Robot, robot control method, and robot control program

Abstract

In this robot, etc., even when radio communication between a robot control device and the robot is interrupted, the robot control device can be notified of the interruption. This robot, etc., receives a control command for a robot control device by wireless communication, and is characterized in that the control command is received by wireless communication, the robot, etc., is equipped with a microphone and a speaker, voice communication is performed using the microphone and the speaker, the robot, etc., is equipped with a camera, body language using the camera and the body of the robot is performed, and communication with another robot is executed using voice communication or body language.

Description

Robot, Robot Control Method, and Robot Control Program

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

[0002] Development of robots remotely operated by wireless communication has been underway (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2023-112850

[0004] The robot according to the first aspect of the present disclosure is a robot that receives a control command from a robot control device by wireless communication, and includes a wireless communication unit that receives the control command by wireless communication, a voice communication unit that is equipped with a microphone and a speaker and performs voice communication using the microphone and the speaker, a body gauge unit that is equipped with a camera and performs a body gauge using the camera and the body of the robot, and a control unit that executes communication with another robot using the voice communication unit or the body gauge unit.

[0005] The second aspect of the present disclosure may further include an alarm generation unit that generates an alarm around the robot to notify the interruption when the communication between the wireless communication unit and the robot control device is interrupted in the robot according to the first aspect.

[0006] The third aspect of the present disclosure is the robot according to the second aspect, in which the robot is equipped with a sensor that measures the presence or absence of other robots around the own robot and the distance between the own robot and other robots, and acquires the measurement result of the sensor as measurement data, and further includes a robot presence determination unit that determines whether there is another robot that has not issued an alarm around the robot based on the measurement data. The control unit may execute communication with another robot using the voice communication unit or the body gauge unit when the communication between the wireless communication unit and the robot control device is interrupted and the robot presence determination unit determines that there is another robot that has not issued an alarm around the robot.

[0007] A fourth aspect of this disclosure is a robot according to the third aspect, further comprising a selection unit that selects either a voice communication unit or a body language unit based on measurement data, and the control unit may use the one selected by the selection unit to communicate with other robots.

[0008] A fifth aspect of this disclosure is that, in a robot according to the second aspect, the control unit may communicate with other robots that have responded to an alarm using a voice communication unit.

[0009] A sixth aspect of this disclosure is that, in a robot according to the second aspect, the control unit may use a wireless communication unit to report to the robot control unit that there is another robot that is generating an alarm.

[0010] A seventh aspect of this disclosure is a robot according to the sixth aspect, wherein the control unit may, when it receives a control command for another robot, transmit the control command to the other robot using a voice communication unit or a body language unit.

[0011] A robot control method according to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure is a robot control method for a robot that receives a control command from a robot control device via wireless communication, characterized in that the robot is made to perform: a wireless communication step of receiving a control command via wireless communication; a voice communication step of being equipped with a microphone and a speaker and performing voice communication using the microphone and speaker; a body language step of being equipped with a camera and performing body language using the camera and the robot's body; and a control step of performing communication with another robot in the voice communication step or the body language step.

[0012] A robot control program according to the ninth aspect of this disclosure is a robot control program for a robot that receives control commands for a robot control device via wireless communication, characterized in that the robot has a wireless communication function for receiving control commands via wireless communication, a voice communication function for which it is equipped with a microphone and a speaker and performs voice communication using the microphone and speaker, a body language function for which it is equipped with a camera and performs body language using the camera and the body of the robot, and a control function for which it performs communication with other robots in the voice communication function or the body language function.

[0013] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operating environment of the robot according to this embodiment. Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating an overview of this disclosure in accordance with this embodiment. Figure 3 is an external view of the robot according to this embodiment. Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the mechanism control of the robot according to this embodiment. Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the controller of the robot according to this embodiment. Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the function of the voice communication unit of the robot according to this embodiment. Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating the function of the body language unit of the robot according to this embodiment. Figures 8(a) to 8(c) are diagrams illustrating an example of communication between robots according to this embodiment. Figure 9 is an example of a flowchart of the robot control program according to this embodiment. Figure 10 is an example of a flowchart of the robot control program according to another embodiment.

[0014] (Introduction to the description of the robot 10 according to this embodiment) Conventionally, robots 10 that are remotely controlled by wireless communication have been developed. In a robot 10 that is remotely controlled by wireless communication, wireless communication is mediated between the robot control device 9 and the robot 10 (see Figure 1). Wireless communication may be interrupted at some point, and this is no exception in wireless communication between the robot control device 9 and the robot 10. If wireless communication between the robot control device 9 and the robot 10 is interrupted, the robot control device 9 does not know what state the remotely controlled robot 10 is in. Therefore, according to one embodiment of this disclosure, it is possible to provide a robot 10 that is remotely controlled by wireless communication, a robot control method, and a robot control program that can inform the robot control device 9 of the situation even if wireless communication between the robot control device 9 and the robot 10 is interrupted.

