Robot device and information processing device

Abstract

A robot device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises an input reception unit configured to be capable of receiving input relating to the robot device, an expression content determination unit configured to be capable of determining a set of expression contents that are associated with each other and that indicate a response of the robot device to the input, and a signal generation unit configured to be capable of generating an instruction signal that causes a device other than the robot device to execute an operation corresponding to a part of the set of expression contents.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a robotic device and an information processing device. [Background technology]

[0002] Regarding a robot device that can interact with a user, there is a technology that detects an utterance by the user and controls the facial expression of the robot device in response to the utterance (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-289508 Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technology of Patent Document 1 is considered suitable for application to humanoid robots, and by controlling facial expressions, it helps the user recognize that the robot device has detected the user's speech, and that the robot device is speaking in response to the user's speech.

[0005] However, the expressions produced by robotic devices tend to be dull. Adding a function dedicated to expression to a robotic device to expand the range of possible expressions is not always possible due to size and cost constraints.

[0006] Therefore, it is desirable to provide a robot device and an information processing device that can appropriately express a response to an input.

[0007] A robot device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes an input receiving unit configured to be able to receive input to the robot device, an expression content determination unit configured to be able to determine a set of associated expression contents that indicate a response of the robot device to the input, and a signal generation unit configured to be able to generate an instruction signal that causes a device other than the robot device to perform an action corresponding to a part of the set of expression contents. An information processing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes an input receiving unit configured to receive input to a robot device, an expression content determination unit configured to determine a set of associated expression contents that indicate a response to the input, a signal generation unit configured to generate an instruction signal that causes a device other than the robot device to perform an action corresponding to a part of the set of expression contents, and an operation control unit configured to generate a control signal that causes the robot device to perform an action corresponding to a part of the set of expression contents excluding the part. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a robot device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure, and shows the relationship between the robot device and other devices that can cooperate with the robot device. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a control system of the robot device according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the basic operation of the control system according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the specific contents of S106 (expression content generation process) in the flowchart shown in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a robot device according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure, and shows the relationship between the robot device and other devices that can cooperate with the robot device. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the basic operation of the control system of the robot device according to the embodiment. [Figure 7]FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a robot device according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure, and shows the relationship between the robot device and other devices that can cooperate with the robot device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The embodiment described below is a specific example of the present disclosure, and is not intended to limit the technology of the present disclosure to the specific aspects described below. Furthermore, the arrangement, dimensions, and dimensional ratios of each component in the following embodiment are not limited to the examples shown in the drawings.

[0010] The explanation will be given in the following order. 1. First embodiment 1.1.Configuration of the robot device 1.2.Control System Configuration 1.3.Basic operation of the robot device 1.4. Flowchart explanation 1.5. Action and Effects 2. Second embodiment 3. Third embodiment 4. Summary

[0011] 1. First Embodiment (1.1. Configuration of the robot device) FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a robot device 1A according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure, and shows the relationship between the robot device 1A and other devices 201 to 203 that can cooperate with the robot device 1A.

[0012] In this embodiment, the robot device 1A has a function of interpreting the content of utterances made by the user U1 and is capable of interacting with the user U1 through dialogue. The robot device 1A may be a stationary type or a mobile type. If the robot device 1A is a mobile type, it may be equipped with wheels or legs. Examples of the robot device 1A equipped with wheels include a vehicle-type robot device, and examples of the robot device 1A equipped with legs include a living body-type robot device. The stationary type robot device 1A can be provided with joints or the like to change its posture or orientation, thereby enabling the robot device 1A to diversify its expressions.

[0013] The robot device 1A includes a robot body 11, a microphone 12, a camera 13, and various sensors 14 as input units, and a speaker 15 and a light source 16 as output units. The elements constituting the input unit and the output unit are not limited to these specific examples. The input unit detects an action by a user U1 to the robot device 1A, and the output unit outputs a response from the robot device 1A to the action by the user U1. In this embodiment, the input unit is capable of detecting auditory, visual, and tactile actions, and the output unit is capable of outputting an auditory and visual response to the action. The action by the user U1 corresponds to the "input to the robot device" in this embodiment.

