robot

Abstract

The robot includes an operation control unit that selects a motion for the robot, a drive mechanism that executes the selected motion, an operation detection unit that detects deformation of the robot body, and an eye generation unit that generates an eye image and displays the eye image in the face area of ​​the robot.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a robot that humans can easily become attached to. [Background technology]

[0002] Humans keep pets to find comfort. However, many people give up on having pets for various reasons, such as not having enough time to look after them, not having a living environment that allows them to keep a pet, allergies, or the pain of losing a pet. If there were a robot that could play the role of a pet, it might be able to provide the same comfort that pets provide to people who cannot keep pets (see Patent Documents 1 and 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2000-323219 A [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2017 / 169826 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, robot technology has been rapidly advancing, but we have not yet achieved the ability to create a robot that can act as a companion like a pet. This is because we do not believe that a robot has free will. By observing the behavior of our pets, which we can only assume to have free will, we can sense the presence of free will in our pets, empathize with them, and feel comforted by them.

[0005] The inventors thought that if a robot's reaction could change depending on how it was touched, people's attachment to the robot could be increased. As a result of intensive research, the inventors came up with the idea of ​​solving the above problem by installing sensors in places where people unconsciously want to touch the robot, detecting how people touch the robot, and reflecting the results in the robot's behavior.

[0006] The present invention was completed based on the recognition of the above problems, and its main objective is to provide a robot with which humans can easily become attached. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A robot in one aspect of the present invention includes an operation control unit that selects a motion for the robot, a drive mechanism that executes the selected motion, an operation detection unit that detects deformation of the robot's body, and an eye generation unit that generates an eye image and displays the eye image in the robot's facial area. When the deformation of the robot body is detected, the eye generating unit generates an eye according to the deformation state. In a corresponding manner The eye image is altered.

[0008] A robot in another aspect of the present invention includes an operation control unit that selects a motion of the robot, a drive mechanism that executes the selected motion, and an operation detection unit that detects the movement of a device provided on the robot body. When the motion of the device is detected, the motion control unit selects a motion corresponding to the motion of the device from among motions that are to be driven within a predetermined range from the device.

[0009] In another aspect of the present invention, a robot includes an action control unit that selects a motion of the robot, a drive mechanism that executes the selected motion, and first and second sensors installed on the body surface of the robot that detect contact by a user. The operation control unit, when a user's contact is detected by both or one of the first and second sensors, selects a motion according to the manner of contact. The detection accuracy of the first sensor is set to be higher than that of the second sensor, and the first sensor is placed in the face area of ​​the robot. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, humans are more likely to feel attached to robots. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] Figure 1(a) is a front external view of the robot, and Figure 1(b) is a side external view of the robot. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view that illustrates a schematic structure of the robot. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the robot. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the robot system. [Diagram 5] Fig. 5(a) is a front external view of the robot in this embodiment, and Fig. 5(b) is a side external view of the robot in this embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of the robot according to the present embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the robot system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a method for generating an eye image. [Figure 11] Fig. 11(a) is a diagram showing the appearance of the robot's eye when the analog stick is moved upward from the initial position. Fig. 11(b) is a diagram showing the appearance of the robot's eye when the analog stick is moved right from the initial position. Fig. 11(c) is a diagram showing the appearance of the robot's eye when the analog stick is moved downward from the initial position. Fig. 11(d) is a diagram showing the appearance of the robot's eye when the analog stick is moved left from the initial position. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram of a robot system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 13] 13 is a flowchart showing eye movements and robot motion. [Figure 14] Fig. 14(a) is a data structure diagram of an eye movement table, and Fig. 14(b) is a data structure diagram of a deformation pattern selection table. [Figure 15]FIG. 13 is a data structure diagram of a motion selection table. [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is a front view of the robot in a stationary state. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a front view of the robot when a motion is activated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, for convenience, the positional relationship of each structure may be expressed based on the illustrated state. In addition, in the following embodiment and its modified examples, substantially the same components are given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0013] When the user touches the robot's nose, the robot of this embodiment reacts to the user's touching of the nose by moving its eyes and body. Before describing the implementation of the robot of this embodiment, the basic configuration of the robot will be described below.

[0014] [Basic configuration] Fig. 1(a) is a front external view of the robot 100. Fig. 1(b) is a side external view of the robot 100. The robot 100 in this embodiment is an autonomous robot that determines its behavior based on the external environment and its internal state. The external environment is recognized by various sensors such as a camera and a thermosensor. The internal state is quantified as various parameters that express the emotions of the robot 100. The robot 100's range of movement is within the house of the owner's home. Hereinafter, a human being associated with the robot 100 is referred to as a "user."

[0015] The body 104 of the robot 100 has an overall rounded shape, and includes an outer skin formed of a soft and elastic material such as urethane, rubber, resin, or fiber. The robot 100 may be dressed in clothing. The total weight of the robot 100 is about 5 to 15 kilograms, and the height is about 0.5 to 1.2 meters. Due to the various attributes such as the appropriate weight, roundness, softness, and pleasant feel, the effect of making the user easy to hold the robot 100 and wanting to hold it is realized.

[0016] The robot 100 includes a pair of front wheels 102 (left wheel 102a, right wheel 102b) and one rear wheel 103. The front wheels 102 are driving wheels, and the rear wheels 103 are driven wheels. The front wheels 102 do not have a steering mechanism, but the rotation speed and rotation direction can be individually controlled. The rear wheels 103 are casters and are freely rotatable to move the robot 100 forward, backward, left and right. The rear wheels 103 may be omniwheels.

[0017] The front wheels 102 and rear wheels 103 can be completely stored in the body 104 by a drive mechanism (rotation mechanism, link mechanism). Even when the robot 100 is moving, most of the wheels are hidden by the body 104, but when the wheels are completely stored in the body 104, the robot 100 is unable to move. That is, as the wheels are stored, the body 104 descends and sits on the floor F. In this seated state, a flat seating surface 108 (ground contact surface) formed on the bottom of the body 104 comes into contact with the floor F.

[0018] The robot 100 has two hands 106. The hands 106 do not have the function of grasping an object. The hands 106 are capable of simple actions such as lifting, shaking, and vibrating. The two hands 106 can also be controlled individually.

[0019] The eyes 110 can display images using liquid crystal elements or organic electroluminescence elements. The robot 100 is equipped with various sensors, such as a microphone array and an ultrasonic sensor, that can identify the direction of a sound source. It also has a built-in speaker and can emit simple sounds.

[0020] Horns 112 are attached to the head of the robot 100. As described above, the robot 100 is lightweight, so a user can lift the robot 100 by grabbing the horns 112. A spherical camera is attached to the horns 112, and can capture an image of the entire upper area of ​​the robot 100 at once.

[0021] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view that illustrates a schematic structure of the robot 100. As shown in FIG. As shown in Fig. 2, the body 104 of the robot 100 includes a base frame 308, a main body frame 310, a pair of resin wheel covers 312, and an outer skin 314. The base frame 308 is made of metal, and constitutes the axis of the body 104 and supports the internal mechanism. The base frame 308 is formed by vertically connecting an upper plate 332 and a lower plate 334 with a plurality of side plates 336. Sufficient spaces are provided between the plurality of side plates 336 to allow ventilation. The battery 118, a control circuit 342, and various actuators are housed inside the base frame 308.

[0022] The main body frame 310 is made of a resin material and includes a head frame 316 and a torso frame 318. The head frame 316 is hollow and hemispherical, and forms the head skeleton of the robot 100. The torso frame 318 is stepped and tubular, and forms the torso skeleton of the robot 100. The torso frame 318 is fixed integrally with the base frame 308. The head frame 316 is attached to the upper end of the torso frame 318 so as to be relatively displaceable.

[0023] The head frame 316 is provided with three axes, a yaw axis 320, a pitch axis 322, and a roll axis 324, and an actuator 326 for driving the rotation of each axis. The actuator 326 includes a plurality of servo motors for individually driving each axis. The yaw axis 320 is driven for a head swinging motion, the pitch axis 322 is driven for a nodding motion, and the roll axis 324 is driven for a head tilting motion.

[0024] A plate 325 supporting the yaw shaft 320 is fixed to the upper part of the head frame 316. A plurality of ventilation holes 327 are formed in the plate 325 to ensure ventilation between the top and bottom.

[0025] A metal base plate 328 is provided to support the head frame 316 and its internal mechanism from below. The base plate 328 is connected to the plate 325 via a cross link mechanism 329 (pantograph mechanism) and is also connected to an upper plate 332 (base frame 308) via a joint 330.

[0026] The body frame 318 houses the base frame 308 and a wheel drive mechanism 370. The wheel drive mechanism 370 includes a rotating shaft 378 and an actuator 379. The lower half of the body frame 318 is narrowed in order to form a storage space S for the front wheel 102 between the wheel cover 312 and the lower half.

[0027] The outer cover 314 is made of urethane rubber and covers the main body frame 310 and the wheel cover 312 from the outside. The handle 106 is molded integrally with the outer cover 314. An opening 390 is provided at the upper end of the outer cover 314 to introduce outside air.

[0028] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the robot 100. The robot 100 includes an internal sensor 128, a communication device 126, a memory device 124, a processor 122, a drive mechanism 120, and a battery 118. The processor 122 and the memory device 124 are included in a control circuit 342. Each unit is connected to each other by a power line 130 and a signal line 132. The battery 118 supplies power to each unit via the power line 130. Each unit transmits and receives control signals via the signal line 132. The battery 118 is a lithium ion secondary battery, and is the power source of the robot 100.

