Robot, robot control method, and program

Abstract

To express emotions that are more lifelike. [Solution] The robot 100 is equipped with a control unit 110 that acquires external information using sensors, acquires the internal state of the robot body, sets a third emotion determined based on a first emotion or a first emotion change degree determined based on the external information and a second emotion or a second emotion change degree determined based on the internal state, as a simulated emotion of the robot 100, and controls the operation of the robot 100 based on the set simulated emotion.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, robots that mimic living organisms such as pets have been developed. Among the robots that mimic living organisms, some have a function of changing pseudo-emotions based on information input from the outside. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a robot device that changes pseudo-appetite based on the remaining battery level.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The robot device disclosed in Patent Document 1 also incorporates a mechanism in which appetite and emotions influence each other, such as being more prone to anger when hungry. However, in such conventional technologies, it is possible to make it easier to show the emotion of "anger" when the remaining battery level decreases, but the combination of emotions based on information input from the outside and emotions based on the remaining battery level has not been considered, and the expression of being lifelike may be impaired.

[0005] Therefore, in view of such circumstances, the present invention has been made, and an object thereof is to provide a robot, a robot control method, and a program that can express more lifelike emotions.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the robot according to the present invention is External information is acquired by the sensor. The internal state of the robot body is obtained, A third emotion is set as the robot's simulated emotion, based on a first emotion or a first degree of emotion change determined based on the external information, and a second emotion or a second degree of emotion change determined based on the internal state. The robot's actions are controlled based on pre-set simulated emotions. It is equipped with a control unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to express emotions that are more lifelike. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This figure shows the external appearance of the robot according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a robot according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of how the robot's eyes, according to the embodiment, express the emotion "happy." [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of how the robot's eyes, according to the embodiment, express the emotion of "weakened happiness." [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of how the robot's eyes, according to this embodiment, express emotion as "expressionless." [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of how the robot's eyes, according to the embodiment, express the emotion of "sadness (pien)." [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of how the robot's eyes, according to the embodiment, express the emotion of "sadness." [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of how the robot's eyes, according to the embodiment, express the emotion of "sadness (disgust)." [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of how the robot's eyes, according to the embodiment, express the emotion of "sadness (fear)." [Figure 10]This figure shows an example of how the robot's eyes, according to this embodiment, express the emotion of "reduced anxiety." [Figure 11] This figure shows an example of how the robot's eyes, according to this embodiment, express the emotion of "anxiety." [Figure 12] This is a flowchart showing the flow of emotion expression processing in the robot according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] This figure shows an example of an emotion table stored by the robot according to this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

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

[0010] As shown in Figure 1, the robot 100 according to this embodiment is a cute-looking pet robot that changes its simulated emotions in response to the surrounding environment detected by various sensors, and expresses these simulated emotions to the user through facial expressions (for example, by changing the design of the eyes 151 and mouth 152) and body movements (for example, by moving the legs 153). As shown in Figure 2, the robot 100 includes, in terms of its functional configuration, a control unit 110, a storage unit 120, an external information detection unit 130, an internal state detection unit 140, an emotion expression unit 150, an operation input unit 160, and a communication unit 170.

[0011] The control unit 110 is composed of, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and executes emotional expression processing and other operations described later using a program stored in the memory unit 120. The control unit 110 supports multithreading functionality, which allows multiple processes to be executed in parallel, enabling various processes (for example, emotional expression processing and other processes necessary for the operation of the robot 100) to be executed concurrently. The control unit 110 also has a clock function and a timer function, which allows it to measure the date and time. The storage unit 120 is composed of a ROM (Read Only Memory), a flash memory, a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. In the ROM, programs executed by the CPU of the control unit 110 and data necessary in advance for executing the programs are stored. The flash memory is a writable non-volatile memory, and stores data that needs to be saved even after the power is turned off. In the RAM, data created or changed during program execution is stored. The storage unit 120 stores, for example, the expressions of the eyes 151 and the movements of the feet 153 corresponding to each emotion.