[0014] The robot main body 11 is recognized by the user U1 as the person with whom the user U1 will interact, and is equipped with a housing in which input units such as a microphone 12 and output units such as a speaker 15, which will be described below, are installed, and also has a built-in calculation unit that performs predetermined calculations and a communication unit that communicates with the control system 101.

[0015] The microphone 12 detects an auditory action by the user U1, for example, an utterance by the user U1.

[0016] The camera 13 detects visual actions by the user U1, for example, the facial expression of the user U1.

[0017] The various sensors 14 detect tactile actions by the user U1, for example, contact of the user U1 with the robot body 11. An example of the sensor 14 that can be employed is a contact sensor.

[0018] The speaker 15 outputs a response to an action by the user U1 auditorily, for example, by voice.

[0019] The light source 16 visually outputs a response to an action by the user U1, for example, by a flashing pattern of light or a change in color. In this embodiment, an LED light source capable of emitting light of one or more colors is used as the light source 16, but the light source 16 is not limited to this and may be configured to display an image. In this case, the light source 16 may be, for example, a display capable of displaying an image simulating the shape of an organ (e.g., an eye) of a human or other living body.

[0020] The robot device 1A is communicatively connected to the control system 101, transmits information detected by an input unit such as a microphone 12 to the control system 101, and receives control signals from the control system 101 to operate in accordance with the instructions indicated by the control signals. The operations in accordance with the instructions from the control system 101 include those performed by the robot device 1A via the speaker 15 and the light source 16.

[0021] The control system 101 receives information transmitted by the robot apparatus 1A and, based on the information, determines a set of expressions that indicate the response of the robot apparatus 1A to an action by the user U1, i.e., an input made by the user U1. In this embodiment, the set of expressions includes both expressions that are expressed as the movement of the robot apparatus 1A itself and expressions that are expressed as the movement of another device (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a "cooperative device") configured to be able to cooperate with the robot apparatus 1A. The auditory expression by the speaker 15 and the visual expression by the light source 16 described above both correspond to expressions made by the robot apparatus 1A itself.

[0022] The control system 101 generates and outputs control or instruction signals for the robot device 1A and the linked devices 201-203 based on the determined expression content. In this embodiment, a lighting device 201, an audio device 202, and a display device 203 are employed as the linked devices. When the robot device 1A is used at home, an example of the lighting device 201 that can be employed is a ceiling lamp in the room where the robot device 1A is installed or in another room. Furthermore, an audio speaker can be exemplified as the audio device 202, and a television or a personal computer display can be exemplified as the display device 203. In this embodiment, the audio device 202 and the display device 203 are embodied as separate devices, but these functions can also be integrated into a single device. In this case, examples of the other devices include a smartphone and a tablet computer.

[0023] The lighting device 201, the sound device 202, and the display device 203 operate in accordance with instructions indicated by control signals from the control system 101, and display other contents from a set of display contents determined by the control system 101, excluding those performed by the robot device 1A.

[0024] (1.2. Control System Configuration) FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a control system 101 of the robot device 1A according to this embodiment.

[0025] The control system 101 can be built into the main body 11 of the robot apparatus 1A, or can be installed in a location other than the robot apparatus 1A. In the former case, the control system 101 can be implemented by a microcomputer included in the robot apparatus 1A, and the robot apparatus 1A has, for example, a storage unit in which a computer program including instructions for operating the microcomputer as the control system 101 is pre-stored. On the other hand, in the latter case, the control system 101 can be implemented by a server computer installed in a location remote from the robot apparatus 1A. The robot apparatus 1A and the control system 101 can be configured to be able to communicate with each other via wired or wireless communication. FIG. 2 shows an example in which the control system 101 is implemented by a server computer, where the control system 101 is placed on a so-called cloud and is connected to the robot apparatus 1A via a network N such as the Internet, allowing them to communicate with each other.

[0026] The control system 101 includes an input receiving unit 111 , a display content determining unit 121 , and a signal generating unit 131 .

[0027] The input receiving unit 111 is configured to be able to receive input to the robot apparatus 1A. In this embodiment, the input receiving unit 111 is embodied as an input port of a server computer, and receives detection signals from an input unit of the robot apparatus 1A, such as the microphone 12. This enables the input receiving unit 111 to acquire an indicator indicating an action by the user U1 on the robot apparatus 1A.