[0029] The internal sensor 128 is a collection of various sensors built into the robot 100. Specifically, the sensors include a camera (spherical camera), a microphone array, a distance sensor (infrared sensor), a thermosensor, a touch sensor, an acceleration sensor, and an odor sensor. The touch sensor is installed between the outer skin 314 and the main body frame 310, and detects the touch of the user. The odor sensor is a known sensor that applies the principle that electrical resistance changes due to the adsorption of odor-causing molecules.

[0030] The communicator 126 is a communication module that performs wireless communication with various external devices. The storage device 124 is composed of a non-volatile memory and a volatile memory, and stores computer programs and various setting information. The processor 122 is a means for executing computer programs. The drive mechanism 120 includes a plurality of actuators and the wheel drive mechanism 370 described above. In addition, a display, a speaker, etc. are also mounted.

[0031] The driving mechanism 120 mainly controls the wheels (front wheels 102) and the head (head frame 316). The driving mechanism 120 can change the moving direction and moving speed of the robot 100, as well as raise and lower the wheels (front wheels 102 and rear wheels 103). When the wheels are raised, they are completely stored in the body 104, and the robot 100 comes into contact with the floor surface F at the seating surface 108, and assumes a seated state. The driving mechanism 120 also controls the hands 106 via wires 134.

[0032] FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of the robot system 300. The robot system 300 includes a robot 100, a server 200, and a plurality of external sensors 114. Each component of the robot 100 and the server 200 is realized by hardware including computing units such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and various coprocessors, storage devices such as memory and storage, and wired or wireless communication lines connecting them, and software stored in the storage devices and supplying processing instructions to the computing units. The computer program may be composed of a device driver, an operating system, various application programs located at higher layers than those, and a library that provides common functions to these programs. Each block described below shows a functional block rather than a hardware-based configuration. A part of the functions of the robot 100 may be realized by the server 200, and a part or all of the functions of the server 200 may be realized by the robot 100.

[0033] A plurality of external sensors 114 are installed in advance inside the house. The position coordinates of the external sensors 114 are registered in the server 200. The server 200 determines the basic behavior of the robot 100 based on information obtained from the internal sensor 128 of the robot 100 and the plurality of external sensors 114. The external sensors 114 are intended to reinforce the sensory organs of the robot 100, and the server 200 is intended to reinforce the brain of the robot 100. The communicator 126 of the robot 100 periodically communicates with the external sensors 114, and the server 200 identifies the position of the robot 100 using the external sensors 114 (see also Patent Document 2).

[0034] (Server 200) The server 200 includes a communication unit 204 , a data processing unit 202 , and a data storage unit 206 . The communication unit 204 is responsible for communication processing with the external sensor 114 and the robot 100. The data storage unit 206 stores various data. The data processing unit 202 executes various processes based on the data acquired by the communication unit 204 and the data stored in the data storage unit 206. The data processing unit 202 also functions as an interface between the communication unit 204 and the data storage unit 206.

[0035] The data store 206 includes a motion store 232 and a personal data store 218 . The robot 100 has a plurality of transformation patterns (motions). Various motions are defined, such as shaking the hands 106, approaching the owner while meandering, and gazing at the owner with the head tilted.

[0036] The motion storage unit 232 stores "motion files" that define the control contents of the motion. Each motion is identified by a motion ID. The motion files are also downloaded to the motion storage unit 160 of the robot 100. Which motion is to be executed may be determined by the server 200 or by the robot 100.

[0037] Many of the motions of the robot 100 are configured as composite motions including a plurality of unit motions. For example, when the robot 100 approaches the owner, it may be expressed as a combination of a unit motion of turning toward the owner, a unit motion of approaching while raising hands, a unit motion of approaching while shaking the body, and a unit motion of sitting down while raising both hands. A combination of these four motions realizes a motion of "approaching the owner, raising hands halfway, and finally sitting down after shaking the body." In the motion file, the rotational angles and angular velocities of the actuators provided in the robot 100 are defined in association with a time axis. Various motions are expressed by controlling each actuator over time according to the motion file (actuator control information).

[0038] The transition time from one unit motion to the next is called an "interval." The interval can be defined according to the time required to change the unit motion and the content of the motion. The length of the interval can be adjusted. Hereinafter, settings related to behavior control of the robot 100, such as when and which motion to select, and adjustment of the output of each actuator to realize the motion, are collectively referred to as "behavior characteristics." The behavior characteristics of the robot 100 are defined by a motion selection algorithm, a motion selection probability, a motion file, etc.

[0039] The motion storage unit 232 stores motion files as well as a motion selection table that defines the motions to be executed when various events occur. In the motion selection table, one or more motions and their selection probabilities are associated with each event.

[0040] The personal data storage unit 218 stores information about the user. Specifically, it stores master information indicating the degree of intimacy with the user and the physical and behavioral characteristics of the user. It may also store other attribute information such as age and gender.

[0041] The robot 100 has an internal parameter called intimacy for each user. When the robot 100 recognizes an action that shows affection toward the user, such as picking up the robot 100 or talking to the user, the intimacy with the user becomes high. The intimacy with users who do not interact with the robot 100, users who are violent, and users who the robot 100 encounters infrequently becomes low.

[0042] The data processing unit 202 includes a position management unit 208 , a recognition unit 212 , a motion control unit 222 , an intimacy management unit 220 , and a state management unit 244 . The position management unit 208 specifies the position coordinates of the robot 100. The state management unit 244 manages various internal parameters such as various physical states such as the charging rate, internal temperature, and the processing load of the processor 122. The state management unit 244 also manages various emotion parameters indicating the emotions of the robot 100 (loneliness, curiosity, desire for recognition, etc.). These emotion parameters are constantly fluctuating. The movement destination of the robot 100 changes depending on the emotion parameters. For example, when the robot 100 feels increasingly lonely, it sets the location of the user as the movement destination.

[0043] Emotion parameters change over time. In addition, various emotion parameters also change depending on the interaction, which will be described later. For example, if the owner "holds" the robot, the emotion parameter indicating loneliness will decrease, and if the robot does not see the owner for a long period of time, the emotion parameter indicating loneliness will increase little by little.

[0044] The recognition unit 212 recognizes the external environment. The recognition of the external environment includes various recognitions such as recognition of weather and season based on temperature and humidity, recognition of shade (safety zone) based on the amount of light and temperature, etc. The recognition unit 156 of the robot 100 acquires various environmental information by the internal sensor 128, performs primary processing on the information, and transfers it to the recognition unit 212 of the server 200.

[0045] Specifically, the recognition unit 156 of the robot 100 extracts an image area corresponding to a moving object, particularly a person or an animal, from an image, and extracts a "feature vector" as a set of feature amounts indicating the physical and behavioral characteristics of the moving object from the extracted image area. A feature vector component (feature amount) is a numerical value that quantifies various physical and behavioral characteristics. For example, the width of a human eye is quantified in the range of 0 to 1 to form one feature vector component. A method for extracting a feature vector from a captured image of a person is an application of a known face recognition technology. The robot 100 transmits the feature vector to the server 200.

[0046] The recognition unit 212 of the server 200 compares the feature vector extracted from the image captured by the built-in camera of the robot 100 with the feature vectors of users (clusters) preregistered in the personal data storage unit 218 to determine which person the captured user corresponds to (user identification process). The recognition unit 212 also estimates the user's emotions by performing image recognition of the user's facial expression. The recognition unit 212 also performs user identification process on moving objects other than people, such as pet cats and dogs.

[0047] The recognition unit 212 recognizes various behaviors given to the robot 100 and classifies them into pleasant and unpleasant behaviors. The recognition unit 212 also recognizes the owner's behavior in response to the behavior of the robot 100 and classifies it into positive and negative reactions. A pleasant or unpleasant behavior is determined based on whether the user's behavior is pleasant or unpleasant for the living organism. For example, being held is a pleasant behavior for the robot 100, and being kicked is an unpleasant behavior for the robot 100. A positive or negative reaction is determined based on whether the user's behavior indicates a pleasant emotion or an unpleasant emotion. Being held is a positive reaction that indicates a pleasant emotion for the user, and being kicked is a negative reaction that indicates an unpleasant emotion for the user.

[0048] The motion control unit 222 of the server 200 cooperates with the motion control unit 150 of the robot 100 to determine the motion of the robot 100. The motion control unit 222 of the server 200 creates a movement target point and a movement route for the robot 100. The motion control unit 222 may create multiple movement routes and then select one of the movement routes.

[0049] The motion control unit 222 selects a motion of the robot 100 from a plurality of motions in the motion storage unit 232. A selection probability is associated with each motion for each situation. For example, a selection method is defined such that when the owner performs a pleasant action, motion A is executed with a probability of 20%, and when the temperature is 30 degrees or higher, motion B is executed with a probability of 5%.

[0050] The intimacy management unit 220 manages the intimacy for each user. As described above, the intimacy is registered as part of the personal data in the personal data storage unit 218. When a pleasant behavior is detected, the intimacy management unit 220 increases the intimacy with the owner. When an unpleasant behavior is detected, the intimacy decreases. In addition, the intimacy of an owner who has not been viewed for a long period of time gradually decreases.