[0012] The external information detection unit 130 includes various sensors and detects information outside the robot 100. Specifically, as various sensors, the external information detection unit 130 includes, for example, a tactile sensor that detects being touched or tapped, a temperature sensor that detects temperature, an image sensor that acquires images, a microphone that acquires sounds, an illuminance sensor that detects illuminance, an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration, a gyro sensor that detects angular velocity, a clock that acquires time, etc. The control unit 110 acquires sensor information (external information) detected by the various sensors included in the external information detection unit 130. Thereby, it becomes possible to set various emotions based on various external information. Note that the external information detection unit 130 may include sensors other than the above-described various sensors. By increasing the types of sensors included in the external information detection unit 130, the types of external information that can be acquired by the control unit 110 can be increased. Also, information sent from other devices via the communication unit 170 may be treated as external information.

[0013] The internal state detection unit 140 includes a battery level detection device, a self-diagnostic circuit, etc., and detects the internal state of the robot 100, including determination information such as the battery level, whether the battery is charging or not, whether there are communication errors, whether there is a memory failure, and whether there are failures of various sensors. For example, if the internal state detection unit 140 does not receive a response from the communication partner or if an error is detected in the communication data, it determines that a communication error has occurred and detects an internal state that includes determination information indicating a communication error. The internal state detection unit 140 also executes, for example, a memory check program (a program that writes test data to an address to be used and then checks whether the test data can be read from that address), and if an error (the written value and the read value are different) is detected, it determines that the memory is faulty and detects an internal state that includes determination information indicating a memory failure. Furthermore, if, for example, the self-diagnostic circuit detects a failure in a certain sensor, the internal state detection unit 140 determines that the sensor is faulty and detects an internal state that includes determination information indicating a sensor failure. The internal state is considered normal if the judgment information includes conditions such as "battery level exceeds the first threshold (e.g., 50%)", "no errors", and "no malfunctions". Conversely, the internal state is considered problematic if the judgment information includes conditions such as "battery level is below the second threshold (e.g., 20%)", "there are errors", or "there are malfunctions".

[0014] The emotion expression unit 150 includes a display for displaying eyes 151, and expresses the pseudo-emotions of the robot 100. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 1, a display exists inside the face of the robot 100, a hole is made in a portion corresponding to the position of the eyes 151, and the eyes 151 (e.g., the shape of the pupils, etc.) displayed on the display can be visually recognized by the user. Note that expressing emotions by displaying the eyes 151 on the display of the emotion expression unit 150 like this is only an example of the emotion expression unit 150. For example, the display of the emotion expression unit 150 may not only display the eyes 151, but also draw the entire face to express the pseudo-emotions of the robot 100. Further, the emotion expression unit 150 may include a speaker for outputting the cry of the robot 100, so that the pseudo-emotions of the robot 100 can be expressed by the cry. Further, the emotion expression unit 150 may include a motor for moving the legs 153, so that the pseudo-emotions of the robot 100 can be expressed by the movement of the legs 153. Also, although the robot 100 shown in FIG. 1 does not have hands or a tail, the robot 100 may have not only the legs 153 but also other parts (hands, tail, etc.), and may be able to express pseudo-emotions by moving various parts of these bodies. In this way, in the emotion expression unit 150, based on the expression of the eyes 151, the cry, the movement of the body, etc. of the robot 100, pseudo-emotions can be expressed in a manner full of a sense of living things. The operation input unit 160 is, for example, an interface for receiving user operations such as turning on / off the power, adjusting the volume of the output sound, etc. The communication unit 170 includes a communication module corresponding to a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) or the like, and performs data communication with an external device such as a smartphone. Examples of the content of the data communication include receiving a remaining amount notification request for displaying the battery remaining amount of the robot 100 on a smartphone or the like, and transmitting information on the battery remaining amount. Also, the communication unit 170 is used when the robot 100 is communicatively connected to a self-diagnosis tool to perform failure detection or the like of the robot 100.