[0028] The expression content determination unit 121 is configured to be able to determine a set of expression contents that indicate the response of the robot apparatus 1A to an action by the user U1, that is, an input made by the user U1. This set of expression contents are associated with each other and may express the emotion that the robot apparatus 1A has in response to the input made by the user U1 (the emotion of the robot apparatus 1A), or may reflect the emotion of the user U1 that the robot apparatus 1A observes through the input made by the user U1.

[0029] In this embodiment, the expression content is determined as a response to an input made by the user U1, but the expression content is not limited to this and can also be determined as a response to an input made through a path other than the interaction between the robot device 1A and the user U1. As an example, a set of expression contents may be associated with each other to present a situation in which the user U1 is placed, and the control system 101 can acquire the input via the network N. An example of an input that can be adopted in this case is an alarm such as an emergency earthquake warning.

[0030] The expression content determination unit 121 includes a learning calculation unit 122 , an operation mode setting unit 123 , a user attribute determination unit 124 , and a user situation determination unit 125 .

[0031] The learning calculation unit 122 has a machine learning function and determines a set of expression contents based on inputs (e.g., detection signals from the microphone 12) that the robot device 1A acquires through interaction with the user U1 and inputs (e.g., emergency earthquake alerts) that the robot device 1A acquires through a route other than interaction with the user U1.

[0032] The operation mode setting unit 123 sets the operation mode of the robot apparatus 1A. In this embodiment, a plurality of operation modes are set, and the plurality of operation modes can be switched according to the selection or preference of the user U1. In this embodiment, an operation mode that expresses the emotion or personality that the robot apparatus 1A is to have is set as the operation mode of the robot apparatus 1A.

[0033] The user attribute determination unit 124 determines the attributes of the user U1, such as the gender or personality of the user U1.

[0034] The user situation determination unit 125 determines the situation that the user U1 is in. For example, based on an emergency earthquake alert, it determines that there is a possibility that an earthquake of a magnitude that requires caution will occur in the location where the user U1 is.

[0035] The learning calculation unit 122 can change the specific content of the expression when determining it, depending on the operation mode of the robot device 1A, the attributes of the user U1 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "user attributes"), and the situation in which the user U1 is placed (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "user situation").

[0036] The signal generating unit 131 generates a control signal that causes devices other than the robot apparatus 1A, i.e., the cooperative devices 201 to 203, to perform an action corresponding to a part of the set of expression contents. In addition, the signal generating unit 131 generates a control signal that causes the robot apparatus 1A itself to perform an action corresponding to a part of the set of expression contents excluding the part. In other words, the signal generating unit 131 causes the response of the robot apparatus 1A to the input made by the user U1 to be expressed not only by the robot apparatus 1A but also by the robot apparatus 1A and the other devices 201 to 203 in cooperation with each other.

[0037] The signal generation unit 131 includes a dialogue generation unit 132, a main expression generation unit 133, and a linked expression generation unit .

[0038] The dialogue generation unit 132 generates a control signal for causing the robot apparatus 1A to make an utterance as a response to an input from among a set of expression contents.

[0039] The main body expression generating unit 133 generates a control signal for causing the robot apparatus 1A to execute an action that involves a change in its posture, direction, or position in response to an input, from among a set of expression contents.

[0040] The linked expression generation unit 134 generates a control signal for causing the linked devices 201 to 203 to execute a predetermined operation in response to an input from among a set of expression contents. In response to this, the lighting device 201 can repeatedly blink in a predetermined pattern, the audio device 202 can play predetermined music, and the display device 203 can display a predetermined message on a display.

[0041] The input receiving unit 111 corresponds to the "input receiving unit" according to this embodiment, the expression content determining unit 121 corresponds to the "expression content determining unit" according to this embodiment, and the signal generating unit 131 corresponds to the "signal generating unit" according to this embodiment. The dialogue generating unit 132 and the main body expression generating unit 133 correspond to the "movement control unit" according to this embodiment, and in this embodiment, the "movement control unit" is incorporated into the "signal generating unit." The operation mode setting unit 123 provided in the expression content determining unit 121 corresponds to the "operation mode setting unit" according to this embodiment, and the user attribute determining unit 124 corresponds to the "user attribute determining unit" according to this embodiment.

