 (step S402). For example, if the microphone 55 detects sound within a predetermined time after transmitting a control signal related to the breathing to the drive unit 40, the CPU 11 determines that the sound was detected at a timing synchronized with the breathing. The predetermined time may be approximately the duration of one breathing. If it is determined that sound has been detected at a timing synchronized with breathing ("YES" in step S402), the CPU 11 determines that the detected sound is a rubbing sound caused by contact with the power supply device 80 in accordance with the setting of the second operating mode, and does not perform any reaction action to the detected sound (step S403).

[0040] On the other hand, if it is determined that the robot 1 is in the non-storage state ("NO" in step S401), or if it is determined that the detected sound is not synchronized with breathing ("NO" in step S402), the CPU 11 determines that the detected sound is not a rustling sound caused by contact with the power supply device 80 (step S404). The CPU 11 determines whether the volume of the detected sound is within a reference range (step S405). If it is determined that the volume is within the reference range ("YES" in step S405), the CPU 11 determines that the sound is a speaking voice and causes the robot 1 to perform a happy reaction action (step S406). If it is determined that the volume is higher than the reference range ("NO" in step S405), the CPU 11 determines that the sound is a loud sound and causes the robot 1 to perform a surprised reaction action (step S407). When any of steps S403, S406, and S407 is completed, the CPU 11 ends the sound reaction process and returns the process to the movement control process of FIG. 6. 10, steps S404 to S407 executed after branching to "NO" in step S401 correspond to the processing in the first normal mode, and steps S402 to S407 executed after branching to "YES" in step S401 correspond to the processing in the second normal mode. Note that step S401 in Fig. 10 may be omitted, and whether or not to perform a reaction action may be determined simply based on the determination result of whether or not a sound synchronized with a breathing action has been detected (step S402).

[0041] Next, Modification 3 of the above embodiment will be described. Differences from the above embodiment will be described below. Modification 3 may be combined with Modification 2. Contact with the power supply device 80 in the stored state occurs at a timing synchronized with the breathing movement of the robot 1. Therefore, when contact is detected at a timing synchronized with the breathing movement in the second normal mode, the CPU 11 of Modification 3 determines that the contact satisfies a predetermined condition and does not cause the robot to perform a reaction movement in response to the contact.

[0042] In Modification 3, a contact reaction process shown in FIG. 11 is executed instead of step S106 in the motion control process of FIG. 6. The contact reaction process of FIG. 11 corresponds to the contact reaction process of Modification 1 shown in FIG. 9, in which step S1062 is replaced with step S1062a. Differences from FIG. 9 will be described below. In the contact reaction process of FIG. 11, when the CPU 11 determines that the robot 1 is in the storage state (step S1061: YES), the CPU 11 determines whether the contact detected in step S105 of FIG. 6 was detected at a timing synchronized with the breathing movement of the robot 1, based on the contact detection result by the touch sensor 51 and the movement timing related to the breathing movement of the drive unit 40 (step S1062a). For example, when the touch sensor 51 detects contact within a predetermined time after transmitting a control signal related to the breathing movement to the drive unit 40, the CPU 11 determines that the contact was detected at a timing synchronized with the breathing movement. The predetermined time may be approximately the duration of one breathing movement. If it is determined that contact has been detected at a timing synchronized with breathing ("YES" in step S1062a), the CPU 11 determines that the detected contact is contact with the power supply device 80 in accordance with the setting of the second operation mode, and does not cause the robot 1 to perform a reaction action in response to the contact (step S1063). On the other hand, if it is determined that the contact is not synchronized with breathing ("NO" in step S1062a), the CPU 11 determines that the detected contact is not contact with the power supply device 80, and causes the robot 1 to perform a predetermined reaction action in response to the contact (step S1064). Note that step S1061 in FIG. 11 may be omitted, and whether or not to perform a reaction action may be determined simply based on the determination result of whether or not contact synchronized with breathing has been detected (step S1062a).

[0043] Next, a fourth modification of the above embodiment will be described. Differences from the above embodiment will be described below. In the second normal mode, the CPU 11 of the fourth modification reduces the sensitivity of the microphone 55 to a predetermined first sensitivity so that the microphone 55 does not detect a rubbing sound between the robot 1 and the power supply device 80, which is caused by the robot 1's breathing. The first sensitivity is set within a sensitivity range in which the rubbing sound is not detected (i.e., within a sensitivity range in which sounds with a volume within a reference range are not detected), and is preferably set as high as possible within this sensitivity range. Furthermore, in the second normal mode, the CPU 11 of the fourth modification reduces the sensitivity of the touch sensor 51 to a predetermined second sensitivity so that the touch sensor 51 does not detect contact with the power supply device 80, which is caused by the robot 1's breathing. The second sensitivity is set within a sensitivity range in which contact with the power supply device 80 is not detected (i.e., within a sensitivity range in which contact with a strength within a reference range is not detected), and is preferably set as high as possible within this sensitivity range. In the second normal mode, both the operation of reducing the sensitivity of the microphone 55 to the first sensitivity and the operation of reducing the sensitivity of the touch sensor 51 to the second sensitivity may be performed, or only one of them may be performed.