[0015] The functional configuration of the robot 100 has been described above. Pseudo-emotions are models that mimic human emotions, and generally, models that represent human emotions include, for example, Plutchik's Wheel of Emotions. This emotion model consists of eight basic emotions (joy, trust, fear, surprise, sadness, disgust, anger, and anticipation) and mixed emotions that arise when two basic emotions combine. Related basic emotions are arranged in a ring so that they are adjacent to each other, and emotions are represented by their position on an emotion map, where the intensity of the emotion is represented by its distance from the center. This emotion model is just one example, and for example, a continuous range of emotions may be represented using an emotion map consisting of two-dimensional coordinates, as described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2024-82536. When setting emotions represented on such an emotion map based on multiple emotion-setting factors such as external information and internal states, a new emotion may be set corresponding to an intermediate position between a position on the emotion map determined by one emotion-setting factor and a position on the emotion map determined by another emotion-setting factor. Alternatively, a new emotion may be set by changing the position on the emotion map determined by one emotion-setting factor by a distance and direction corresponding to the degree of emotion change determined by another emotion-setting factor. Furthermore, a new emotion may be set by changing the current emotion by a distance and direction corresponding to the degree of emotion change determined by one emotion-setting factor, and by changing it by a distance and direction corresponding to the degree of emotion change determined by another emotion-setting factor. In this way, emotions set based on multiple emotion-setting factors such as external information and internal states can be made to be more lifelike. The degree of emotion change is also called the degree of emotion change. While such emotion setting processes may be determined on a case-by-case basis based on the emotion map described above, they may also be performed by referring to an emotion table that stores emotions determined in advance based on the emotion map, corresponding to combinations of external information and internal states. Furthermore, if the priorities of one emotion-setting factor and another emotion-setting factor differ, a new emotion may be set corresponding to the position of a division point (internal division point) on the line connecting the position on the emotion map determined based on one emotion-setting factor and the position on the emotion map determined based on the other emotion-setting factor, according to their priorities. Additionally, the degree of emotion change may be increased or decreased according to the priorities. The robot 100 changes its simulated emotions based on external information detected by the external information detection unit 130. How the robot 100 changes its simulated emotions is arbitrary, but for example, as described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2024-82536, the control unit 110 can change its simulated emotions based on external stimuli (detectable by the external information detection unit 130). In this case, the control unit 110 may determine the degree of emotion change based on the external stimuli and change the emotions using the degree of emotion change determined based on the external stimuli. Furthermore, the robot 100 changes its simulated emotions not only based on external information but also on internal states such as battery level, errors, and malfunctions. For example, when the battery level runs low, the simulated emotion changes to sadness. In this case, as with external information, the degree of emotion change may be determined based on the internal state, and the emotion may be changed using the degree of emotion change determined based on the internal state.

[0016] The control unit 110 of robot 100 mediates between emotional changes based on external information and emotional changes based on internal state when these conflict, and expresses an appropriate emotion. For example, if there are no problems with the internal state, the control unit 110 basically expresses emotions based on external information. However, if a problem occurs in the internal state, the control unit 110 increases the priority of emotions based on the internal state according to the degree of danger in the internal state. For example, if the internal state is such that the battery level exceeds 50% and there are no other errors or malfunctions, emotional changes based on the internal state are not used, and only emotional changes based on external information are used. Conversely, if a danger is detected that would render robot 100 inoperable, such as when the battery level falls below 5% or a memory failure is detected, emotional changes based on external information are not used, and only emotional changes based on the internal state are used. This allows robot 100 to express lifelike emotions based on external information during normal times (when there are no problems with the internal state), and to inform the user of an abnormal situation with robot 100 without losing its lifelike quality during emergencies (when a problem occurs in the internal state) by expressing lifelike emotions based on the internal state.

[0017] The robot 100 then changes the design of its eyes 151 (shape and size of the eyes 151, shape, shine, size and position of the pupils, presence or absence of tears, presence or absence of eyelashes, state of the eyelids, etc.) using the emotion expression unit 150 to express simulated emotions. How the design of the eyes 151 is changed according to the simulated emotion is arbitrary, but an example is shown in Figures 3 to 12. In this example, each of the nine types of simulated emotions is expressed by changing the design of the eyes 151, but the method of expressing simulated emotions is not limited to this. For example, instead of changing the design of the eyes 151, or in addition to changing the design of the eyes 151, the design of the mouth 152 (shape, size, position, etc. of the mouth 152) may be changed. Furthermore, emotions may be expressed not only by changing these facial expressions, but also by the type of sound output from the speaker, or by moving other parts of the robot 100 (e.g., legs 153).