[0042] (1.3. Basic Operation of Robot Device) The robot device 1A operates in cooperation with other devices 201 to 203 based on an action by the user U1, that is, a set of expressions indicating the response of the robot device 1A to an input made by the user U1. Here, the robot device 1A performs an action that expresses the emotion that the robot device 1A has in response to the input made by the user U1, or performs an action that reflects the emotion of the user U1 that the robot device 1A observes through the input made by the user U1, and also performs an action that reflects the emotion of the user U1 that the robot device 1A observes through the input made by the user U1. The robot 1A may perform actions that encourage the user U1 to recognize the situation that the user U1 is in. When determining the specific content of the expression, the control system 101 refers to the operation mode, user attributes, and user situation of the robot 1A, and as a result, the robot 1A may perform different responses or actions in response to the same action by the user U1.

[0043] When the robot apparatus 1A performs an action to express the emotion it feels in response to an input from the user U1 (the emotion of the robot apparatus 1A), for example, to express a happy emotion, the robot apparatus 1A utters "Yay!" through the speaker 15 of the robot apparatus 1A, turns on the light through the lighting device 201, and plays cheerful music through the sound device 202. Furthermore, to express a sad emotion, the robot apparatus A1 utters "Sobbing sobbing..." and dims the light and plays sad music, and to express an angry emotion, the robot apparatus A1 utters "I don't know anymore!" and stops the operations of all the linked devices 201 to 203, including the lighting device 201.

[0044] When the robot device 1A performs an action that reflects the emotion of the user U1 that the robot device 1A observes through the input made by the user U1, for example, as an action that reflects a happy emotion, the robot device 1A may utter "Did something good happen? Tell me!" through the speaker 15 of the robot device 1A and play a drum roll sound source through the sound device 202, or as an action that reflects a sad emotion, the robot device 1A may utter "Cheer up!" and turn on the lights through the lighting device 201 and play music by an artist that the user U1 likes through the sound device 202.

[0045] When the robot device 1A performs an action to encourage the user U1 to recognize the situation in which the user U1 is placed, for example, as an action to encourage the user U1 to recognize that there is a possibility of an earthquake of a magnitude that requires caution, the robot device 1A makes repeated busy movements while uttering "Danger, an earthquake is coming!" through the speaker 15 of the robot device 1A, while also playing a voice message saying "Hide under the desk" through the audio device 202 and displaying a message saying "Earthquake Early Warning Received" through the display device 203. Furthermore, as an action to encourage the user U1 to recognize that they have stayed up late, the robot device 1A utters "Let's go to bed now, we have school tomorrow," while dimming the lights and playing music that induces sleep, and as an action to encourage the user U1 to recognize that their child has a fever, the robot device 1A utters "X-chan might not be feeling well..." while blinking the lights.

[0046] For example, when the robot apparatus 1A performs an action that expresses its own emotion, the robot apparatus 1A can change the specific content of its utterance depending on whether the robot apparatus 1A is in a "cute" action mode or a "spoiled" action mode. Furthermore, when the robot apparatus 1A performs an action that reflects the emotion of the user U1, the robot apparatus 1A can change the specific content of its utterance depending on whether the user U1 is male or female, and when performing an action that prompts the user U1 to recognize a situation, the robot apparatus 1A can provide an expression that emphasizes utterance over a message to a visually impaired user U1, or can provide an expression that emphasizes a message over utterance to a hearing impaired user U1.

[0047] (1.4. Flowchart explanation) FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the basic operation of the control system 101 according to this embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the specific contents of S106 (expression content generation process) in the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0048] In this embodiment, the control routine shown in the flowchart of FIG. 3 is executed by the control system 101 at predetermined time intervals while the robot apparatus 1A is powered on, and the process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 4 is executed by the control system 101 as a subroutine of the control routine shown in FIG. 1 is executed.

[0049] In S101, various user inputs are read in. In this embodiment, detection signals from the microphone 12, the camera 13, and the various sensors 14 are read as user inputs.

[0050] In S102, external information is read in. The external information can be read, for example, via the network N. The external information includes warnings such as an emergency earthquake alert (that is, the user's situation).