[0051] (Robot 100) The robot 100 includes a communication unit 142 , a data processing unit 136 , a data storage unit 148 , an internal sensor 128 , and a drive mechanism 120 . The communication unit 142 corresponds to the communicator 126 (see FIG. 4) and is responsible for communication processing with the external sensor 114, the server 200, and other robots 100. The data storage unit 148 stores various data. The data storage unit 148 corresponds to the memory device 124 (see FIG. 4). The data processing unit 136 executes various processes based on the data acquired by the communication unit 142 and the data stored in the data storage unit 148. The data processing unit 136 corresponds to the processor 122 and the computer program executed by the processor 122. The data processing unit 136 also functions as an interface between the communication unit 142, the internal sensor 128, the drive mechanism 120, and the data storage unit 148.

[0052] The data store 148 includes a motion store 160 that defines various motions of the robot 100 . Various motion files are downloaded from the motion storage unit 232 of the server 200 to the motion storage unit 160 of the robot 100. The motions are identified by motion IDs. In order to express various motions such as sitting down with the front wheels 102 folded, lifting the hands 106, rotating the two front wheels 102 in reverse or by rotating only one of the front wheels 102 to make the robot 100 rotate, trembling by rotating the front wheels 102 with the front wheels 102 folded, stopping once and looking back when moving away from the user, etc., the operation timing, operation time, operation direction, etc. of various actuators (drive mechanism 120) are defined in a time series in the motion file. Various data may also be downloaded to the data storage unit 148 from the personal data storage unit 218 .

[0053] The data processing unit 136 includes a recognition unit 156 and an operation control unit 150 . The motion control unit 150 of the robot 100 decides the motions of the robot 100 in cooperation with the motion control unit 222 of the server 200. Some motions may be decided by the server 200, and other motions may be decided by the robot 100. Alternatively, the robot 100 may decide the motions, but when the processing load of the robot 100 is high, the server 200 may decide the motions. The server 200 may decide base motions, and the robot 100 may decide additional motions. How the motion decision process is shared between the server 200 and the robot 100 may be designed according to the specifications of the robot system 300.

[0054] The motion control unit 150 of the robot 100 instructs the driving mechanism 120 to execute the selected motion. The driving mechanism 120 controls each actuator in accordance with the motion file.

[0055] The motion control unit 150 can execute a motion of lifting both hands 106 as a gesture of asking to be "held" when a user with high intimacy is nearby, and can also express a motion of refusing to be held by alternately rotating in the opposite directions and stopping while keeping the left and right front wheels 102 retracted when the user gets tired of being "held." The drive mechanism 120 drives the front wheels 102, hands 106, and neck (head frame 316) according to instructions from the motion control unit 150, causing the robot 100 to express various motions.

[0056] The recognition unit 156 of the robot 100 interprets external information obtained from the internal sensor 128. The recognition unit 156 is capable of visual recognition (visual unit), smell recognition (olfactory unit), sound recognition (auditory unit), and tactile recognition (tactile unit).

[0057] The recognition unit 156 extracts a feature vector from a captured image of a moving object. As described above, the feature vector is a set of parameters (feature amounts) indicating the physical and behavioral features of a moving object. When a moving object is detected, the physical and behavioral features are also extracted from an odor sensor, a built-in sound collecting microphone, a temperature sensor, and the like. These features are also quantified to become feature vector components. The recognition unit 156 identifies the user from the feature vector based on known technology described in Patent Document 2 and the like.

[0058] Of the series of recognition processes including detection, analysis, and judgment, the recognition unit 156 of the robot 100 selects and extracts information necessary for recognition, and interpretation processes such as judgment are executed by the recognition unit 212 of the server 200. The recognition process may be executed by only the recognition unit 212 of the server 200, or by only the recognition unit 156 of the robot 100, or the above recognition process may be executed by both of them with their roles shared as described above.

[0059] When a strong impact is given to the robot 100, the recognition unit 156 recognizes this by the touch sensor and the acceleration sensor, and the recognition unit 212 of the server 200 recognizes that a "violent act" has been committed by a nearby user. When a user grabs the horn 112 and lifts the robot 100, this may also be recognized as a violent act. When a user facing the robot 100 speaks in a specific volume range and a specific frequency band, the recognition unit 212 of the server 200 may recognize that a "calling act" has been performed on the robot 100. In addition, when a temperature of about body temperature is detected, it recognizes that a "contact act" has been performed by the user, and when an upward acceleration is detected in a state where contact has been recognized, it recognizes that a "hug" has been performed. Physical contact when the user lifts the body 104 may be sensed, or a hug may be recognized by a decrease in the load on the front wheels 102. In summary, the robot 100 acquires the user's actions as physical information by the internal sensor 128, and the recognition unit 212 of the server 200 judges whether the user feels comfortable or uncomfortable. The recognition unit 212 of the server 200 also performs a user identification process based on the feature vector.

[0060] The recognition unit 212 of the server 200 recognizes various responses of the user to the robot 100. Some typical responses among the various responses are associated with pleasant or unpleasant, positive or negative. Generally, most pleasant responses are positive reactions, and most unpleasant responses are negative reactions. Pleasant and unpleasant responses are related to the degree of intimacy, and positive and negative reactions affect the robot 100's selection of actions.

[0061] The intimacy management unit 220 of the server 200 changes the intimacy with the user in response to the interaction behavior recognized by the recognition unit 156. In principle, the intimacy with a user who has performed a pleasant behavior increases, and the intimacy with a user who has performed an unpleasant behavior decreases.

[0062] Based on the above basic configuration, next, the implementation of the robot 100 in this embodiment will be described, focusing in particular on the features and purpose of this implementation and the differences from the basic configuration. The description will be divided into a first embodiment and a second embodiment. When the first embodiment and the second embodiment are described together or when no particular distinction is made, they will be referred to as "this embodiment."

[0063] [First embodiment] Fig. 5(a) is a front external view of the robot 100 in the first embodiment. Fig. 5(b) is a side external view of the robot 100 in the first embodiment. The robot 100 in the first embodiment is provided with a face region 107. In addition to eyes 110, a nose 109 is provided within the face region 107. The nose 109 is provided near the center of the face region 107 and at a lower position than the eyes 110. The nose 109 is provided between the left and right eyes, and the distance from the right eye to the nose 109 is equal to the distance from the left eye to the nose 109. The nose 109 is smaller than the eyes 110 and the face region 107. The nose 109 is provided with a physical device (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a "convex portion" or "protrusion") that is deformed by the user.

[0064] In this embodiment, an analog stick is provided on the nose 109. The user can tilt the analog stick (nose 109) in all directions, up, down, left, and right, and can also push it in. In this embodiment, tilting and pushing a physical device such as an analog stick corresponds to "deformation of the robot body." The analog stick includes a sensor for detecting touch (hereinafter, referred to as a "nose sensor"). Regarding the analog stick itself and a method for detecting deformation of the analog stick, a technique described in, for example, JP-A-9-134251 and the like is known.

[0065] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the robot 100 in the first embodiment. The robot 100 in the first embodiment includes a monitor 170 and an analog stick 180 in addition to the basic configuration shown in Fig. 3. The monitor 170 is installed at the eye 110 of the robot 100 and displays an eye image (described in detail later).

[0066] FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram of a robot system 300 according to the first embodiment. As described above, the robot 100 includes the monitor 170 and the analog stick 180. The data processing unit 136 of the robot 100 in the first embodiment further includes an operation detection unit 182, an operation history management unit 184, and an eye generation unit 172. The operation detection unit 182 sequentially detects the movement of the analog stick 180, that is, the tilt direction, tilt angle (angle from the initial position), and the amount of depression. The tilt direction in the first embodiment is sometimes referred to as the "deformation direction," and the tilt angle and the amount of depression are sometimes collectively referred to as the "deformation amount."

[0067] The operation history management unit 184 stores the detection results of the operation detection unit 182 in chronological order as an operation history. The operation history also includes the duration (deformation duration) of the deformed state of the analog stick 180 (the state in which the analog stick 180 is moved from the initial position). The operation history management unit 184 also calculates the deformation speed as the amount of deformation per unit time. The degree of "deformation of the robot main body" in this embodiment, such as the deformation direction, deformation amount, and deformation speed, is collectively referred to as the "deformation mode". The eye generation unit 172 generates an eye image to be displayed on the eye 110 (monitor 170).

[0068] The eye generation unit 172 changes the eye image displayed on the monitor 170 by outputting a signal to the monitor 170 according to the deformation state of the analog stick 180. The movement control unit 150 also selects a motion according to the deformation state of the analog stick 180. Hereinafter, the change of the eye image by the eye generation unit 172 may be referred to as "the robot 100 moves its eyes" or "the eyes of the robot 100 change". Furthermore, the selection of a motion by the movement control unit 150 and the execution of the selected motion by the drive mechanism 120 may be referred to as "the robot 100 moves". Furthermore, when the "robot 100 moves", if the motion is to move a specific part X, it may be referred to as "the robot 100 moves X". For example, when the movement control unit 150 selects a motion to move the hand of the robot 100 and the drive mechanism 120 executes the motion, it may be expressed as "the robot 100 moves its hand". When the user manipulates the nose 109 (analog stick 180), the robot 100 moves its eyes, and when the user continues to manipulate the nose 109, the robot 100 starts to move not only its eyes but also its body, such as its neck and hands. In this embodiment, "motion" means that the robot 100 physically moves its body, and changes in the eye image are not included in "motion." The changes in the image and motion on the monitor 170 when the analog stick 180 is moved will be described in detail below.