[0018] Next, the emotion expression processing performed by the control unit 110 of the robot 100 will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in Figure 12. Emotion expression processing is the process by which the robot 100 sets a simulated emotion based on external information (sensor information) from the external information detection unit 130 and internal state (battery level, error and failure judgment information) from the internal state detection unit 140. When the user turns on the power to the robot 100, the emotion expression processing starts.

[0019] First, the control unit 110 acquires various sensor information detected by the various sensors provided by the external information detection unit 130 (step S101). Then, the control unit 110 sets a first emotion based on the acquired sensor information (step S102). For example, if the tactile sensor detects that the robot 100's head is being stroked by a user, the control unit 110 sets the emotion "happy" as the first emotion (an emotion determined based on external information). As mentioned above, when setting the first emotion, the control unit 110 may also determine a first emotion change degree based on the acquired sensor information and set the first emotion based on the determined first emotion change degree. Next, the control unit 110 acquires the internal state detected by the internal state detection unit 140 (step S103). Then, based on the information of whether or not the battery is being charged among the acquired internal states, the control unit 110 determines whether or not the battery is being charged (step S104).

[0020] If the battery is not charging (step S104; No), the control unit 110 sets a second emotion based on the acquired internal state (step S105). For example, if the internal state is determined to be 50% or less, the control unit 110 sets the emotion to "sad" as the second emotion (an emotion determined based on the internal state) (it may also set different levels of the emotion "sad" depending on the battery level (e.g., "sadness (pien)", "sadness", "sadness (disgust)", "sadness (fear)", etc.)). Then, the process proceeds to step S107. If the battery is charging (step S104; Yes), the control unit 110 sets a second emotion based on the acquired internal state, taking into account that the battery is charging (step S106). For example, for a predetermined time (e.g., 2 seconds) after the start of battery charging, the emotion "happy" is set as the second emotion, and thereafter an emotion corresponding to the battery level is set (e.g., "happy" if the battery level is above 50%, "sad" if it is below 50%, etc.). Then, the process proceeds to step S107. In addition, in steps S105 and S106, when setting the second emotion, the control unit 110 may determine the degree of change of the second emotion based on the acquired internal state, and set the second emotion based on the determined degree of change of the second emotion.

[0021] In step S107, the control unit 110 sets a third emotion based on the set first and second emotions according to the battery level. For example, if the internal state is a first state (for example, the battery level exceeds a first threshold (e.g., 50%)), the control unit 110 ignores the second emotion and sets the first emotion as the third emotion. Also, if the internal state is a second state (for example, the battery level is below a second threshold (e.g., 20%)), the control unit 110 ignores the first emotion and sets the second emotion as the third emotion. Also, if the internal state is a third state (for example, the battery level is below a first threshold and above a second threshold), the control unit 110 determines the priority of external information and internal state based on the internal state (e.g., battery level), and sets the third emotion according to the external information (first emotion), internal state (second emotion), and the determined priority. For example, the control unit 110 sets a third emotion, which is a composite emotion based on a ratio corresponding to the battery level. The method for compositing emotions based on a ratio corresponding to the battery level is arbitrary, but for example, the third emotion may be set based on an emotion table as shown in Figure 13, thereby compositing emotions based on a ratio corresponding to the battery level. The emotion table shown in Figure 13 defines a third emotion that is set based on the first emotion and the battery level when the internal state detection unit 140 detects an internal state without errors or malfunctions and when the battery is not being charged. Note that when setting the third emotion in step S107, the control unit 110 may use the first emotion change rate instead of the first emotion, or use the second emotion change rate instead of the second emotion. That is, in step S107, the control unit 110 may set the third emotion based on the first emotion or first emotion change rate determined based on external information, and the second emotion or second emotion change rate determined based on the internal state. Then, the control unit 110 controls the emotion expression unit 150 to express the third emotion (step S108). For example, if the third emotion is "happy," the control unit 110 controls the emotion expression unit 150 to display the eyes 151 as shown in Figure 3. Then, the process returns to step S101.