[0051] In S103, it is determined whether the front start activation condition is met. If the front start activation condition is met, the process proceeds to S104, and if not, the control in this routine is terminated.

[0052] In S104, the operation mode of the robot apparatus 1A is read.

[0053] In S105, the attributes of the user U1 (user attributes) are determined.

[0054] Here, the emotions of user U1 can be observed as user attributes in the following manner: by performing speech recognition processing and natural language processing on the voice detected by the microphone 12 to determine the joy, anger, sadness, or happiness of user U1, by processing the voice detected by the microphone 12 (by processing using a neural network or by extracting features) to determine the joy, anger, sadness, or happiness of user U1 from the tone of the voice, or by processing the image detected by the camera 13 (by processing using a neural network or by extracting features) to determine the joy, anger, sadness, or happiness of user U1 from facial expressions.

[0055] In S106, a set of display contents is determined.

[0056] When determining the content of the expression, the emotion that the robot apparatus 1A should have can be determined as follows: If the contact sensor 14 detects that the robot apparatus 1A is being stroked, the robot apparatus 1A may be determined to be feeling happy, and if the microphone 12 detects that the user U1 is scolding the robot apparatus 1A from the tone of his / her speech, the robot apparatus 1A may be determined to be feeling sad.

[0057] In S107, a control signal corresponding to the determined expression is generated, and the robot apparatus 1A and the cooperative apparatuses 201 to 203 are instructed to express a response.

[0058] Moving on to the flowchart shown in FIG. 4, in S201, other devices 201 to 203 that can be cooperated with are determined according to the expression content.

[0059] In S202, the content of the utterance to be made by the robot apparatus 1A itself is generated as part of the content of expression.

[0060] In S203, a motion to be performed by the robot apparatus 1A itself is generated as another part of the expression content.

[0061] In S204, the actions to be performed by the linked devices 201 to 203 are generated as yet another part of the content to be displayed.

[0062] The specific content of the motion generated by the processing of S202 to S204 is as described above in the explanation of the basic motion of the robot apparatus 1A.

[0063] (1.5. Actions and Effects) There is a technology for a robot device that can interact with a user, which detects an utterance by the user and controls the facial expression of the robot device in response to the utterance. The above-mentioned Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that is preferable for application to a humanoid robot, in which facial expression is controlled to encourage the user to recognize that the robot device has detected the utterance by the user, or that the robot device is making an utterance in response to the utterance by the user.

[0064] However, the expressions produced by robotic devices tend to be dull and are essentially achieved by utilizing or repurposing the functions already provided by the robotic device itself, which limits the range of expressions possible. While it would be possible to expand the range of expressions possible by adding dedicated expression functions to the robotic device, this is not always possible due to size and cost constraints. This problem is particularly pronounced in consumer products.

[0065] In contrast to this, in this embodiment, an input to the robot apparatus 1A is received, and a set of mutually associated expression contents that indicate the robot apparatus 1A's response to the input is determined. Then, among the set of expression contents, actions corresponding to a part of the set of expression contents are executed by the cooperative apparatuses 201 to 203, which are apparatuses other than the robot apparatus 1A, and actions corresponding to the other part are executed by the robot apparatus 1A.

[0066] In this way, by making it possible to express a response to an input via a device other than the robot apparatus 1A, it becomes possible to express a response beyond the range that can be expressed by the robot apparatus 1A itself, that is, beyond the limits of the functions of the robot apparatus 1A itself. This makes it possible for the robot apparatus 1A to appropriately express a response, thereby improving the impact on the user experience (UX).

[0067] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the robot apparatus 1A itself performs an action corresponding to a part of the set of expression contents. Therefore, the robot apparatus 1A and the other apparatuses 201 to 203 cooperate to execute the expression of a response to an input, and not only can the response be appropriately expressed, but also the user U1 can be made to recognize that the expression is a response to an input by the user U1.

[0068] 2. Second Embodiment FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a robot apparatus 1B according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure, and illustrates the relationship between the robot apparatus 1B and other apparatuses 2, 201 to 203 that can cooperate with the robot apparatus 1B.