[0015] (Description of the robot 10 according to this embodiment) The robot 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 8. Figure 1 is a diagram for illustrating an example of the operating environment of the robot 10, Figure 2 is a diagram for illustrating an overview of the disclosure in accordance with this embodiment, Figure 3 is an external view of the robot 10, Figure 4 is a diagram for illustrating an example of the configuration of the mechanism control of the robot 10, Figure 5 is a diagram for illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the controller 60 of the robot 10, Figure 6 is a diagram for illustrating the function of the voice communication unit 81 of the robot 10, Figure 7 is a diagram for illustrating the function of the body language unit 82 of the robot 10, and Figure 8 is a diagram for illustrating an example of communication between robots 10.

[0016] Although the robot 10 in this embodiment is described as a quadruped robot, it is not limited to this, and can be any machine that is remotely controlled by wireless communication and can move on its own. For example, the robot 10 may be a bipedal robot, a multi-legged robot, a robot equipped with wheels instead of legs, an unmanned aerial vehicle called a drone or UAV, an unmanned miniature submersible called an underwater drone or ROV, etc.

[0017] (Regarding the operating environment of the robot 10) First, the operating environment of the robot 10 will be explained with reference to Figure 1. The robot 10 shown in Figure 1 receives control commands from the robot control device 9 via wireless communication. That is, the robot 10 is remotely controlled by wireless communication via the robot control device 9 connected to the information and communication network 150. The robot control device 9 is a so-called computer. The robot control device 9 inputs information based on state information indicating the state of the robot 10 and sensor data obtained from various sensors mounted on the robot 10 as prompts to the LLM (Large Language Model) 160, causing it to generate control commands for the robot 10. This is a method of controlling the robot 10 using code generation and other functions that the LLM 160 excels at. Therefore, the robot control device 9 uses the LLM 160 by sending requests to the large language model server (hereinafter referred to as the LLM server) 161 via the information and communication network 150 and receiving the results. The LLM server 161 is a server equipped with the LLM 160, which receives requests to the LLM 160 and provides the response results to the user. The status information indicating the state of the robot 10 refers to the remaining energy of the robot 10's rechargeable built-in battery 70 and spare built-in battery 71, as well as the robot's position, altitude, error status of each functional part, and temperature at a predetermined location. Sensor data refers to measurement data from various sensors mounted on the robot 10, such as the first sensor 13, second sensor 14, tracking module 15, microphone 18, and the rotary encoders 23, 33, 43, 53 and leg force sensors (not shown) (see Figure 4) on the legs 20, 30, 40, 50. The robot 10 may also be equipped with an inertial measurement unit (IMU) as a sensor, in which case the sensor data will also include measurement data from the inertial measurement unit. An inertial measurement device is a device that detects three-dimensional inertial motion (translational and rotational motion in three orthogonal axes). It detects the translational motion of the robot 10 using an acceleration sensor [m / s²] and the rotational motion of the robot 10 using an angular velocity (gyro) sensor [deg / sec].Specifically, the acceleration sensor detects the tilt, translation (motion, vibration, shock, fall), velocity, and displacement of the robot 10. The angular velocity (gyro) sensor detects the cessation, constant speed, fluctuation, and angle of the robot 10's rotational motion.

[0018] In this embodiment, in order to ensure the real-time nature of the control of the robot 10 by the LLM160, it is necessary to efficiently process the above-mentioned state information and sensor data and transmit wirelessly with low latency, so an AI-RAN (Artificial Intelligence - Radio Access Network) is introduced. The real-time nature of the control of the robot 10 means analyzing the above-mentioned state information and sensor data acquired from the robot 10, immediately generating control commands corresponding to this state information and sensor data, and inputting them to the robot 10 with almost no delay to make it operate. The AI-RAN utilizes AI to optimize network resources, predicts and manages the flow of data transmitted and received on the network, and suppresses the concentration of the burden of processing communications on a part of the equipment that makes up the network. In other words, when a RIC (RAN Intelligent Controller) is used for the wireless connection between the robot control device 9 and the robot 10, AI / ML (artificial intelligence / machine learning) can be used to optimize the limited RAN wireless resources and automate RAN operation. This eliminates the concentration of communication load, reduces RAN operating costs, improves network performance, and enhances the network's Quality of Experience (QoE).

[0019] Furthermore, in this embodiment, MEC (Mobile Edge Computing) is introduced. MEC refers to placing a server (hereinafter referred to as MEC server 170) that processes data acquired at the edge (edge) of the information and communication network 150, where data is acquired, at the edge of the information and communication network 150 in order to process the large amount of data generated by the edge device and application closest to the edge of the information and communication network 150 with low latency. This increases network bandwidth, reduces latency, and shortens response time. Therefore, the MEC server 170 is located near the edge of the information and communication network 150. In addition, a wireless antenna 180 is provided at the edge of the information and communication network 150. The wireless antenna 180 is used to send and receive wireless signals between the robot control device 9 and the robot 10. Specifically, the transmitting antenna of the wireless antenna 180 converts electrical signals representing control commands from the robot control device 9 into electromagnetic waves and radiates them into space, while the receiving antenna of the wireless antenna 180 catches the electromagnetic waves, which are electrical signals representing state information and sensor data transmitted by the robot 10, and converts them back into electrical signals. In this embodiment, the robot control device 9 and the MEC server 170 are provided separately, but the robot control device 9 may be configured as part of the MEC server 170.