[0069] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the appearance of the eye image 171. The eye generation unit 172 generates an eye image 171 including an iris image 175 and a peripheral image 176. The eye generation unit 172 displays the eye image 171 as a moving image. Specifically, the pupil image 175 is moved to represent a change in the line of sight of the robot 100.

[0070] Pupil image 175 includes pupil region 177 and cornea region 178. In addition, catchlight 179 for expressing the reflection of external light is also displayed in pupil image 175. Catchlight 179 in eye image 171 is not shining due to the reflection of external light, but is an image region expressed as a high-luminance region by eye generation unit 172.

[0071] The eye generation unit 172 moves the pupil image 175 up, down, left, and right. When the recognition unit 156 of the robot 100 recognizes a user, the eye generation unit 172 directs the pupil image 175 in the direction of the user. The eye generation unit 172 expresses a change in the virtual line of sight of the robot 100 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a "virtual line of sight") by changing the pupil image 175 of the eye image 171. Details of the control of the eye image 171 will be described later with reference to FIG. 10.

[0072] The eye generation unit 172 may change the shape of the pupil image 175. For example, the shape of the pupil image 175 is a perfect circle when the pupil image 175 is at the center of the monitor 170, and is changed to an ellipse when the pupil image 175 is at the periphery. By changing the shape of the pupil image 175 depending on the position within the monitor 170, the flat monitor 170 can be made to look as if it has a curved shape like an actual eyeball.

[0073] The eye generation unit 172 changes the position of the catch light 179 in accordance with the direction in which the external light source is present. Fig. 8 shows the display position of the catch light 179 when the external light source is present in the upper left as viewed from the robot 100. By linking the position of the catch light 179 to the external light source, a more realistic eye image 171 can be expressed. The eye generation unit 172 may determine the direction of the external light source from a captured image by image recognition, or may determine it from detection data of a light sensor (not shown).

[0074] FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of the eye image 171. In the eye image 171, an eyelid image 190 showing the eyelid is superimposed on the pupil image 175 and the peripheral image 176. The eyelid image 190 includes eyelashes 192. The peripheral image 176 is the part that corresponds to the human conjunctiva.

[0075] The eye generation unit 172 changes the eyelid image 190, pupil region 177, cornea region 178, and catch light 179 of the eye image 171. As the amount of light increases, the eye generation unit 172 increases the diameter of the pupil region 177 intermittently or continuously. The eye generation unit 172 may increase or decrease not only the pupil region 177 but also the entire pupil image 175 intermittently or continuously. When the amount of light is particularly large (for example, when it is greater than a predetermined threshold), the eye generation unit 172 may express a "dazzling appearance" by lowering the eyelid image 190.

[0076] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a method for generating an eye image 171. The eyeball model 250 is a three-dimensional computer graphic that imitates the eyeball of the robot 100. The eye generation unit 172 first forms a three-dimensional sphere with polygons, and then forms the eyeball model 250 by applying a texture (hereinafter referred to as "eyeball texture") to the sphere. The eyeball texture is an image that includes a pupil image 175. The eyeball texture is stored in an eye image storage unit (not shown) included in the data storage unit 148.

[0077] A first plane 252 and a second plane 254 are set in front of the eyeball model 250. The first plane 252 and the second plane 254 are virtual planes corresponding to the display surface of the monitor 170 of the eye 110. The eye generation unit 172 generates a two-dimensional eyeball projection image 256 from the three-dimensional eyeball model 250 by projecting the eyeball model 250 onto the first plane 252.

[0078] The eye generation unit 172 displays an eyelid image 190 on the second surface 254. The eye image 171 shown in FIG. 8 etc. is generated by superimposing the eyeball projection image 256 on the first surface 252 and the eyelid image 190 on the second surface 254. The eye generation unit 172 generates two eyeball models 250 for the right eye and the left eye, and generates an eye image 171 for each of them. Hereinafter, the first surface 252 and the second surface 254 are collectively referred to as "eyeball surface 258."

[0079] The eye generation unit 172 changes the eyeball projection image 256 by rotating the eyeball model 250. Since this method generates a three-dimensional eyeball model 250 and projects it onto the first surface 252 while rotating it, it is possible to express the movement of the gaze of the robot 100 more smoothly than by directly drawing the eye image 171 on the first surface 252. Even though the eye image 171 is two-dimensional, since it is generated and controlled based on the three-dimensional eyeball model 250, this method makes it easier to express the complex movements that are unique to the eyeballs of living creatures.

[0080] The eye generation unit 172 displays the eyelid image 190 on the second plane 254, which is different from the first plane 252, to superimpose the eyelid image 190 on the eyeball projection image 256. When a human being is clapped in front of his / her eyes, he / she reflexively closes his / her eyes. To implement such a conditioned reflex of the eyes in the robot 100, it is necessary to change the eyelid image 190 at high speed. In this embodiment, the image processing of the first plane 252 and the image processing of the second plane 254 are independent. When expressing closing the eyes, the eye generation unit 172 only needs to perform image control on the second plane 254. When blinking, the eye generation unit 172 only needs to perform image processing on the second plane 254. Since the eyeball model 250 (eyeball projection image 256) and the eyelid image 190 can be controlled separately, the eyelid image 190 can be controlled at high speed. With this configuration, the eye generation unit 172 can dynamically generate the eye image 171.

[0081] The robot 100 moves its eyes in conjunction with the movement of the analog stick 180. External views of the eyes of the robot 100 are shown in Figures 11(a), 11(b), 11(c), and 11(d).

[0082] FIG. 11( a ) is a diagram showing the appearance of the eye of the robot 100 when the analog stick 180 is moved upward from the initial position 188 . FIG. 11(b) is a diagram showing the appearance of the eye of the robot 100 when the analog stick 180 is moved to the right from the initial position 188. FIG. 11( c ) is a diagram showing the appearance of the eye of the robot 100 when the analog stick 180 is moved downward from the initial position 188 . FIG. 11( d ) is a diagram showing the appearance of the eyes of the robot 100 when the analog stick 180 is moved to the left from the initial position 188 .

[0083] When the user moves the analog stick 180, the operation detection unit 182 detects the deformation amount and deformation direction (tilt angle and tilt direction) of the analog stick 180. The eye generation unit 172 calculates the rotation direction and rotation amount of the eyeball model 250 based on the detection result, and rotates the eyeball model 250. Specifically, the same direction as the tilt direction of the analog stick 180 is set as the rotation direction, and the eyeball model 250 is rotated by an amount of rotation proportional to the tilt angle. The eye generation unit 172 projects the eyeball model 250 onto the first surface 252. By such control, the eye image 171 of the robot 100 moves so as to direct the line of sight in the tilt direction of the analog stick 180. The user can change the line of sight of the robot 100 by moving the analog stick 180.

[0084] As shown in Fig. 11(a), when the analog stick 180 is tilted upward, the robot 100 also looks upward. As shown in Fig. 11(b), when the analog stick 180 is tilted to the right, the robot 100 looks to the right. When the analog stick 180 is tilted downward, the robot 100 looks downward (Fig. 11(c)), and when tilted to the left, the robot 100 looks to the left (Fig. 11(d)). The same is true for other directions other than up, down, left, and right.

[0085] By using the eyeball model 250, the eye image 171 can be made to quickly follow the movement of the analog stick 180. When the user manipulates the nose 109 (analog stick 180), the robot 100 moves its eyes immediately, so that the user can experience a quick reaction from the robot 100.

[0086] When the nose 109 of the robot 100 is touched, the robot 100 may move not only its eyes but also its body (at least one of the head, hands, and wheels). If the robot 100 reacts by immediately moving its head or body when the analog stick 180 is moved quickly, the robot 100 can express a biological behavioral characteristic called "reflexive behavior."

[0087] For example, when the user tilts the analog stick 180 to the right by 30 degrees or more within 0.1 seconds, the robot 100 may turn its head to the right. According to such a control method, by quickly and greatly tilting the nose 109 (analog stick 180), the robot 100 can express the movement of moving not only its eyes but also its head.

[0088] The robot 100 not only moves its eyes in response to the movement of the nose 109, but also moves its body depending on the movement of the nose 109, thereby showing various reactions to the teasing of the nose 109. The movement of the nose 109 that triggers the robot 100 to move its body may also be the user flicking the analog stick 180 upward or moving the analog stick 180 left and right at high speed. The movement control unit 150 may select one of a plurality of motions when the analog stick 180 moves suddenly by defining the movement speed of the analog stick 180 exceeding a predetermined reference value as a "sudden movement." These motions may be any that express reflex actions performed by a living being, such as rotating the head in the opposite direction to the movement of the nose 109, or jumping backwards by driving the wheels.

[0089] In summary, when the nose 109 (analog stick 180) is moved, the eye generation unit 172 changes the eye image 171 by rotating the eyeball model 250 in accordance with the movement of the analog stick 180. Therefore, the line of sight of the robot 100 can be moved in a tracking manner by the movement of the nose 109. In other words, a user interface is realized in which the nose 109 acts as an eye operation device. Furthermore, when the movement of the nose 109 satisfies a predetermined condition, the operation control unit 150 selects a motion in accordance with the movement of the nose 109. Therefore, depending on how the nose 109 is moved, the robot 100 can respond to the interaction from the user not only by the eye image 171 but also by the movement of the whole body.

[0090] The motion control unit 150 may execute a motion that follows the movement of the nose 109. In this manner, the eye generation unit 172 may change the eye image 171 in accordance with the movement of the analog stick 180. The motion control unit 150 may also change the motion in accordance with the movement of the analog stick 180. This gives the user the impression that the operation direction of the analog stick 180 and the change in the eye image 171 or the motion are linked.