[0044] In Modification 4, the movement control process shown in Fig. 12 is executed instead of the movement control process of Fig. 6. The movement control process of Fig. 12 is obtained by replacing steps S102 to S106 of the movement control process of Fig. 6 with steps S502 to S505, and steps S501, S507 to S511 of Fig. 12 are the same as steps S101, S107 to S111 of Fig. 6. Differences from Fig. 6 will be described below. In the movement control process of Fig. 12, when it is determined that the brightness condition is satisfied ("YES" in step S501), the CPU 11 determines whether the robot 1 is in the stored state (step S502). If it is determined that the robot 1 is in the stored state ("YES" in step S502), the CPU 11 executes a process of reducing the sensitivity of the microphone 55 to a first sensitivity and / or a process of reducing the sensitivity of the touch sensor 51 to a second sensitivity by transmitting a control signal to the microphone 55 and / or the touch sensor 51 (step S503). If step S503 is completed or if it is determined that the robot 1 is in the non-stored state ("NO" in step S502), the CPU 11 determines whether or not an external stimulus has been detected based on the detection results of the touch sensor 51 and the microphone 55 (step S504). If it is determined that an external stimulus has been detected ("YES" in step S504), the CPU 11 causes the robot 1 to perform a reaction action in response to the stimulus (step S505). When the sensitivity of microphone 55 is reduced to the first sensitivity in step S503, only sounds that are louder than the rubbing sound with power feeder 80 caused by breathing are detected by microphone 55, and therefore, no unnatural movement is made in response to the rubbing sound in step S505. Also, when the sensitivity of touch sensor 51 is reduced to the second sensitivity in step S503, only contacts that are stronger than contact with power feeder 80 caused by breathing are detected by touch sensor 51, and therefore, no unnatural movement is made in response to contact with power feeder 80 in step S505.

[0045] As described above, the robot control device 10 according to this embodiment includes a CPU 11 that controls the robot 1, and the robot 1 includes a touch sensor 51 and a microphone 55 that detect external stimuli. The CPU 11 determines the state of the robot 1 using a predetermined method. When the robot 1 is in a non-storage state (a predetermined state) and a stimulus is detected by the touch sensor 51 or the microphone 55, the CPU 11 causes the robot 1 to perform a reaction action in response to the stimulus. When the robot 1 is in a storage state (not in the predetermined state) and a stimulus that satisfies a predetermined condition is detected by the sensor, the CPU 11 does not cause the robot 1 to perform a reaction action in response to the stimulus. This allows the robot 1 to perform a certain reaction action in response to a stimulus in the non-storage state, while preventing the robot 1 from performing the reaction action that appears unnatural in the storage state. This prevents the robot 1 from performing unnatural actions and allows the robot 1 to perform natural actions appropriate to the situation.

[0046] Furthermore, when the intensity of the stimulus is within a predetermined reference range, the CPU 11 determines that the stimulus satisfies the predetermined condition. This prevents the robot 1 from reacting to a stimulus of an intensity that would be unnatural if the robot 1 reacted in the stored state.

[0047] Furthermore, when the stimulus is sound, the reference range is a reference range for the volume of the sound, and the reference range is set to include the volume when the sound is a user speaking to the robot 1. This makes it possible to prevent the robot 1 from reacting to a sound with a volume similar to that of a user speaking to the robot 1 in the stored state.

[0048] Furthermore, when the robot 1 is in the stored state and a stimulus that does not satisfy a predetermined condition is detected by the sensor, the CPU 11 causes the robot 1 to perform a reaction action in response to the stimulus. This makes it possible to set an action, such as a reaction when firmly stroked, even in the stored state where reaction action is suppressed, and to make the robot 1 behave like a living thing.

[0049] Furthermore, the CPU 11 determines that the robot 1 is in a non-storage state (predetermined state) when the robot 1 is outside the predetermined power supply device 80, and determines that the robot 1 is in a storage state (not in a predetermined state) when the robot 1 is stored in the power supply device 80. By suppressing the reactive behavior in the storage state, the robot 1 can be made to behave like a living creature, such as "sleeping or resting in the storage state."

[0050] Furthermore, the power supply device 80 has a shape that allows it to come into contact with at least a part of the robot 1 (for example, the side surface 1b) when the robot 1 is stored. In this case, it is possible to prevent the robot 1 from making an unnatural reaction to a stimulus caused by the robot 1 coming into contact with the power supply device 80 in the stored state. Furthermore, by using the power supply device 80 as a storage container, it is possible to prevent the robot 1 from making an unnatural reaction to a stimulus received while the battery 71 is being charged.