[0020] (Outline of this Disclosure) Next, with reference to Figure 2, an outline of this disclosure will be described in accordance with this embodiment. If wireless communication between the robot 10 and the MEC server 170 is interrupted, and communication between the robot 10 and the robot control device 9 is interrupted, the robot control device 9 cannot ascertain the status of the robot 10. That is, the robot control device 9 cannot determine the cause of the interruption of wireless communication with the robot 10, for example, the robot 10 may have been destroyed by an attacker (Case 1), the radio wave environment may have deteriorated (Case 2), or there may be a malfunction in the robot 10's communication device 19 (see Figure 4) (Case 3), but since it cannot identify the cause, it cannot issue the next control command to deal with this situation.

[0021] Therefore, robot 10 (10a) is equipped with a voice communication unit 81 and a body language unit 82 (see Figure 5), and by having two communication means in addition to wireless communication, it is possible to communicate with other nearby robots 10 (10b). Thus, by having three communication means—wireless communication, voice communication, and body language—robot 10 can maintain communication with robot control device 9 even if wireless communication with robot control device 9 is interrupted, using the remaining two communication means. Wireless communication is made possible by introducing AI-RAN and MEC, enabling low-latency wireless communication of large amounts of data. Wireless communication is realized by the robot 10's communication device 19 and wireless communication unit 80 (see Figures 4 and 5). Voice communication can be used in NLOS (Non-Line-of-Sight) environments (non-visual-distance environments), that is, environments where direct line of sight is not possible (visible). In addition, voice communication enables communication with humans and other robots 10 by using natural language. Voice communication is achieved by the robot 10's speaker 17, microphone 18, and voice communication unit 81 (see Figures 4 and 5). Body language communication is possible over relatively long distances in an LOS (Line-of-Sight) environment. Body language is achieved by the robot 10's body 11 and body language unit 82 (see Figures 3 and 5). The body language unit 82 achieves body language by manipulating the robot 10's body 11 and legs 20, 30, 40, and 50 to make the robot 10 assume specific poses. Specific meanings are pre-associated with these specific poses. Body language can also be achieved using the robot 10's display 12. Body language using the display 12 conveys the robot's status, analysis results, and predictions to the other party by displaying text, illustrations, etc., on the display 12. In this case, body language is achieved by the display 12 and body language unit 82 (see Figures 4 and 5).Furthermore, body language may be realized using the robot 10's body 11, display 12, and body language unit 82. That is, the robot 10 may be made to assume a specific pose, and the display 12 may display information such as the robot 10's status or a message to the other party.

[0022] (Regarding the hardware configuration of robot 10) Referring to Figure 3, the hardware configuration of robot 10 according to this embodiment will be described. Robot 10 comprises a head 24, a body 11, and four legs 20, 30, 40, and 50.

[0023] (Regarding the head 24) The head 24 is equipped with a first sensor (front camera) 13, a second sensor (4D-LiDAR) 14, a tracking module 15, and a front light 16. The first sensor (front camera) 13 is a camera that captures the front of the robot 10 and is equipped with an ultra-wide-angle lens with a 120-degree FOV (field of view) and captures high-resolution images of 1280 x 720 pixels. In addition, the first sensor 13 captures not only still images but also videos. The second sensor (4D-LiDAR) 14 adds a time element to the data of a three-dimensional (3D) LiDAR sensor. While 3D-LiDAR captures the position and shape of an object, 4D-LiDAR also records its changes and movements, making it possible to analyze and predict more detailed movements, such as the movements of a person with whom it is communicating or another robot 10. The second sensor (4D-LiDAR) 14 has a 360-degree x 90-degree hemispherical ultra-wide-angle recognition capability. The second sensor 14 has a minimum detection distance of 0.05 meters and can recognize all terrains. The tracking module 15 is responsible for determining the position of the robot. Specifically, the tracking module 15 receives GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) data to determine the position of the robot. Furthermore, the tracking module 15 may also be equipped with a 3D-LiDAR sensor, which uses a laser to scan surrounding objects and buildings in 3D. This makes it possible to detect obstacles around the robot and acquire data for safe movement. The front light 16 brightly illuminates the front of the robot 10.

[0024] (About the body 11) The body 11 of the robot 10 is equipped with a display 12, a speaker 17, and a microphone 18. The display 12 is used for body language and displays the status of the robot 10, as well as the results and predictions of its own analysis, in the form of graphs, tables, text, and illustrations. In addition, the display 12 displays error information of the robot. The speaker 17 is used for voice communication and generates sound. The microphone 18 is used for voice communication and listens to the other party's voice and collects ambient sounds.