[0022] Through the emotion expression processing described above, the robot 100 sets pseudo-emotions based on both external information and internal state, thereby enabling it to express more lifelike emotions. Furthermore, the control unit 110 determines the priority of external information and internal state based on the internal state, and sets the robot 100's simulated emotions according to the external information, internal state, and determined priority. Therefore, based on the internal state, for example, if the robot 100 is in a dangerous state, the control unit 110 can express an emotion that warns of danger by increasing the priority of the internal state to indicate the degree of danger, thereby informing the user that the robot 100 is in a dangerous state without losing its lifelike quality. Furthermore, the control unit 110 sets a simulated emotion for the robot 100 using external information if the internal state is in the first state (all judgment information is fine), and sets a simulated emotion for the robot 100 using the internal state if the internal state is in the second state (at least one of the judgment information is problematic). Therefore, when the internal state is safe (first state) or dangerous (second state), the first emotion based on external information or the second emotion based on the internal state can be used as the third emotion, thus streamlining the process. Furthermore, if the internal state is neither the first nor the second state, but a third state (for example, a state where it cannot be determined from the judgment information whether there is a problem or not), the control unit 110 sets a pseudo-emotion of the robot 100 using both external information and the internal state, so that an appropriate emotion can be set based on more information.

[0023] Furthermore, if the internal state acquired in step S103 includes a serious malfunction (for example, a memory failure that could prevent the robot 100 from starting), the control unit 110 may, instead of proceeding to step S104, set an emotion indicating a near-death state (for example, rolling back the eyes) as the third emotion and proceed to step S108. In this case, the first emotion based on external information will be ignored. In this way, by expressing that the robot 100 is in a near-death state, the user can be informed that the robot 100 is in a very dangerous state without losing its sense of being alive. Furthermore, if the internal state detection unit 140 detects other malfunctions (for example, an abnormality in the tactile sensor) that are not considered major malfunctions, the third emotion may be modified after step S107 based on that malfunction. For example, if an abnormality in the tactile sensor is detected (even if the third emotion was set to an emotion other than "anxiety" (for example, "happy") in step S107), the third emotion may be set (modified, changed) to "anxiety". Also, in this case, if the risk of low battery level is higher than the risk of other malfunctions (for example, a battery level of 15% or less is more dangerous than an abnormality in the tactile sensor), the third emotion set in step S107 may be used as is without modification (change). By doing so, the robot 100 can prioritize expressing emotions that indicate a more dangerous state.

[0024] Furthermore, in emotion expression processing, the control unit 110 may determine a change in the internal state and control the operation of the robot 100 according to the result of that determination. For example, if it is determined that the internal state has not changed from the first state, the operation of the robot 100 may be controlled based on the third emotion (for which the first emotion has been set, i.e., determined based on external information). If it is determined that the internal state has changed from the first state to the second state, the third emotion may be changed from the (first) emotion determined based on external information to the (second) emotion determined based on the internal state, and the operation of the robot 100 may be controlled based on the changed third emotion (for which the (second) emotion determined based on the internal state has been set). Furthermore, if it is determined that the state has changed from the first state to the second state, the control unit 110 may set the third emotion to be changed from the (first) emotion determined based on external information to the (second) emotion determined based on the internal state, in a direction or amount of change corresponding to the second state. This allows, for example, the third emotion to be set as an emotion that is a combination of the (first) emotion determined based on external information and the (second) emotion determined based on the internal state in a ratio corresponding to the battery level. Furthermore, if it is determined that the state has changed from the first state to the second state, the control unit 110 may set a third emotion by suppressing the change in emotion to the (first) emotion determined based on external information. For example, when the robot 100 is spoken to by a user, normally (when the battery level is high) the (first) emotion determined based on external information changes from "sad" to "happy". However, by controlling it in this way, when the battery level is low, even if the user speaks to the robot, the (first) emotion determined based on external information does not change from "sad" to "happy", but rather the change in emotion is suppressed to, for example, an emotion such as "expressionless", and a third emotion is set. In this way, the robot 100 can express subtle differences in emotions that cannot be expressed by (first) emotions determined solely based on external information or (second) emotions determined based on internal states.