[0069] In this embodiment, a robot device 2 capable of interacting through dialogue with a user U2 is employed as a collaborative device other than the robot device 1B, in addition to a lighting device 201, a sound device 202, and a display device 203. The robot device 1B, which a user (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a "sending user") U1 faces, and the robot device (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a "cooperative robot device") 2, which a user (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a "receiving user") U2 faces, may be the same type of robot device and may have the same configuration. Although FIG. 5 shows the sending user U1 and the receiving user U2 as different users, the two users U1 and U2 may be the same user. The sending user U1 corresponds to the "first user" in this embodiment, and the receiving user U2 corresponds to the "second user" in this embodiment.

[0070] In this embodiment, responses to requests or inputs from the originating user U1 are made by the cooperating robot apparatus 2 and the cooperating apparatuses 201 to 203, which are different from the robot apparatus 1B. The robot device 1B and the cooperating robot device 2 may be placed in the same room or different rooms in a single building, or may be placed in locations remote from each other, for example, in different buildings. Similarly, the cooperating devices 201 to 203 may be placed in the same room or different rooms in a single building relative to the cooperating robot device 2, or may be placed in locations remote from each other, such as in different buildings. The robot device 1B and the cooperating robot device 2 may be configured to be able to communicate with each other wirelessly or via wires.

[0071] The control system 101 can be built into the main bodies 11 of the robot devices 1B, 2, or can be installed in a location other than the robot devices 1B, 2. When built into the main bodies 11 of the robot devices 1B, 2, the control system 101 can have the functions of the input receiving unit 111, the expression content determining unit 121, and the signal generating unit 131 (FIG. 2) integrated into one of the robot devices 1B, 2, or can be distributed between both robot devices 1B, 2. Furthermore, the control system 101 can be placed on a so-called cloud and connected to both robot devices 1B, 2 via a network N such as the Internet.

[0072] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the user attribute discrimination unit 124 and the user situation determination unit 125 provided in the expression content determination unit 121 of the control system 101 are capable of discriminating the attributes of the originating user U1 and determining the situation in which the originating user U1 is placed, and are also capable of discriminating the attributes of the receiving user U2 and determining the situation in which the receiving user U2 is placed.

[0073] For example, when determining the attributes of the originating user U1, the control system 101 can change the specific expression content when responding to the receiving user U2 according to the attributes of the originating user U1. Specifically, the response to an input made by the originating user U1, who is a grandchild, can be expressed with a sweet or cute nuance toward the receiving user U2, who is a grandparent. For example, the control system 101 can add a cute nuance to the action of the collaborative robot device 2, such as shaking the main body 11 from side to side. Furthermore, the expression content can be changed depending on whether the originating user U1 is male or female. For example, if the originating user U1 is female, the speech made by the robot device 2 can be changed to a higher pitch.

[0074] Furthermore, when determining the attributes of the receiving user U2, the control system 101 can change the specific content of the expression when responding to the receiving user U2 according to the attributes of the receiving user U2, for example, if the receiving user U2 is elderly, the robot device 2 can slow down the speech speed or increase the speech volume. As mentioned above, it is of course possible to provide a speech-oriented expression to a visually impaired receiving user U2, or a message-oriented expression to a hearing impaired receiving user U2.

[0075] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the basic operation of the control system 101 of the robot device 1B according to this embodiment.

[0076] 3, in this embodiment, after determining the attributes of the originating user U1 in S105, the attributes of the receiving user U2 are determined in S301. Then, in S106, the content of the expression is determined while referring to the attributes of the originating user U1 and the receiving user U2, and in S107, a control signal is generated according to the determined content of the expression.

[0077] According to this embodiment, it is possible to express a more appropriate response to the receiving user U2, who is different from the sending user U1 who is making an appeal to the robot apparatus 1A.

[0078] 3. Third Embodiment FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a robot device 1C according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure, and shows the relationship between the robot device 1C and other devices 3, 201 to 203 that can cooperate with the robot device 1C.

[0079] In this embodiment, in addition to a lighting device 201, a sound device 202, and a display device 203, a robot device (cooperating robot device) 3 capable of interacting with the robot device 1C is employed as a cooperating device other than the robot device 1C. The interaction between the robot device 1C and the cooperating robot device 3 may be achieved by wireless or wired communication, or by a medium recognizable by the user U1, such as voice. The cooperating robot device 3 may also be configured to be capable of interacting with the user U1, similar to the robot device 1C.