[0025] (Regarding the legs 20, 30, 40, and 50) The robot 10 is a quadruped robot and has four legs 20, 30, 40, and 50. Each of the legs 20, 30, 40, and 50 is connected to the body 11 and has 12 joint motors. The joint motors consist of servo motors 22, 32, 42, and 52. Each of the servo motors 22, 32, 42, and 52 is equipped with a rotary encoder 23, 33, 43, and 53 for measuring the rotation angle. Each of the legs 20, 30, 40, and 50 is equipped with a foot force sensor (not shown) at its tip to acquire real-time perception of the toes.

[0026] The leg portion 20 shown in Figure 4 is equipped with a drive mechanism 21 for each of its 12 joints. Each joint of the leg portion 20 is equipped with a servo motor 22 and a rotary encoder 23, and the leg portion 20 is equipped with 12 drive mechanisms 21a to 21l. Therefore, the drive mechanisms 21a to 21l are equipped with servo motors 22a to 22l and rotary encoders 23a to 23l. The drive mechanism 21 may be described as a representative of the drive mechanisms 21a to 21l, the servo motor 22 may be described as a representative of the servo motors 22a to 22l, and the rotary encoder 23 may be described as rotary encoders 23a to 23l.

[0027] The leg portion 30 shown in Figure 4 is equipped with a drive mechanism 31 for each of its 12 joints. Each drive mechanism 31 for each joint of the leg portion 30 is equipped with a servo motor 32 and a rotary encoder 33, and the leg portion 30 is equipped with 12 drive mechanisms 31a to 31l. Therefore, the drive mechanisms 31a to 31l are equipped with servo motors 32a to 32l and rotary encoders 33a to 33l. The drive mechanism 31 may be described as a representative of the drive mechanisms 31a to 31l, the servo motor 32 may be described as a representative of the servo motors 32a to 32l, and the rotary encoder 33 may be described as rotary encoders 33a to 33l.

[0028] The leg portion 40 shown in Figure 4 is equipped with a drive mechanism 41 for each of the 12 joints. Each drive mechanism 41 for each joint of the leg portion 40 is equipped with a servo motor 42 and a rotary encoder 43, and the leg portion 40 is equipped with 12 drive mechanisms 41a to 41l. Therefore, the drive mechanisms 41a to 41l are equipped with servo motors 42a to 42l and rotary encoders 43a to 43l. The drive mechanism 41 may be described as a representative of the drive mechanisms 41a to 41l, the servo motor 42 may be described as a representative of the servo motors 42a to 42l, and the rotary encoder 43 may be described as rotary encoders 43a to 43l.

[0029] The leg 50 shown in Figure 4 is equipped with a drive mechanism 51 for each of its 12 joints. Each joint of the leg 50 is equipped with a servo motor 52 and a rotary encoder 53, and the leg 50 is equipped with 12 drive mechanisms 51a to 51l. Therefore, the drive mechanisms 51a to 51l are equipped with servo motors 52a to 52l and rotary encoders 53a to 53l. The drive mechanism 51 may be described as a representative of the drive mechanisms 51a to 51l, the servo motor 52 may be described as a representative of the servo motors 52a to 52l, and the rotary encoder 53 may be described as rotary encoders 53a to 53l.

[0030] (Regarding the configuration of the robot 10's mechanism control) The configuration of the robot 10's mechanism control will be described with reference to Figure 4. The robot 10 incorporates a controller 60, a rechargeable built-in battery 70, and a spare built-in battery 71. In addition, as described above, the robot 10 includes a display 12, a first sensor 13, a second sensor 14, a tracking module 15, a front light 16, a speaker 17, a microphone 18, a communication device 19, and legs 20, 30, 40, and 50.

[0031] (Controller 60) The controller 60 is a so-called computer that controls the entire robot 10 based on control commands sent from the robot control device 9. The controller 60 also transmits various information generated or acquired by the robot 10, such as status information and sensor data, to the robot control device 9 via the communication device 19. The controller 60 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) 60a, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 60b, a storage unit 60c, a processing unit 60d, and an input / output interface 60e.

[0032] ROM 60a can be used as a recording device and stores firmware necessary for controlling the operation of the controller 60, as well as various data used by the firmware. Firmware is a program that manages the execution of the basic functions of the controller 60.

[0033] The RAM 60b is used in the configuration of the main memory accessed by the processing unit 60d, and is also used as a buffer to temporarily store various data acquired or generated by the controller 60 before storing them in the storage unit 60c.

[0034] The storage unit 60c is implemented using an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), etc., and stores control commands for the robot control device 9, the robot control program described later, and various data used by the robot control program. The storage unit 60c also stores various data acquired or generated by the controller 60.

[0035] The processing unit 60d includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), etc., and is realized by logic circuits or dedicated circuits formed by integrated circuits (IC (Integrated circuit) chips, LSI (Large-Scale Integration)), etc.

[0036] The input / output interface 60e is connected to the display 12, first sensor 13, second sensor 14, tracking module 15, front light 16, speaker 17, microphone 18, communication device 19, and legs 20, 30, 40, 50 by electrical wires such as signal cables (dashed lines in Figure 4) 61, and serves as an interface for transmitting and receiving signals or data between these components and the controller 60.