[0025] Furthermore, the control unit 110 may set priorities for external information and internal states (battery level, errors, malfunctions), and set a third emotion based on those priorities. For example, if the internal state includes battery level and error determination information, the control unit 110 will use the third emotion set according to the first emotion based on external information and the second emotion based on battery level when no error has occurred. However, when an error occurs, the control unit 110 may change the third emotion set according to the first emotion based on external information and the second emotion based on battery level according to the content of the error that occurred. Furthermore, if the internal state includes judgment information regarding battery level, errors, and malfunctions, the control unit 110 will use the third emotion set according to the first emotion based on external information and the second emotion based on battery level and errors when no malfunction has occurred. However, when a malfunction occurs, the control unit 110 may change the third emotion set according to the first emotion based on external information and the second emotion based on battery level and errors, according to the nature of the malfunction that has occurred. Generally, a state with an error is more dangerous than a state with a low battery level, and a state with a malfunction is more dangerous than a state with an error. Therefore, by doing this, robot 100 can inform the user of a high-risk state without losing its lifelike quality.

[0026] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the control unit 110 was described as setting a first emotion based on external information, setting a second emotion based on the internal state, and setting a third emotion based on the first and second emotions. However, if the emotion to be expressed by the emotion expression unit 150 can be set in the end, it is not necessary to set the emotion in this manner. For example, the control unit 110 may not perform the process of setting the second emotion, and instead have the emotion expression unit 150 express the emotion set based on the first emotion and the internal state. Alternatively, the emotion expression unit 150 may express the emotion set based on the external information and the internal state without performing the processes of setting the first or second emotion. For example, a large amount of data of "external information, internal state, and simulated emotions in the case of that external information and internal state" may be prepared in advance as training data to train a deep neural network, and the control unit 110 may have the emotion expression unit 150 express the simulated emotion output when the external information and internal state are input to the deep neural network. By doing so, the control unit 110 can set the third emotion without having to go through the process of setting the first and second emotions, resulting in more efficient emotion setting.

[0027] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and applications are possible. For example, in the embodiments described above, the control unit 110 of the robot 100 is configured to set simulated emotions, but a separate device (a device that controls the robot 100) may be provided with a control unit and a communication unit that control the simulated emotions of the robot 100, and the emotion expression unit 150 of the robot 100 may be controlled via the communication unit 170 of the robot 100.

[0028] In the embodiments described above, the operation program executed by the CPU of the control unit 110 was described as being stored in advance in the ROM of the storage unit 120. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the operation program for executing the various processes described above may be implemented in an existing general-purpose computer or the like, thereby functioning as a device for controlling the robot 100 according to the embodiments described above.

[0029] The method of providing such programs is optional. For example, they may be distributed by storing them on a computer-readable storage medium (flexible disk, CD (Compact Disc)-ROM, DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)-ROM, MO (Magneto-Optical Disc), memory card, USB memory, etc.), or they may be stored on network storage such as the internet and provided for download.

[0030] Furthermore, when the above-mentioned processing is performed through a division of labor between the OS (Operating System) and the application program, or through collaboration between the OS and the application program, only the application program may be stored on a recording medium or storage device. It is also possible to superimpose the program onto a carrier wave and distribute it over a network. For example, the above program may be posted on a bulletin board system (BBS) on a network and distributed over the network. This program can then be launched and executed under the control of the OS, just like other application programs, to perform the above-mentioned processing.