[0080] In this embodiment, when the user U1 approaches the robot apparatus 1C and it is difficult for the robot apparatus 1C and its control system 101 to respond to the request, i.e., to decide what to express, or when confirmation of the decision is required, the robot apparatus 1C makes an inquiry to the cooperating robot apparatus 3. This inquiry may be made in any manner, but in this embodiment, the inquiry is made by voice, which is a medium that can be recognized by the user U1. The inquiry made by the robot apparatus 1C to the cooperating robot apparatus 3 corresponds to the "instruction signal" in this embodiment. When the cooperating robot apparatus 3 detects the inquiry, it interprets the content of the inquiry and responds to the user U1 on behalf of the robot apparatus 1C.

[0081] For example, in response to a question from user U1 to robot device 1C, "How tall is Tokyo Sky Tree?", robot device 1C outputs a voice to user U1 saying, "I'll ask Mr. / Ms. X," and also makes an inquiry to the cooperating robot device 3, "Mr. / Ms. X, how tall is Tokyo Sky Tree?" In response to this, the cooperating robot device 3 replies, "The height of Tokyo Sky Tree is 634 m," as the answer that should be given by robot device 1C to the question from user U1.

[0082] The question that user U1 asks the robot device 1C corresponds to the "input to the robot device" in this embodiment, and the utterance made by the robot device 1C in response to the question and the reply made by the cooperating robot device 3 correspond to the "response" in this embodiment.

[0083] In this way, the robot device 1C and the collaborative robot device 3 can cooperate to express a response to an input made by the user U1, thereby enabling a more accurate response than when the robot device 1C responds alone, and diversifying the expressions that can be expressed.

[0084] <4. Summary> The embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above in detail with reference to the drawings. According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, it is possible for a robot device to express a response beyond the range that can be expressed by the robot device itself, and it is possible for the robot device to appropriately express a response, thereby improving the impact on the user experience (UX).

[0085] Furthermore, not all of the configurations and operations described in each embodiment are necessarily essential to the configurations and operations of the present disclosure. For example, among the components in each embodiment, any component that is not recited in an independent claim that represents the highest concept of the present disclosure is understood to be an optional component.

[0086] Terms used throughout this specification and the appended claims should be interpreted as "open-ended" terms. For example, the terms "including" or "including" should be interpreted as "limited to the aspects described as including," and the term "having" should be interpreted as "limited to the aspects described as having."

[0087] The terms used in this specification are used merely for the convenience of description and are not intended to limit the configuration, operation, etc. For example, terms such as "right," "left," "upper," and "lower" merely indicate directions in the drawings to which reference should be made. Furthermore, terms such as "inner" and "outer" indicate directions toward and away from the center of a focused element, respectively. The same applies to terms similar to or having the same meaning as these terms.