[0037] (Batteries 70, 71) The rechargeable internal battery 70 is connected to the display 12, first sensor 13, second sensor 14, tracking module 15, front light 16, speaker 17, microphone 18, communicator 19, legs 20, 30, 40, 50, and controller 60 via a power cable (dashed line in Figure 4) 62, supplying power for their operation. The rechargeable internal battery 70 is protected from overheating, overcharging, and short circuits by a dedicated protection circuit. The capacity of the rechargeable internal battery 70 is 8000Ah and can be increased to 15000Ah. The spare internal battery 71 is used when the energy of the rechargeable internal battery 70 is depleted. The spare internal battery 71 is protected from overheating, overcharging, and short circuits by a dedicated protection circuit, similar to the rechargeable internal battery 70. The rechargeable built-in battery 70 and the spare built-in battery 71 are charged by connecting to the external power supply device 72 when the robot 10 is not in use.

[0038] (First power supply circuit 55) Under the control of the controller 60, the first power supply circuit 55 supplies energy (current) from the rechargeable built-in battery 70 and the spare built-in battery 71 to the leg sections 20, 30, 40, and 50 via the power cable (dashed line in Figure 4) 62. The controller 60 outputs a command value to the first power supply circuit 55 for the current to be supplied to the servo motors 22, 32, 42, and 52 of the drive mechanisms 21, 31, 41, and 51 for each joint of the leg sections 20, 30, 40, and 50, and the first power supply circuit 55 supplies the current corresponding to the command value from the rechargeable built-in battery 70 and the spare built-in battery 71 to the servo motors 22, 32, 42, and 52. The controller 60 acquires the detection results of the rotary encoders 23, 33, 43, and 53 of the legs 20, 30, 40, and 50, as well as the current values ​​of the servo motors 22, 32, 42, and 52, as feedback signals via the input / output interface 60e, and determines the command value of the first power supply circuit 55 based on these feedback signals.

[0039] (Second power supply circuit 56) Under the control of the controller 60, the second power supply circuit 56 supplies energy (current) from the rechargeable built-in battery 70 and the spare built-in battery 71 to the communication device 19, the first sensor 13, the second sensor 14, the tracking module 15, the front light 16, the speaker 17, the microphone 18, the display 12, etc. via the power cable (dashed line in Figure 4) 62. The controller 60 is supplied with energy (current) from the rechargeable built-in battery 70 and the spare built-in battery 71 via the second power supply circuit 56, via the power cable (dashed line in Figure 4) 62.

[0040] (Legs 20, 30, 40, 50) The controller 60 controls the robot 10 to walk using its four legs 20, 30, 40, and 50. Leg 20 has 12 joints, each equipped with one servo motor 22 and one rotary encoder 23. Similarly, leg 30 has 12 joints, each equipped with one servo motor 32 and one rotary encoder 33. Similarly, leg 40 has 12 joints, each equipped with one servo motor 42 and one rotary encoder 43. Similarly, leg 50 has 12 joints, each equipped with one servo motor 52 and one rotary encoder 53. The servo motors 22, 32, 42, and 52 are controlled by the controller 60, and the rotary encoders 23, 33, 43, and 53 detect the amount of rotation of the servo motors 22, 32, 42, and 52 and output a signal indicating the detection result to the controller 60. The controller 60 acquires the signal indicating the detection result of the amount of rotation of the servo motors 22, 32, 42, and 52 and the current value of the servo motors 22, 32, 42, and 52 as feedback signals and performs feedback control of the servo motors 22, 32, 42, and 52. The controller 60 provides feedback control to the servo motors 22, 32, 42, and 52 so that the legs 20, 30, 40, and 50 perform walking movements while maintaining the balance of the robot 10. The controller 60 controls the movement of the legs 20, 30, 40, and 50 to make the robot 10 perform postures (poses) and movements used for body language.

[0041] (Communicator 19) The communicator 19 receives control commands for the robot control device 9 transmitted wirelessly from the MEC server 170 via the wireless antenna 180 and outputs them to the controller 60. The controller 60 controls and operates the robot 10 based on the acquired control commands. The communicator 19 also transmits status information indicating the state of the robot 10 output by the controller 60, and sensor data obtained from various sensors, wirelessly to the MEC server 170 and, consequently, to the robot control device 9. The communicator 19 may also be used to send and receive signals, data, and control commands between other robots 10.

[0042] (First Sensor 13) The first sensor (front camera) 13 outputs the captured image to the controller 60. The image includes both video and still images. The first sensor 13 may also be equipped with an infrared camera and a thermographic camera. The infrared camera detects infrared rays and creates images, and is mainly used to improve visibility in nighttime and low-light environments. The thermographic camera uses infrared rays to visualize the temperature distribution of an object and is mainly used for temperature measurement and anomaly detection. The controller 60 transmits the image acquired from the first sensor 13 to the MEC server 170, and subsequently to the robot control device 9, via wireless communication through the communication device 19. The robot control device 9 inputs the image captured by the first sensor 13 to the LLM 160. The LLM 160 generates control commands for the robot 10 based on the state information and sensor data sent from the robot 10, including this image.