[0091] As described in relation to FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b), the nose 109 is smaller than the eyes 110 and the face region 107. It is necessary to reliably detect the user's contact with any part of the nose 109. For this reason, it is necessary to provide sensors over the entire area or most of the nose 109. When providing sensors of the same size for the robot 100, the nose 109, which is smaller than the face region 107, requires fewer sensors. This allows the cost of manufacturing the robot 100 to be reduced.

[0092] Furthermore, the nose 109 is easily noticeable to the user despite its small size. This is mainly because it is provided near the center of the face area 107 and has a convex shape relative to the surface of the robot 100. By providing an analog stick 180 (operation device) on the nose 109, which is easily noticeable to the user, the user can easily recognize the operable parts of the robot 100 (parts that detect the user's contact).

[0093] The eye image 171 may be changed based on an internal parameter of the robot 100, for example, an emotion parameter. For example, when the value of the emotion parameter indicating the degree of irritation of the robot 100 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the eye generation unit 172 may rotate the eyeball model 250 in a direction opposite to the tilt direction of the analog stick 180.

[0094] A conversion function may be prepared that defines the deformation mode (deformation direction, deformation amount, and deformation speed) of the analog stick 180 as variables and the rotation direction and rotation amount of the eyeball model 250 as outputs. The eye generation unit 172 may determine the rotation direction and rotation amount of the eyeball model 250 based on the deformation mode of the analog stick 180 and the conversion function.

[0095] The eye generation unit 172 may select one of a plurality of types of conversion functions based on the emotion parameters. The eye generation unit 172 may randomly select one of a plurality of types of conversion functions. According to such a control method, it is possible to provide diversity in the eye movements while maintaining the linkage between the deformation of the analog stick 180 and the eye movements. Since the robot 100 responds with a variety of eye movements to the same manner of teasing, the user can enjoy the various expressions of the robot 100. It is also possible to estimate the emotion of the robot 100 according to the eye movements.

[0096] The robot 100 changes its motion according to the operation history of the analog stick 180. As described above, the operation detection unit 182 sequentially detects the movement of the analog stick 180, i.e., the deformation direction and amount of deformation. The operation history management unit 184 stores the detection results in chronological order as an operation history. Specifically, the operation history management unit 184 stores the detection results in association with the detection times. The motion control unit 150 selects a motion according to the operation history, i.e., the way the analog stick 180 moves.

[0097] The state management unit 244 may change the emotion parameter depending on how the analog stick 180 is manipulated (operated). For example, if the user manipulates the analog stick 180 gently, the eye generation unit 172 starts moving the eyes in conjunction with the manner of manipulation. If the user continues to manipulate the analog stick 180 in the same manner, the state management unit 244 increases the emotion parameter indicating a sense of security. When the emotion parameter indicating a sense of security reaches a predetermined value or more, the eye generation unit 172 expresses the drowsiness of the robot 100 by lowering the eyelid image 190 (closing the eyes). At this time, the operation control unit 150 may express a "drowsy" state by selecting a motion of moving the head up and down. A gentle manner of manipulation, in other words, a manner of manipulation of the analog stick 180 that makes the robot 100 feel at ease, may be defined arbitrarily by the designer. For example, the analog stick 180 may be moved back and forth from side to side at a substantially constant pace, or the nose sensor may be tapped a predetermined number of times or more without moving the analog stick 180 with enough strength not to press the analog stick 180 in.

[0098] If the user continues to mess with the analog stick 180 in a chaotic manner, the robot 100 starts moving its eyes in response to the mess. If the user continues to mess with the analog stick 180 in a chaotic manner, the emotion parameter indicating irritation increases and the robot 100 stops moving its eyes. The robot 100 also moves its head from side to side, trying to remove the user's fingertips from the analog stick 180, expressing "no, no." The "chaotic way of messing" can also be defined arbitrarily by the designer.

[0099] In one embodiment, the state of being gently handled is a state of being monotonous. If expressed in terms of the output value from the analog stick 180, the monotonous movement is a movement in which the output value has periodicity and the amount of deformation is small and continues for a longer period than a predetermined period. In one embodiment, the state of being roughly handled is a state of being non-monotonous. If expressed in terms of the output value from the analog stick 180, the output value has no periodicity and the amount of deformation is large and continues for a longer period than a predetermined period. In this way, the robot 100 not only continues to move its eyes in conjunction with the movement of the analog stick 180, but also changes the way in which the analog stick 180 and its eyes are linked when a predetermined condition is met. The robot 100 expresses a "sleepy" state by closing its eyelids and moving its body, rather than simply stopping the movement of its eyes.

[0100] For example, when the analog stick 180 is moved alternately left and right within a range of 30% or less of the maximum tilt angle (hereinafter, this movement is referred to as "alternate left and right tilt"), the robot 100 may stop the movement of the eyes, close the eyelids, and move the head up and down to express a "sleepy" state. The operation history management unit 184 refers to the operation history and determines whether the movement of the analog stick 180 corresponds to "alternate left and right tilt". When it corresponds to the alternating left and right tilt, the eye generation unit 172 stops the movement of the eyeball model 250 and displays the eyelid image 190. In addition, the operation control unit 150 selects a motion to move the head of the robot 100 up and down. As a result, the robot 100 closes its eyes and moves its head up and down to express a "sleepy" state.

[0101] Living things become sleepy when they feel at ease. By playing with the robot 100 and making the robot 100 express a behavioral expression of sleepiness, the user can feel that the robot 100 feels at ease by playing with the robot 100. When the state management unit 244 detects alternating left and right tilts, it increases an emotion parameter indicating a sense of ease. When the emotion parameter indicating a sense of ease exceeds a predetermined value, the robot 100 may close its eyes and move its head up and down.

[0102] When the user holds the robot 100 sideways, the robot 100 occupies most of the user's field of vision. At this time, the user is more likely to notice small changes in the robot 100. The user is more likely to focus on the nose 109 and eyes 110 of the robot 100 held sideways. When this state is detected, for example, when a state in which the user is holding the robot 100 sideways is detected from an image captured by the camera of the robot 100, if the eyes change in conjunction with the movement of the analog stick 180 when the user plays with the nose 109, the user can be immersed in the robot 100 without being distracted by anything other than the robot 100.

[0103] Living things react insensitively to short-term stimuli, but may start to move significantly when exposed to long-term stimuli. The robot 100 can also express a similar behavior by gradually increasing the size of its movements as the user continues to touch it. When the user continues to play with the nose 109, the robot 100, which initially moves only its eyes, starts to move its head as well. The motion control unit 150 may drive a part farther from the nose 109 as the duration of the transformation becomes longer. For example, when the nose 109 is played with, the robot 100 moves the eye image 171, and when the nose 109 is continued to be played with, the robot 100 moves its head slowly. When the nose 109 is further played with, the robot 100 moves its hands, and when the nose 109 is further played with, the robot 100 may move in a direction away from the user. The duration of the transformation may be defined as the time during which the analog stick 180 is tilted, or may be defined as the time during which the nose sensor is touched.

[0104] As another example, when the user continues alternating left and right tilts for 10 seconds, the robot 100 moves its head up and down to express a state of "getting sleepy and beginning to doze off."

[0105] Next, assume that the user continues the left and right alternate leaning for 20 seconds or more. In this case, the robot 100 may further move the hands 106 closer to the body 104 and store the front wheels 102 and the rear wheels 103 in the body 104. When the user continues the left and right alternate leaning in this manner, the robot 100 first moves its eyes, then moves its head, becoming "drowsy," and then moves both its arms and legs closer to its body, becoming "asleep."

[0106] When the user alternately tilts left and right, the robot 100 may change its motion depending on whether the user moves the analog stick 180 quickly or slowly. The operation history management unit 184 records the deformation amount and deformation direction of the analog stick 180 as an operation history. The operation history management unit 184 calculates the deformation speed (amount of change per unit time) from the operation history.

[0107] When the transformation duration is 10 seconds or more, and the transformation speed during those 10 seconds is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the motion control unit 150 selects a motion of moving the head up and down. On the other hand, when the transformation speed exceeds the predetermined value, the motion control unit 150 selects a motion of moving the head left and right. Through this control, the robot 100 shakes its head side to side to express "no, no."

[0108] The robot 100 of the first embodiment changes its motion depending on how the user manipulates the nose 109. The manipulation here does not simply mean the direction of deformation of the analog stick 180. For example, it also includes subtle movements such as whether the analog stick 180 is moved small or large, i.e., whether it is monotonous or not, whether it is moved fast or slow, i.e., whether it is touched roughly or as if stroking. If the robot 100 changes its motion depending on subtle differences in the user's manipulation, the user will not tire of interacting with the robot 100.

[0109] The time it takes for the robot 100 to reach the "sleepy" state may vary depending on the internal parameters of the robot 100, such as the degree of intimacy of the robot 100 with the user and the state of the emotion parameters at any given time.

[0110] Assume that the user plays with the nose 109 when the robot 100 has its eyes closed and has not moved or performed a motion for a predetermined time or more (when the robot 100 is sleeping). When the robot 100 detects the movement of the analog stick 180 in this state, the robot 100 may change the eye image 171 from a closed eye image 171 to an open eye image 171 and perform a movement or motion. In this way, when the robot 100 detects the user's contact with the predetermined eye image 171 and is not performing a motion, the robot 100 may change the eye image 171 and perform a motion.