[0088] The technology of the present disclosure may have the following configuration. According to the technology of the present disclosure having the following configuration, it is possible to provide a robot device and an information processing device that can appropriately express a response to an input. The effects achieved by the technology of the present disclosure are not necessarily limited to these, and may be any of the effects described in this specification. (1) A robotic device comprising: an input receiving unit configured to be able to receive input to the robotic device; an expression content determining unit configured to be able to determine a set of associated expression contents that indicate the robotic device's response to the input; and a signal generating unit configured to be able to generate an instruction signal that causes a device other than the robotic device to perform an action corresponding to a part of the set of expression contents. (2) The robot device according to (1) above, further comprising an operation control unit configured to generate a control signal that causes the robot device to perform an operation corresponding to a part of the set of expression contents excluding the part. (3) The robot device according to (2) above, wherein the action according to the other part involves a change in posture, orientation, or position of the robot device. (4) The robot device according to any one of (1) to (3) above, wherein the input is an input made by a user. (5) The robot device according to (4) above, wherein the set of expression contents are associated with each other as expressing the emotions that the robot device has in response to the input. (6) The robot device of (4) above, wherein the set of expressions are associated with each other as reflecting the emotions of the user observed by the robot device through the input. (7) The robot device of any one of (1) to (3) above, wherein the input is an input made through a path other than an interaction between the robot device and a user. (8) The robot device of (7) above, wherein the set of expressions are associated with each other as presenting a situation in which the user is placed. (9) The robot device according to (8) above, wherein the set of display contents includes an alarm. (10) A robot device according to any one of (1) to (9) above, further comprising a user attribute determination unit configured to be able to determine the attributes of a user, and the expression content determination unit changes the expression content according to the attributes. (11) The robot device of (10) above, wherein the input is an input made by a first user, the user receiving the expression from the other device is a second user different from the first user, and the user attribute determination unit determines the attributes of the first user. (12) The robot device of (10) above, wherein the input is an input made by a first user, the user receiving the expression from the other device is a second user different from the first user, and the user attribute determination unit determines the attributes of the second user. (13) The robot device according to any one of (1) to (11) above, further comprising an operation mode setting unit configured to be able to set an operation mode of the robot device, and the expression content determination unit changes the expression content depending on the operation mode. (14) The robot device according to any one of (1) to (13) above, wherein the signal generating unit generates an inquiry to the other device as the instruction signal. (15) The inquiry is made by voice from the robot device of (14) above. (16) An information processing device comprising: an input receiving unit configured to receive input to a robot device; an expression content determination unit configured to determine a set of associated expression contents that indicate a response to the input; a signal generation unit configured to generate an instruction signal that causes a device other than the robot device to perform an action corresponding to a part of the set of expression contents; and an operation control unit configured to generate a control signal that causes the robot device to perform an action corresponding to a part of the set of expression contents excluding the part.

[0089] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-162193, filed on September 28, 2020, in the Japan Patent Office, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0090] Those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications, combinations, subcombinations, and variations may occur depending on design requirements and other factors, and are intended to be within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. an input receiving unit configured to be able to receive input made by a user to the robot device; an expression content determination unit configured to determine a set of associated expression contents that indicate a response of the robot device to the input; a signal generating unit configured to generate an instruction signal for causing a device other than the robot device to perform an action corresponding to a part of the set of expression contents; an action control unit configured to generate a control signal for causing the robot device to execute an action corresponding to a part of the set of expression contents excluding the part; Equipped with The set of expression contents is executed for the user in cooperation between the robot device and the other device. Robotic device.

2. the action according to the other part involves a change in posture, orientation, or position of the robot device; The robotic device according to claim 1 .

3. The set of expression contents are associated with each other as expressions expressing emotions felt by the robot device in response to the input. The robotic device according to claim 1 .

4. The set of expression contents are associated with each other to reflect the emotions of the user observed by the robotic device through the input. The robotic device according to claim 1 .

5. the input includes an input made through a path other than an interaction between the robotic device and the user; The robotic device according to claim 1 .

6. The set of expressions are associated with each other to represent a situation in which the user is placed. The robot device according to claim 5 .

7. The set of display contents includes an alarm. The robotic device according to claim 6.

8. Further comprising a user attribute determination unit configured to be able to determine the attribute of the user, the expression content determination unit changes the expression content in accordance with the attribute. The robotic device according to claim 1 .

9. the input is an input made by a first user as the user, the user receiving the expression from the other device is a second user different from the first user; The user attribute determination unit determines an attribute of the first user. The robotic device according to claim 8.

10. the input is an input made by a first user as the user, the user receiving the expression from the other device is a second user different from the first user; The user attribute determination unit determines an attribute of the second user. The robotic device according to claim 8.

11. further comprising an operation mode setting unit configured to be able to set an operation mode of the robot device; the expression content determination unit changes the expression content in accordance with the operation mode. The robotic device according to claim 1 .

12. the signal generation unit generates an inquiry to the other device as the instruction signal; The robotic device according to claim 1 .

13. The inquiry is made by voice, The robotic device according to claim 12.

14. an input receiving unit configured to be able to receive input made by a user to the robot device; an expression content determination unit configured to determine a set of associated expression contents that indicate a response to the input; a signal generating unit configured to generate an instruction signal for causing a device other than the robot device to perform an action corresponding to a part of the set of expression contents; an action control unit configured to generate a control signal that causes the robot device to execute an action corresponding to a part of the set of expression contents excluding the part; and Equipped with The set of expression contents is executed for the user in cooperation between the robot device and the other device. Information processing device.

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