[0043] (Second Sensor 14) The second sensor (4D-LiDAR) 14 outputs sensor data from the 4D-LiDAR sensor to the controller 60. The controller 60 transmits the sensor data acquired from the second sensor 14 wirelessly via the communication device 19 to the MEC server 170, and subsequently to the robot control device 9. The robot control device 9 inputs the acquired sensor data from the second sensor 14 to the LLM 160. The LLM 160 generates control commands for the robot 10 based on the state information and sensor data sent from the robot 10, including this sensor data.

[0044] (Tracking Module 15) The tracking module 15 is equipped with a receiver for receiving GNSS data and a 3D-LiDAR sensor. The tracking module 15 outputs the positioning data of the host vehicle obtained from the GNSS receiver and the sensor data of the 3D-LiDAR sensor to the controller 60. The controller 60 transmits the positioning data and sensor data obtained from the tracking module 15 to the MEC server 170 and, by extension, to the robot control device 9 via wireless communication through the communicator 19. In the robot control device 9, the positioning data and sensor data obtained from the robot 10 are input to the LLM 160. The LLM 160 generates a control command for the robot 10 based on the state information and sensor data sent from the robot 10, including this positioning data and sensor data. Also, the controller 60 obtains the positioning data and sensor data obtained from the tracking module 15 to grasp the position of the host vehicle and to grasp the presence or absence of obstacles around the host vehicle and the distance to the obstacles. Note that the tracking module 15 processes the positioning data of the host vehicle obtained from the GNSS receiver, grasps the position of the host vehicle, and then guides the host vehicle to the destination. Further, the tracking module 15 processes the sensor data of the 3D-LiDAR sensor to grasp the positions of the obstacles around the host vehicle, and sails the route to the destination while guiding the host vehicle to avoid the obstacles. Note that the tracking module 15 may identify the position of the host vehicle by analyzing the image captured by the front camera, which is the first sensor 13. Thereby, the tracking module 15 can grasp the situation around the host vehicle and guide the host vehicle to the destination. The tracking module 15 can grasp the position of the host vehicle and provide route guidance to the destination by using the sensor data of the 3D-LiDAR sensor or the image captured by the first sensor 13 even when GNSS signals cannot be received, such as indoors or underground.

[0045] (Front lights 16) The controller 60 controls the front lights 16. Specifically, the controller 60 turns on the front lights 16 and adjusts the brightness according to the surrounding conditions of the robot. The controller 60 also turns on the front lights 16 and adjusts the brightness based on the control commands from the robot control device 9.

[0046] (Speaker 17) The controller 60 controls the sound emitted from the speaker 17. When the controller 60 communicates with other robots 10 and humans, the controller 60 controls the sound emitted from the speaker 17. The controller 60 understands the meaning of the sound by performing speech analysis and language processing on the voice of the other robot 10 or human collected by the microphone 18. Voice communication between robots may use either machine language or natural language. Voice communication between robots may use natural language. When processing natural language, the controller 60 performs natural language processing. The controller 60 generates responses to the other party in voice communication using a pre-trained model. The controller 60 also controls the sound emitted from the speaker 17 based on the control commands of the robot control device 9. The volume and tone of the sound emitted from the speaker 17 may be set in advance, or they may be adjusted by the controller 60 according to the distance to the other party in voice communication.

[0047] (Microphone 18) Microphone 18 collects ambient sounds and outputs them to the controller 60. The controller 60 transmits the sounds collected by microphone 18 wirelessly via the communication device 19 to the MEC server 170, and subsequently to the robot control device 9. The robot control device 9 inputs the sounds collected by microphone 18 to the LLM 160. The LLM 160 generates control commands for robot 10 based on the state information and sensor data sent from robot 10, including these sounds. The controller 60 extracts the voices of other robots 10 and humans from the sounds collected by microphone 18 and performs voice analysis and language processing as described above.

[0048] (Display 12) The controller 60 controls the display 12. When the display 12 is used for the body gauge, the controller 60 displays on the display 12 the state of the robot 10, the results and predictions analyzed by the host machine, in the form of graphs, tables, characters, illustrations, etc. When the display 12 is not used for the body gauge, the controller 60 causes the display 12 to display error information of the host machine, etc. during maintenance inspection of the robot 10, etc.

[0049] (Functional Configuration of the Controller 60 of the Robot 10) Next, referring to FIG. 5, an example of the functional configuration of the controller 60 of the robot 10 will be described. The controller 60 fetches a robot control program described later, stored in the storage unit 60c, into the main memory composed of the RAM 60b, etc. The processing unit 60d accesses the main memory into which the robot control program has been fetched and executes the robot control program. By executing the robot control program, the controller 60 provides the processing unit 60d with functional units such as a wireless communication unit 80, a voice communication unit 81, a body gauge unit 82, an alarm generation unit 83, a measurement data acquisition unit 84, a robot presence / absence determination unit 85, a selection unit 86, and a control unit 87.