[0111] The motion of the robot 100 may be changed according to the intimacy. For example, when a user with an intimacy level equal to or higher than a predetermined value tweaks the nose 109, the robot 100 moves its head closer to the user. On the other hand, when a user with an intimacy level lower than the predetermined value tweaks the nose 109 in the same manner, the robot 100 turns its head away from the user. In this manner, the motion control unit 150 may select one of a plurality of motions according to the deformation state of the analog stick 180 and the intimacy level of the user who operates the analog stick 180. Specifically, when a predetermined operation input is made by a user with an intimacy level equal to or higher than T1, the motion control unit 150 may randomly select one of the motions M1 to M3, and when the same operation input is made by a user with an intimacy level lower than T1, the motion control unit 150 may randomly select one of the motions M4 to M6.

[0112] In order to make a person feel attached to something, it is necessary for the person to spend as much time as possible interacting with it. The behavior of the robot 100 of the first embodiment also changes depending on the intimacy with the user. Even if the user manipulates the robot 100 in the same way, the motion of the robot 100 changes depending on the intimacy, so the user can continue to interact with the robot 100 without getting bored. By continuing to interact with the robot 100, the user can feel an attachment to the robot 100. In addition, by continuing to interact with the robot gently, the intimacy of the robot 100 with the user also increases. The reaction of the robot 100 also changes as the intimacy changes. The operation of the nose 109, the intimacy (the robot 100's feelings toward the user), and the emotion parameters (the robot 100's mood) have a complex mutual influence, allowing the robot 100 to realize a variety of behavioral expressions according to the situation.

[0113] When the user plays with the nose 109, the robot 100 first moves its eyes, then moves its head, and then starts moving the body 104. In addition, the function of "moving the analog stick 180 of the nose 109 to move the eyes" in the robot 100 (hereinafter, this function may be referred to as the "pupil linking function") may be enabled on the condition that the user holds the robot 100 sideways with its face facing the user.

[0114] When the robot 100 is not held sideways, even if the user moves the analog stick 180, the eyes of the robot 100 may simply blink. The fact that the user is holding the robot 100 sideways is detected by a touch sensor (not shown) that detects contact with the surface of the robot 100 and an acceleration sensor (not shown) that detects the inclination of the robot 100. The recognition unit 156 detects the user's contact with the robot 100 via the touch sensor and the acceleration sensor. The posture determination unit (not shown) identifies the posture in which the user is contacting the robot 100 from the detection result detected by the recognition unit 156. When it is identified that the user is holding the robot 100 sideways, the posture determination unit instructs the operation history management unit 184 to enable the pupil link function. The operation history management unit 184, which has received the instruction from the posture determination unit, enables the pupil link function and activates the eye movement according to the movement of the analog stick 180 as described above. In this way, the behavioral characteristics of the robot 100 in response to the operation of the nose 109 may be changed according to the posture of the robot 100, such as being held.

[0115] The posture determination unit may enable the pupil link function on the condition that the user and the robot 100 are in a predetermined positional relationship, the user's posture is a predetermined posture, etc. are detected based on a touch sensor, an acceleration sensor, or a captured image. For example, the pupil link function is enabled when the user holds the robot 100 sideways with the face of the robot 100 facing the user. Even if the robot 100 reacts when the user is not focusing on the robot 100, the user is likely to miss the reaction. By linking the analog stick 180 and the eye movement when the robot 100 is in this posture, the user can focus the user's attention on the robot 100 and notice small changes in the robot 100. Note that instead of detecting that the user holds the robot 100 sideways, the pupil link function may be enabled on the condition that the user is in a posture that allows the user to focus the user's attention on the robot 100 and notice small changes in the robot 100, such as sitting on the user's lap facing each other. Furthermore, the condition for enabling the pupil link function may be to detect whether the user and the robot 100 are facing each other using face recognition technology of the robot 100, not limited to a touch sensor or an acceleration sensor. The state in which the robot 100 has its wheels completely stored in the body 104 may be defined as the "hug mode", and the pupil link function may be enabled when the robot 100 is in the "hug mode" and it is determined by face recognition technology or the like that the user and the robot 100 are facing each other.

[0116] [Second embodiment] The robot 100 of the second embodiment changes the movement of the eyes (eye operation) according to the trajectory (route pattern) of the nose 109 when the nose 109 is moved. The robot 100 of the second embodiment has the same general appearance as the robot 100 of the first embodiment.

[0117] FIG. 12 is a functional block diagram of a robot system 300 according to the second embodiment. The data storage unit 148 of the robot 100 in the second embodiment further includes an eye movement storage unit 174. The eye movement storage unit 174 stores the movement (deformation pattern) of the analog stick 180 and the eye movement (eye movement) of the robot in association with each other. The motion storage unit 160 of the robot 100 in the second embodiment also stores motions according to the duration (deformation duration) of the deformed state of the analog stick 180 (the state in which the analog stick 180 is moved from the initial position).

[0118] The operation history management unit 184 of the robot 100 in the second embodiment stores the detection results of the operation detection unit 182 in chronological order as an operation history. The operation history management unit 184 compares the stored operation history with the execution conditions of the deformation patterns (described in detail later) stored in the eye movement storage unit 174, and when the operation history matches any of the execution conditions, instructs the eye generation unit 172 to execute the eye movement associated with the deformation pattern. The eye generation unit 172 executes the eye movement upon receiving the instruction from the operation history management unit 184. As in the first embodiment, "eye movement" refers to a change in the eye image 171 caused by the rotation of the eyeball model 250.

[0119] The robot 100 in the second embodiment also changes the eye image 171 in accordance with the operation history of the analog stick 180 provided on the nose 109. Also, a motion is selected in accordance with the duration of the transformation, and the drive mechanism 120 of the robot 100 is controlled.

[0120] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the eye movements and motions of the robot 100 based on the operation history. As described above, the operation history management unit 184 stores the detection results of the operation detection unit 182 in chronological order as an operation history (S10). The operation history management unit 184 determines whether the stored operation history matches any of the deformation patterns stored in the eye movement storage unit 174 (S12). If a matching deformation pattern exists (Y in S12), the operation history management unit 184 sequentially determines how long the deformation state continues based on the operation history (S14). If a matching deformation pattern does not exist (N in S12), the subsequent processing is skipped. If the deformation duration is less than 5 seconds (N in S14), the operation history management unit 184 instructs the eye generation unit 172 to execute an eye movement corresponding to the deformation pattern (S16). On the other hand, if the deformation duration is 5 seconds or longer (Y in S14), the operation history management unit 184 instructs the eye generation unit 172 to perform an eye closing action (S18), and instructs the action control unit 150 to query the motion from the motion storage unit 160 and have the drive mechanism 120 execute the motion (S20).

[0121] Specifically, the operation history management unit 184 of the robot 100 selects an eye action that is previously associated with the deformation pattern, and instructs the eye generation unit 172 to execute it. For example, it is assumed that an eye action of rolling the eyes is associated with a deformation pattern defined by a predetermined execution condition of rotating the analog stick 180 once clockwise. In this case, when the user rotates the analog stick 180 once clockwise, the robot 100 rolls its eyes. The operation control unit 150 also selects one motion from one or more motions previously associated with the deformation duration. When the condition that the deformation duration is 5 seconds or more is met, it is assumed that a motion of moving the head of the robot 100 from side to side is associated with this deformation duration. In this case, when the user continues to move the analog stick 180 for, for example, 6 seconds, the robot 100 shakes its head from side to side.

[0122] Fig. 14(a) is a data structure diagram of the eye movement table 420. Fig. 14(b) is a data structure diagram of the deformation pattern selection table 440 for the analog stick 180. The eye movement table 420 defines the correspondence between the deformation pattern of the analog stick 180 and the eye movement. The deformation pattern selection table 440 indicates what parameters define each deformation pattern. The eye movement table 420 and the deformation pattern selection table 440 are stored in the eye movement storage unit 174.

[0123] The operation history is a record of the deformation direction and deformation amount of the analog stick 180 and the corresponding time in chronological order. By referring to the operation history, the path (trajectory) followed by the analog stick 180 can be specified. For example, the movement of the analog stick 180 that follows the path R1 that is the trajectory when rotating clockwise once and that follows the path R1 within one second is defined as the deformation pattern A1. In the second embodiment, the "deformation mode" of this embodiment includes the path. Similarly, the movement of the analog stick 180 that moves the analog stick 180 from the initial position to the left and right, follows the path R2 that is the trajectory when returning to the initial position, and that follows the path R2 within two seconds is defined as the deformation pattern A2. The movement of the analog stick 180 that follows the path R3 that is the trajectory when pressing from the initial position, and that follows the path R3 within 0.5 seconds is defined as the deformation pattern A3.

[0124] Each deformation pattern is associated with an eye movement. For example, in the case of deformation pattern A1, the eye generation unit 172 executes a movement of rotating the eyes (eye movement M1). In the case of deformation pattern A2, the eye generation unit 172 executes a movement of blinking (eye movement M2). In the case of deformation pattern A3, the eye generation unit 172 executes a movement of bringing the eyes together (eye movement M3).