[0051] Furthermore, when the stimulus is sound, the CPU 11 determines that the sound satisfies a predetermined condition if the volume of the sound is within a predetermined reference range, and causes the robot 1 to perform breathing as a spontaneous action different from a reactive action in the stored state, the reference range being set so as to include the volume of the sound caused by contact between the power feeder 80 and the robot 1 when the robot 1 performs breathing in the stored state. This prevents the robot 1 from performing an unnatural reactive action even if a rubbing sound with the power feeder 80 caused by breathing is detected.

[0052] In addition, in Modification 2, the CPU 11 determines that a sound satisfies a predetermined condition when the sound is detected at a timing synchronized with breathing. This allows accurate determination of whether the sound is a rubbing sound with the power feeder 80 caused by breathing, thereby appropriately suppressing unnatural reaction movements by the robot 1. Furthermore, the robot 1 can be made to react to sounds other than rubbing sounds.

[0053] In addition, in the first modification, when the intensity of the contact is within a predetermined reference range, the CPU 11 determines that the contact satisfies a predetermined condition and causes the robot 1 to perform a breathing action in the stored state, and the reference range is set to include the intensity of the contact between the power supply device 80 and the robot 1 caused by the robot 1 performing a breathing action in the stored state. This prevents the robot 1 from performing an unnatural reaction action even when contact with the power supply device 80 caused by a breathing action is detected.

[0054] Furthermore, in Modification 3, when contact is detected at a timing synchronized with breathing, the CPU 11 determines that the contact satisfies a predetermined condition. This allows accurate determination of whether or not contact with the power supply device 80 is caused by breathing, thereby appropriately suppressing unnatural reaction movements by the robot 1. Furthermore, the robot 1 can be made to perform a reaction movement to contacts other than contact with the power supply device 80.

[0055] Furthermore, by making the robot 1 perform breathing movements that mimic breathing as a spontaneous movement, the robot 1 can be made to behave like a living creature.

[0056] The robot 1 according to this embodiment includes the robot control device 10, the touch sensor 51, and the microphone 55. This allows the robot 1 to perform natural movements suited to the situation. The control method for the robot 1 according to this embodiment or the CPU 11 executing processing according to the program 131 according to this embodiment prevents the robot 1 from performing unnatural movements, allowing the robot 1 to perform natural movements suited to the situation.

[0057] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and various modifications are possible. For example, in the above-described embodiment, a sound having a volume within a standard range and a contact having an intensity within a standard range are exemplified as stimuli satisfying the predetermined condition, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, if the audio data detected by the microphone 55 is determined to be a human voice through a predetermined voice recognition process, the sound associated with the audio data may be determined to satisfy the predetermined condition. Alternatively, conversely, if the audio data detected by the microphone 55 is determined to not be a human voice through a predetermined voice recognition process, the sound associated with the audio data may be determined to satisfy the predetermined condition. In the latter case, in the second normal mode, the robot 1 may be made to respond to the user's speaking voice and not to respond to sounds other than the speaking voice.

[0058] Furthermore, although breathing is exemplified as a spontaneous movement in the stored state, the spontaneous movement is not limited to this, and may be other movements that imitate the robot 1 sleeping or resting.

[0059] Furthermore, although the non-storage state has been exemplified as the predetermined state and the storage state as the state other than the predetermined state, the present invention is not limited thereto, and any state of the robot 1 may be set as the predetermined state. This makes it possible to prevent the robot 1 from performing a reaction action that is inappropriate for a state in which the robot 1 is not in the predetermined state. For example, instead of the storage state, the robot 1 may be set in a state in which the user is holding the robot 1 (a holding state), and if contact between the user's clothes and the exterior 200 (fur) of the robot 1 is detected in this holding state, the robot 1 may be controlled not to perform a reaction action in the same manner as in the above embodiment.

[0060] Furthermore, emotion parameters relating to the emotions of the robot 1, personality parameters relating to the personality, or growth parameters relating to the growth of the robot 1 may be stored in the storage unit 13 and successively updated, and the robot 1 may be operated according to the values ​​of these emotion parameters, personality parameters, or growth parameters. For example, the method described in JP 2022-142107 A may be used to control the operation of the robot 1 according to each parameter.

[0061] Furthermore, the configuration of the robot 1 is not limited to the examples shown in Figures 1 to 3. For example, the robot may be a robot that imitates a real creature such as a person, animal, bird, or fish, a robot that imitates a non-existent creature such as a dinosaur, or a robot that imitates a fictional creature.