[0050] (Wireless Communication Unit 80) The wireless communication unit 80 receives control commands via wireless communication. The wireless communication unit 80 receives the control commands of the robot control device 9 via wireless communication using the communicator 19. Also, the wireless communication unit 80 transmits information such as the state information and sensor data of the host machine toward the robot control device 9. Note that the processing unit 60d recognizes that the communication with the robot control device 9 has been interrupted based on the situation where the control commands of the robot control device 9 have not been received.

[0051] (Voice Communication Unit 81) The voice communication unit 81 is equipped with a microphone 18 and a speaker 17 and performs voice communication using the microphone 18 and the speaker 17. The voice communication unit 81 controls the microphone 18 and the speaker 17.

[0052] (Body Language Unit 82) The body language unit 82 is equipped with a camera and performs body language using the camera and the body 11 of the robot 10. The camera is mounted as the first sensor 13. The body language unit 82 controls the first sensor 13 and the body 11. Controlling the body 11 means controlling the legs 20, 30, 40, and 50 connected to the body 11. The body language unit 82 may also perform body language by adding a display 12 to the first sensor 13 and the body 11.

[0053] (Alarm Generating Unit 83) If communication between the wireless communication unit 80 and the robot control device 9 is interrupted, the alarm generating unit 83 generates an alarm around the robot 10 to notify the interruption. That is, if communication between the robot and the robot control device 9 is interrupted, the alarm generating unit 83 generates an alarm sound around the robot to inform the surroundings that wireless communication between the robot and the robot control device 9 has been interrupted. The alarm generating unit 83 may also generate an alarm sound along with a light or a Bluetooth® or Wi-Fi® radio signal directed toward the surroundings as the above alarm.

[0054] (Measurement data acquisition unit 84) The measurement data acquisition unit 84 acquires the measurement results from the sensor as measurement data. The robot 10 is equipped with a sensor that measures the presence or absence of other robots 10 around it, and the distance between itself and other robots 10. This sensor is the second sensor (4D-LiDAR) 14. Specifically, the measurement data acquisition unit 84 acquires the sensor data output by the second sensor (4D-LiDAR) 14 to the controller 60 as measurement data.

[0055] (Robot presence / absence determination unit 85) The robot presence / absence determination unit 85 determines, based on the measurement data, whether or not there are other robots 10 around the robot 10 that have not issued an alarm. That is, if the robot itself has lost communication with the robot control device 9, the robot presence / absence determination unit 85 determines, based on the measurement data which is the sensor data of the second sensor 14, whether or not there are other robots 10 around the robot 10 that have not issued an alarm. The area around the robot 10 refers to the range in which body language can be exchanged with other robots 10, for example, within a line-of-sight (LOS) distance of 2.0 km.

[0056] (Selection Unit 86) The selection unit 86 selects either the voice communication unit 81 or the body language unit 82 based on the measurement data. That is, the selection unit 86 obtains the distance between the other robot 10 and the self robot based on the measurement data of the second sensor (4D-LiDAR) 14, and based on that distance, selects whether to use the voice communication unit 81 or the body language unit 82 for communication between the self robot and the other robot 10. If the distance between the self robot and the other robot 10 is within the range where sound can reach, the selection unit 86 selects the voice communication unit 81 for communication between the self robot and the other robot 10. If the distance between the self robot and the other robot 10 is far and not within the range where sound can reach, the selection unit 86 selects the body language unit 82 for communication between the self robot and the other robot 10.

[0057] (Control Unit 87) The control unit 87 communicates with other robots using the voice communication unit 81 or the body language unit 82. More specifically, the control unit 87 controls the entire controller 60, as well as the individual functional units: the wireless communication unit 80, the voice communication unit 81, the body language unit 82, the measurement data acquisition unit 84, the robot presence / absence determination unit 85, the selection unit 86, and the alarm generation unit 83.

[0058] If communication between the wireless communication unit 80 and the robot control device 9 is interrupted, and the robot presence determination unit 85 determines that there is another robot 10 in the vicinity of the robot 10 that has not issued an alarm, the control unit 87 will use the voice communication unit 81 or the body language unit 82 to communicate with the other robot 10. In other words, if the control unit 87 determines that it cannot communicate directly with the robot control device 9, and determines that there is another robot 10 in the vicinity of the robot 10 that has not interrupted communication with the robot control device 9, it will communicate with the robot control device 9 through direct communication with the other robot 10. Note that the other robot 10 that has not issued an alarm is determined to have not interrupted communication between the wireless communication unit 80 and the robot control device 9.

[0059] The control unit 87 uses either the voice communication unit 81 or the body language unit 82, whichever is selected by the selection unit 86, to communicate with other robots 10. Specifically, the control unit 87 uses the voice communication unit 81 if the other robot 10 that has not issued an alarm is within range of the control unit's voice, and uses the body language unit 82 if the other robot 10 that has not issued an alarm is not within range of the control unit's voice.