[0031] This invention allows for various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the invention. Furthermore, the embodiments described above are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the scope of the invention. In other words, the scope of the invention is indicated not by the embodiments, but by the claims. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the equivalent scope of the meaning of the invention are considered to be within the scope of this invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0032] 100...Robot, 110...Control Unit, 120...Memory Unit, 130...External Information Detection Unit, 140...Internal State Detection Unit, 150...Emotion Expression Unit, 160...Operation Input Unit, 170...Communication Unit

Claims

1. External information is acquired by the sensor. The internal state of the robot body is obtained, A third emotion is set as the robot's simulated emotion, based on a first emotion or a first degree of emotion change determined based on the external information, and a second emotion or a second degree of emotion change determined based on the internal state. The robot's actions are controlled based on pre-set simulated emotions. Equipped with a control unit, robot.

2. The control unit, Based on the internal state, the priority of the external information and the internal state is determined, and the robot's simulated emotions are set according to the external information, the internal state, and the determined priority. The robot according to claim 1.

3. The control unit, If the internal state is determined to be the first state, the robot's simulated emotions are set using the external information. If the aforementioned internal state is determined to be a second state, the robot's simulated emotions are set using the aforementioned internal state. The robot according to claim 2.

4. The control unit, If the internal state is determined to be the first state, the robot's simulated emotions are set using the external information. If the internal state is determined to be a second state, the robot's simulated emotions are set using the internal state. If the internal state is determined to be a third state, the robot's simulated emotions are set using both the external information and the internal state. The robot according to claim 3.

5. The aforementioned internal state includes determination information relating to at least one of the following: battery level, error, or malfunction. The first state is a state in which all of the judgment information included in the internal state is free of problems. The second state is a state in which there is a problem with at least one of the determination information included in the internal state. The robot according to claim 3.

6. The control unit, Priorities are set for the aforementioned external information, the battery level, the error, and the malfunction, and the third emotion is set based on the aforementioned priorities. The robot according to claim 5.

7. The control unit, Determine whether the internal state has changed from the first state to the second state. If it is determined that the internal state has not changed from the first state, the robot's movements are controlled based on the third emotion determined based on the external information. If it is determined that the internal state has changed from the first state to the second state, the third emotion is changed from the emotion determined based on the external information to the emotion determined based on the internal state, and the robot's movements are controlled based on the changed third emotion. The robot according to claim 5.

8. The control unit, If it is determined that the internal state has changed from the first state to the second state, a third emotion is set, which is changed from the emotion determined based on the external information to the emotion determined based on the internal state, in a direction or amount of change corresponding to the second state. The robot according to claim 7.

9. The control unit, If it is determined that the internal state has changed from the first state to the second state, the third emotion is set by suppressing the change in emotion to the emotion determined based on the external information. The robot according to claim 7.

10. The aforementioned internal state includes battery level and error determination information, The control unit, If it is determined that the error has occurred based on the aforementioned determination information, the third emotion, which is set according to the external information and the remaining battery level, is changed according to the nature of the error that occurred. The robot according to claim 7.

11. The aforementioned internal state includes battery level, error and fault determination information, The control unit, If it is determined that the malfunction has occurred based on the aforementioned determination information, the third emotion, which is set according to the external information, the battery level, and the content of the error, is changed according to the content of the malfunction that occurred. The robot according to claim 10.

12. The aforementioned external information includes sensor information obtained by the sensor relating to at least one of the following: touch, image, temperature, sound, and illuminance. The robot according to claim 1.

13. The control unit, The robot's eye expression or its vocalizations are controlled to express a set third emotion. The robot according to claim 1.

14. The control unit, External information is acquired by the sensor. The internal state of the robot body is obtained, A third emotion is set as the robot's simulated emotion, based on a first emotion or a first degree of emotion change determined based on the external information, and a second emotion or a second degree of emotion change determined based on the internal state. The robot's actions are controlled based on pre-set simulated emotions. Robot control methods.

15. In the control unit, External information is acquired by the sensor. The internal state of the robot body is obtained, A third emotion is set as the robot's simulated emotion, based on a first emotion or a first degree of emotion change determined based on the external information, and a second emotion or a second degree of emotion change determined based on the internal state. The robot's actions are controlled based on pre-set simulated emotions. A program that executes a process.

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