[0125] When the user moves the analog stick 180, the operation detection unit 182 detects the movement of the analog stick 180 via the internal sensor 128. The movement is transmitted from the operation detection unit 182 to the operation history management unit 184, and the operation history management unit 184 compares the movement with the execution conditions of the deformation patterns stored in the eye movement storage unit 174 if the deformation duration is less than 5 seconds (the case where the deformation duration is 5 seconds or more will be described later). If the operation lasts less than 5 seconds and the movement of the analog stick 180 matches the execution conditions of any of the deformation patterns, the operation history management unit 184 identifies the eye movement associated with that deformation pattern. The operation history management unit 184 instructs the eye generation unit 172 to execute the identified eye movement. The eye generation unit 172 executes the identified eye movement.

[0126] Specifically, for example, assume that the user moves the analog stick 180 to follow the path R1 and completes the movement in 0.5 seconds. Since this movement matches the execution condition of the deformation pattern A1, the operation history management unit 184 identifies the eye movement M1 associated with the deformation pattern A1, and the eye generation unit 172 performs the eye movement M1, i.e., a movement of rolling the eyes.

[0127] In the second embodiment, the behavior of the robot 100 changes depending not only on the eye movement but also on the duration of the deformation of the analog stick 180.

[0128] FIG. 15 is a data structure diagram of the motion selection table 460. The motion selection table 460 defines the correspondence between the transformation duration and the motion. The motion selection table 460 is stored in the motion storage unit 160.

[0129] As described above, when the deformation duration is 5 seconds or more, the operation history management unit 184 instructs the execution of the action of closing the eyes (eye closing action). The eye generation unit 172 executes the eye closing action based on the instruction from the operation history management unit 184. The motion control unit 150 identifies motion C1, which is a motion corresponding to a transformation duration of 5 seconds or more, from the motion storage unit 160. Motion C1 is a motion of moving the head of the robot 100 from side to side. The robot 100 closes its eyes and shakes its head from side to side to show the behavior of "turning its face away."

[0130] When the transformation duration is 15 seconds or more, the motion control unit 150 selects motion C2. Motion C2 is a motion of raising and lowering the hands of the robot 100. The motion control unit 150 activates motions C1 and C2. Then, the robot 100 performs motions C1 and C2, closing its eyes, shaking its head and flapping its hands, expressing the motion of "no, no."

[0131] The motion control unit 150 selects a motion that drives the parts of the robot 100 from the nose 109 to the head, which is within a predetermined range, while the duration of the transformation is short. When the duration of the transformation is long, motions that drive parts of the robot 100 outside the head also become the selection targets.

[0132] The robot 100 in the second embodiment moves its eyes in response to the movement of the analog stick 180 provided on the nose 109. If the analog stick 180 continues to be moved, the robot 100 starts to move its head. If the analog stick 180 continues to be moved even after the head starts to move, the robot 100 starts to move its body. In this way, as the user continues to play with the nose 109, the robot 100 moves its eyes, and then starts to move its head and body. This allows the user to feel that the robot 100 is behaving like a living thing, for example, getting bored of being touched or starting to feel ticklish, and the user can experience the sensation of interacting with a living thing with the robot 100.

[0133] In the second embodiment, the analog stick 180 is installed on the nose 109. When communicating, humans often look at the other person's face. The same is true when interacting with a robot, and it is considered that the user touches the robot 100 while looking at the face area 107 of the robot 100. At this time, if there is something that the user unconsciously wants to touch on a part that the user sees, such as the face or nose, the user is likely to touch it unconsciously. In the robot 100 of the second embodiment, this corresponds to the nose 109. When the analog stick 180 of the nose 109 that the user unconsciously wants to touch is moved, the robot 100 behaves according to the movement, so the user gets the impression that the robot 100 is alive and becomes more attached to it.

[0134] Fig. 16 is a front view of the robot 100 in a stationary state, in which the robot 100 is standing still and in which the user is not touching the robot 100. Fig. 17 is a front view of the robot 100 when motion C1 is activated. Fig. 17 is a diagram showing a state when the robot 100 activates motion C1 as a result of the user continuously touching the analog stick 180 of the robot 100. In a stationary state where the user is not moving the analog stick 180, the eyes 110 of the robot 100 are open and the robot 100 stares straight ahead. If the user continues to move the analog stick 180 and the deformation duration exceeds 5 seconds, the robot 100 closes the eyes 110 and turns its head away.

[0135] The robot 100 has been described above based on the embodiment. In the robot 100 of this embodiment, the analog stick 180 is provided on the nose 109. Since the robot 100 responds to the touch of the user on the nose 109, which is easily touched unconsciously, the user feels as if the robot 100 is communicating with the user, and is more likely to become attached to the robot 100.

[0136] The robot 100 of this embodiment changes its eyes according to the movement of the analog stick 180. If the analog stick 180 is manipulated for a long time, the robot 100 starts to move its head and body. If the user manipulates the analog stick 180 a little, the robot 100 moves its eyes to show interest in the user. If the user continues to manipulate the analog stick 180, the robot 100 moves its head to avoid the user's hand, expressing the feeling of "stop." If the user pays too much attention, the robot 100 starts to flap its hands and express "no." The robot 100 of this embodiment changes its facial expressions and behavior according to not only the movement of the analog stick 180 but also the duration of the movement. The user feels as if the robot 100 has emotions (whimsicality) such as "I'm bored," "It tickles," "It's annoying," and "Please do more," and can also sense the robot 100's biological behavior.

[0137] In the present embodiment, the robot 100 changes its eyes when the user manipulates the analog stick 180 provided on the nose 109. If the user manipulates the analog stick 180 for a long time, the robot 100 starts to move its head, and if the user continues to manipulate it, the robot 100 starts to move its body. If the user manipulates the nose 109, the behavior of the robot 100 is first shown in the part of the face region 107 near the nose 109, so the user will not miss the reaction of the robot 100. If the user continues to manipulate, not only the face region 107 but also the inside of the head of the robot 100 within a predetermined range starts to move, and if the user continues to manipulate it further, behavior is also shown outside the head of the robot 100 (outside the predetermined range). The user can enjoy watching the expressions and actions of the robot 100 that change depending on how the nose 109 is manipulated and for how long.

[0138] The robot 100 of this embodiment changes its eyes in response to the movement of the analog stick 180 provided on the nose 109. As a modified example, the user may be captured by an imaging device, and the user's movement may be detected from the captured image by a motion sensor, and then the eyes may be changed in response to the user's movement. However, compared to the case where the user's movement is detected with image processing such as a motion sensor, the time from the user's contact with the robot 100 to the behavior of the robot 100 can be shortened when the movement of the analog stick 180 is detected. Furthermore, the user's contact with the robot 100 can be reliably detected.

[0139] In this embodiment, an analog stick 180 (operation device) is provided directly on the main body of the robot 100. In a modified example, an operation device such as a remote controller may be provided separately from the main body of the robot 100. However, when the operation device is provided directly on the main body of the robot 100, the user directly touches the robot 100. Therefore, compared to when the operation device is provided separately from the main body of the robot 100, it is easier for the user to intuitively operate and control the robot 100.

[0140] The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment and modified examples, and the components can be modified without departing from the gist of the present invention. Various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining multiple components disclosed in the above-mentioned embodiment and modified examples. In addition, some components can be deleted from all the components shown in the above-mentioned embodiment and modified examples. Other embodiments will be described below.

[0141] In the embodiment, the operation detection unit 182 detects the movement (deformation) of the analog stick 180, and the behavior of the robot 100 is determined according to the detection result. What is detected by the operation detection unit 182 is not limited to this, and may be any deformation of the robot 100 body or any movement of a device provided on the robot 100 body. The detected deformation or movement may be, for example, a physical movement such as a movement of the robot 100 shaking its neck, a movement of grasping hands, a movement of shaking its body, or a deformation of the cheek caused by a user pinching. In addition, the means for detecting these movements may be any means for detecting physical movements such as a joystick, a trackball, or the like. The analog stick 180, etc. may be disposed inside a flexible outer skin, so that these detection means are not exposed on the surface of the robot 100.

[0142] In the embodiment, the part where the operation detection unit 182 detects contact is the nose 109. The part where the contact is detected is not limited to the nose 109. For example, any part where contact can be detected may be used, such as a rounded part such as a paw pad of an animal, a protruding part such as a tail, or a part that is expected to deform such as a cheek. Preferably, the part is a part that the user unconsciously wants to touch.

[0143] In the embodiment, the eyes move when the nose 109 is played with. The moving part of the robot 100 is not limited to the eyes, and may be any movable part such as the neck, tail, or hands. In addition, the part where contact is detected by the operation detection unit 182 and the moving part may be close or far away, and for example, the nose may move when the tail is played with.

[0144] In the embodiment, the head of the robot 100 is set as the predetermined range, and if the nose 109 is played with for 5 seconds or more but less than 15 seconds, only the head of the robot 100 is driven, and if the time is 15 seconds or more, not only the head of the robot 100 but also the hands 106, which are parts outside the predetermined range, are driven. The "predetermined range" that determines the part to be driven in response to the deformation of the robot 100 body or the movement of a device provided on the robot 100 body is not limited to the head of the robot 100. For example, it may be the face region 107 of the robot 100, or a part of the robot 100 other than the feet. It is sufficient to set an appropriate range among the parts that can be moved by the drive mechanism of the robot 100.

[0145] Furthermore, the transformation duration conditions for activating each motion are not limited to 5 seconds or more or 15 seconds or more, but can be set to various times, such as 1 second or less or 1 minute or more.

[0146] In the embodiment, the motion is changed according to the time (transformation duration) that the nose 109 is continuously manipulated. In addition to the transformation duration, the transformation mode of the robot 100 body, such as the path or transformation speed, or the movement of a device provided in the robot 100 may be used as a condition for selecting the motion.