[0062] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the robot control device 10 that controls the robot 1 is provided inside the robot 1, but this is not limiting, and the robot 1 may operate under the control of a robot control device provided external to the robot 1. The external robot control device may be, for example, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a laptop PC. In this case, the robot 1 operates in accordance with a control signal received from the external robot control device via the communication unit 60. The external robot control device performs the functions that were performed by the robot control device 10 in the above embodiment.

[0063] In the above description, an example has been disclosed in which a flash memory in the storage unit 13 is used as a computer-readable medium for the program according to the present invention, but this is not limiting. Other computer-readable media may include information recording media such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), and a CD-ROM. Furthermore, a carrier wave may also be used as a medium for providing data for the program according to the present invention via a communication line.

[0064] Furthermore, it goes without saying that the detailed configuration and detailed operation of each component of the robot 1 in the above embodiment can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0065] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 1...Robot, 10...Robot control device, 11...CPU (control unit, control means), 51...Touch sensor (sensor), 55...Microphone (sensor), 80...Power supply device (storage unit)

Claims

1. A robot control device for controlling a robot equipped with a sensor that detects external stimuli, determining the state of the robot using a predetermined method; When the robot is in a predetermined state and the stimulus is detected by the sensor, the robot is caused to perform a reaction action in response to the stimulus; When the robot is not in the predetermined state and when the stimulus satisfying a predetermined condition is detected by the sensor, the robot is not caused to perform the reaction action in response to the stimulus. A robot control device having a control unit.

2. the control unit determines that the stimulus satisfies the predetermined condition when the intensity of the stimulus is within a predetermined reference range. The robot control device according to claim 1 .

3. the stimulus is a sound; the reference range is a reference range of the volume of the sound, the reference range is determined so as to include a volume of the sound when the sound is a speech of the user to the robot; The robot control device according to claim 2 .

4. the control unit, when the robot is not in the predetermined state and when the sensor detects the stimulus that does not satisfy the predetermined condition, causes the robot to perform the reaction action in response to the stimulus; The robot control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The control unit When the robot is outside a predetermined storage unit, the robot is determined to be in the predetermined state; When the robot is stored in the storage unit, it is determined that the robot is not in the predetermined state. The robot control device according to claim 1 .

6. the storage section has a shape that can come into contact with at least a part of the robot when the robot is stored; The robot control device according to claim 5 .

7. the storage unit is a power supply device for charging a battery provided in the robot, The robot control device according to claim 5 .

8. the stimulus is a sound; The control unit If the volume of the sound is within a predetermined reference range, the sound is determined to satisfy the predetermined condition; When the robot is not in the predetermined state, the robot is caused to perform a spontaneous action different from the reactive action; the reference range is determined so as to include the volume of the sound generated by contact between the storage unit and the robot when the robot performs the spontaneous movement when the robot is not in the predetermined state. The robot control device according to claim 6.

9. the stimulus is a sound; The control unit When the robot is not in the predetermined state, the robot is caused to perform a spontaneous action different from the reactive action; When the sound is detected at a timing synchronized with the spontaneous movement, it is determined that the sound satisfies the predetermined condition. The robot control device according to claim 6.

10. the stimulus is contact with the robot; The control unit If the intensity of the contact is within a predetermined reference range, it is determined that the contact satisfies the predetermined condition; When the robot is not in the predetermined state, the robot is caused to perform a spontaneous action different from the reactive action; the reference range is determined to include the strength of contact between the storage unit and the robot when the robot performs the spontaneous movement when the predetermined state is not being maintained. The robot control device according to claim 6.

11. the stimulus is contact with the robot; The control unit When the robot is not in the predetermined state, the robot is caused to perform a spontaneous action different from the reactive action; When the contact is detected at a timing synchronized with the spontaneous movement, it is determined that the contact satisfies the predetermined condition. The robot control device according to claim 6.

12. The spontaneous movement is a breathing movement that mimics breathing. The robot control device according to any one of claims 8 to 11.

13. The robot control device according to claim 1 ; the sensor; A robot equipped with:

14. A computer-implemented method for controlling a robot equipped with a sensor that detects external stimuli, comprising: determining the state of the robot using a predetermined method; When the robot is in a predetermined state and the stimulus is detected by the sensor, the robot is caused to perform a reaction action in response to the stimulus; When the robot is not in the predetermined state and when the stimulus satisfying a predetermined condition is detected by the sensor, the robot is not caused to perform the reaction action in response to the stimulus. How to control a robot.

15. A computer of a robot control device that controls a robot equipped with a sensor for detecting external stimuli is made to function as a control means; The control means determining the state of the robot using a predetermined method; When the robot is in a predetermined state and the stimulus is detected by the sensor, the robot is caused to perform a reaction action in response to the stimulus; When the robot is not in the predetermined state and when the stimulus satisfying a predetermined condition is detected by the sensor, the robot is not caused to perform the reaction action in response to the stimulus. program.

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