[0147] The eyes or movement of the robot 100 may be changed according to the accumulated value of the amount of deformation, the accumulated value of the duration of deformation, or the pressure applied to the robot 100. For example, when the nose 109 is manipulated with a weak force, the transition from eye movement to head movement to whole body movement is gradual, so that only the eye change may be made for a long time. When the nose 109 is manipulated with a strong force, the transition from eye movement to head movement to whole body movement may be made in a short time. This allows the behavior of the robot 100 to be more varied according to the manner of manipulation. Unlike simple touches such as stroking or tapping, the robot 100 of the present invention responds to touches that involve "deformation." In other words, it detects contact not only as electrical contact but also as physical "deformation." Users have various "ways of interacting," such as the strength of interaction, the amount of deformation, and the area of ​​contact. If the robot 100 responds expressively to the different "ways of interacting" by each user, the user will feel attached to the robot 100.

[0148] In the embodiment, the behavior of the robot 100 is determined according to the movement of the analog stick 180. The trigger for determining the behavior of the robot 100 is not limited to this, and for example, a sensor may be provided at a location where it is expected that the user will unconsciously want to touch it. In addition, multiple sensors may be provided on the robot 100 body. When multiple sensors are provided, one of them may be a sensor that detects the movement of the analog stick 180. In addition, all of the sensors may have the same detection accuracy, or may have different detection accuracy. When multiple sensors with different detection accuracy are provided, a sensor with higher detection accuracy may be provided at a location where it is expected that the user will want to touch it. In this case, the detection accuracy is the detection sensitivity to the amount of change when the user changes the contact point on the robot 100 body. Hereinafter, the detection of the user's contact by any of the sensors provided on the robot 100 body may be referred to as "the user touches the robot 100" or "the user contacts the robot 100".

[0149] An example of a sensor provided other than the nose 109 is a sensor that detects a user's contact with two positions on the surface of the robot 100 that sandwich the eye 110. When the user's contact is detected by this sensor, the eye generation unit 172 lowers the eyelid image 190 (closes the eye). This makes it possible to express the behavior of the robot 100 that the eye 110 is covered and the robot closes the eye.

[0150] In the case where a plurality of sensors are provided on the main body of the robot 100, when any of the sensors detects the user's contact, the eye generation unit 172 may generate an eye image 171 in which the virtual line of sight of the robot 100 is directed toward the contact point. Hereinafter, the eye generation unit 172 may display the eye image 171 with the virtual line of sight directed toward a predetermined point on the monitor 170 for a predetermined time, which may be referred to as "the robot 100 gazing at a predetermined point." For example, when the user touches the hand of the robot 100, the robot 100 gazes at the hand. Alternatively, when the user touches the stomach of the robot 100, the robot 100 gazes at the stomach. In addition, when the user's contact exceeds a predetermined time, the robot 100 may move a part including the contact point. For example, when the user touches the hand of the robot 100 for more than 5 seconds, the robot 100 performs a motion of trying to remove the hand of the robot 100 from the user's hand. In addition, when the user touches the stomach of the robot 100 for more than 10 seconds, the robot 100 performs a motion of shaking the stomach from side to side. In this way, when any of a plurality of sensors provided at a plurality of locations on the robot 100 detects a touch by the user, the eye generation unit 172 generates an eye image 171 gazing at the touched location. When the detection time of the user's touch by any of the sensors exceeds a predetermined time, the operation control unit 150 executes a motion to move the part including the touched location. This allows the user to feel that the robot 100 is exhibiting a biological behavior of gazing intently at the touched part and then twisting its body.

[0151] If highly accurate sensors are attached to the entire body of the robot 100, the power consumption will be large. By making only some sensors highly accurate, the power consumption can be reduced. Also, it is assumed that only the sensors in the places where the user is expected to want to play with it are made highly accurate to detect even the smallest movements of the user, and the robot 100 behaves in response to the movements. In this way, it is possible to express the characteristics of a living thing that "it does not react well to touching other parts of its body, but is sensitive to contact at a certain point." In addition, since the robot 100 detects even a slight touch by the user and responds, the user feels that the robot 100 responds to even the slightest movements of the user, and can experience a sense of communication with the robot 100. Note that the detection accuracy is not limited to the detection sensitivity to the amount of change when the user changes the contact point on the robot 100 body, but may be, for example, the ability to detect the strength of contact, the contact range, etc. Also, a physically moving sensor may be used as a high-precision sensor, and a capacitive touch sensor may be used as a low-precision sensor, or the same type of sensor may be used but with different detection accuracy. Various types of sensors can be used. In addition to the sensors mentioned above, for example, the sensor may be one that provides force feedback when it detects contact by the user.

[0152] In the embodiment, the eye movements of the robot 100 are shown as eye movements M1, which is a movement of rolling the eyes, eye movement M2, which is a movement of blinking, and eye movement M3, which is a movement of bringing the eyes together. The eye movements exhibited by the robot 100 are not limited to these. For example, any movement that the robot 100 can realize, such as a movement of looking away, a movement of opening the eyes wide, a movement of squinting the eyes, etc., may be used.

[0153] In the embodiment, motion C1, which is a motion of moving the head from side to side, and motion C2, which is a motion of moving the hands up and down, are shown as the motions of the robot 100. The motions exhibited by the robot 100 are not limited to these. For example, any motion that the robot 100 can realize may be used, such as "nodding" by moving the head vertically, "tilting the head" by tilting the head, retracting the hands behind the body, "bowing" by leaning the body forward, "stepping back" by moving the feet, or "ignoring" by stopping movement.

[0154] In the embodiment, the nose 109 is smaller than the eyes 110 and the face region 107. The size of the nose 109 is not limited to this, and it may be approximately the same as or larger than the eyes 110. Furthermore, the size relationship of each part such as the eyes 110 and the face region 107 is not limited to the embodiment, and can be appropriately changed in design.

[0155] In the present invention, when a user plays with the nose 109 of the robot 100, the robot 100 responds according to the manner of playing. A sensor is provided that can detect changes in a part that is likely to be played with unconsciously by the user. If the robot 100's eyes move, its expression changes, and its body starts to move depending on the manner of playing when the user plays with that part, the user will feel attached to the robot 100. If the reaction of the robot 100 changes depending on the manner of playing, the user will touch the robot 100 for a longer period of time. If the user's contact time with the robot 100 can be extended, the user's attachment to the robot 100 can be made deeper. Note that no animal moves its eyes in response to playing with its nose. Even humans do not do this. Even if it were possible, it would be difficult for someone else to play with the nose and move its eyes in response to the direction of the play. This is one expression that is possible only with the robot 100.

Claims

1. an operation detection unit that detects deformation of the robot body; an eye generating unit that generates an eye image and displays the eye image in a face area of ​​the robot; When a first deformation state of the robot body is detected, the eye generating unit generates the eye in a first state. The eye image is changed, and when a second deformation state of the robot body different from the first deformation state is detected, the eye image is displayed in a second state different from the first state. A robot characterized by changing the eye image.

2. The eye generating unit determines, as the deformation mode, one or more of a deformation direction, a deformation amount, and a deformation speed.

2. The robot of claim 1, wherein the eye image is changed based on the

3. A motion control unit is provided for selecting the motion of the robot. The operation control unit controls the deformation of the robot body after the change in the eye image is started. When the state satisfies a predetermined condition, a motion corresponding to the deformation state is selected.

3. The robot according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The motion selected when the predetermined condition is met is a motion that drives the head of the robot.

4. The robot according to claim 3, characterized in that the motion is

5. An operation history management section that records the deformation state of the robot body over time as an operation history. , The eye generating unit changes the eye image in accordance with the operation history.

5. The robot according to any one of 1 to 4.

6. A motion control unit that selects the motion of the robot; An operation history management unit that records the deformation state of the robot body over time as an operation history; , The motion control unit changes a motion according to the operation history. Item 6. The robot according to any one of items 1 to 5.

7. 7. The robot according to claim 5, wherein the operation history includes a duration of a transformation state. Bot.

8. The operation detection unit detects a deformation of a convex portion provided in a face area of ​​the robot body. The robot according to any one of claims 1 to 7,

9. the protrusion is a protrusion provided on a portion of the robot body that corresponds to a nose, 9. The robot according to claim 8, wherein the operation detection unit detects deformation of the protrusion. to.

10. a posture determination unit for determining a posture of the robot; The eye movement is performed under the condition that the posture determination unit determines that the user is lifting up the robot. Any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the generation unit changes the eye image in accordance with the deformation mode.

2. The robot according to claim 1 .

11. When the deformation mode is a first deformation mode, the eye generation unit generates an eye shape corresponding to the first deformation mode. Varying the eye image in a first eye image configuration; When the modification is a second modification different from the first modification, the second modification 2. The robot according to claim 1, wherein the eye image is changed in a second eye image mode according to the second eye image mode. Yat.

12. An operation detection unit that detects deformation of the robot body; an eye generating unit that generates an eye image and displays the eye image in a face area of ​​the robot; When a deformation of the robot body is detected, the eye generation unit generates an eye in a manner corresponding to the deformation. Varying the eye image; The operation detection unit detects a deformation of a convex portion provided in a face area of ​​the robot main body, the protrusion is a protrusion provided on a portion of the robot body that corresponds to a nose, The robot is characterized in that the operation detection unit detects deformation of the protrusion.

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