[0060] (When other robots 10 are in an NLOS environment) The control unit 87 communicates with the other robot 10 that responded to the alarm using the voice communication unit 81. That is, if the other robot 10 is in an NLOS (Non-Line-of-Sight) environment (non-visual-distance environment) relative to the self, that is, an environment where direct line of sight is not possible (cannot be seen), then it cannot be seen by the self. In this case, the robot presence / absence determination unit 85 determines that there are no other robots 10 in the vicinity of the self that have not issued an alarm. On the other hand, if there is another robot 10 that has responded to the self's alarm, regardless of the determination of the robot presence / absence determination unit 85, it is presumed that the other robot 10 is within range of the sound and can communicate with the self using voice, so the control unit 87 communicates with the other robot 10 using the voice communication unit 81. It is presumed that the robot presence / absence determination unit 85 determined that the other robot 10 that responded to the self's alarm is not in the vicinity of the self because it is hidden by a building, obstacle, etc. and cannot be seen by the self.

[0061] (If communication with other robots is lost) If the control unit 87 detects that there is another robot 10 that is generating an alarm, it uses the wireless communication unit 80 to report to the robot control device 9 that there is another robot 10. That is, if the control unit 87 detects that there is another robot 10 that is generating an alarm that is issued when communication with the robot control device 9 is lost, it uses the wireless communication unit 80 to report to the robot control device 9 that there is another robot 10 that is generating an alarm. If the alarm is an alarm sound, the robot 10 analyzes the sound collected by the microphone 18 to identify the alarm sound and finds the other robot 10 that is generating the alarm. Also, if the alarm is generated by another robot 10 using light, the robot 10 analyzes the image captured by the first sensor (front camera) 13 to identify the light of the alarm and finds the other robot 10 that is generating the alarm.

[0062] When the control unit 87 receives a control command for another robot 10, it uses the voice communication unit 81 or the body language unit 82 to transmit the control command to the other robot 10. That is, when the control unit 87 receives a control command from the robot control device 9 for another robot 10 that has issued an alarm via wireless communication, it uses the voice communication unit 81 or the body language unit 82 to transmit the control command to the other robot 10.

[0063] (Specific explanation of the function of the voice communication unit 81) Next, with reference to Figure 6, a specific explanation of the function of the voice communication unit 81 of the robot 10 will be given. The voice communication unit 81 enables communication between robots 10 using voice via speaker 17 and microphone 18. The voice may be natural language that humans can understand, or it may be machine language. Robot 10a has not lost wireless communication with the MEC server 170, and is able to communicate normally with the robot control device 9 and receive control commands. Robot 10b has lost wireless communication with the MEC server 170, and has also lost communication with the robot control device 9. Note that even if there is an obstacle between robot 10a and robot 10b and they cannot see each other directly, that is, even in an NLOS environment, communication between robot 10a and robot 10b can be established by using voice communication.

[0064] The voice communication unit 81 of robot 10b generates the voice message "Oh, communication lost..." based on the situation that communication with the robot control device 9 has been lost, and emits it from the speaker 17 to inform robot 10a of its own status. The voice communication unit 81 of robot 10a collects and analyzes the voice message "Oh, communication lost..." from robot 10b using the microphone 18 to understand the situation of robot 10b, and generates the voice message "I'll report it on your behalf!" and emits it from the speaker 17 to inform robot 10b of the control content that robot 10a will execute. The voice communication unit 81 of robot 10a reports to the robot control device 9 on behalf of robot 10b that communication between robot 10b and the robot control device 9 has been lost. The voice communication unit 81 of robot 10b collects and analyzes the voice of robot 10a, "I'll report it for you!", using the microphone 18 to understand the situation of robot 10a, and generates the voice "That's helpful! Thanks!" which is emitted from the speaker 17 to convey to robot 10a. Robots 10a and 10b communicate with each other using their respective voice communication units 81.

[0065] (Specific explanation of the function of the body language unit 82) Next, with reference to Figure 7, a specific explanation of the function of the body language unit 82 of the robot 10 will be given. The body language unit 82 facilitates communication between robots 10 using body language, in addition to the first sensor (front camera) 13, the body 11, and the display 12. The body language is performed after associating meaning with the robot's movements. For example, if robot 10b is performing a side-to-side jump, it is assumed that robot 10b is communicating that it is "fine." Also, if robot 10b is lying on its back, it is assumed that robot 10b is communicating that it is "not fine." Note that "fine" means that although communication with the robot control device 9 is interrupted, there is no abnormality in the robot itself. Also, "not fine" means that the interruption of communication with the robot control device 9 is caused by an abnormality in the robot itself. Similarly, robot 10a has not lost wireless communication with the MEC server 170, and is able to communicate normally with the robot control device 9 and receive control commands. Similarly to the above, robot 10b has lost wireless communication with the MEC server 170, and has also lost communication with the robot control device 9. Note that body language communication is possible over relatively long distances if robots 10a and 10b are in a Line-of-Sight (LOS) environment, that is, an environment where they can see each other.

[0066] The body language unit 82 of robot 10b, although communication with the robot control device 9 has been interrupted, is instructed to perform a repetitive side-to-side jump as it is in a normal state since no other abnormalities have occurred. The body language unit 82 of robot 10a captures images of robot 10b's repetitive side-to-side jumps with the first sensor (front camera) 13 and analyzes the images to understand the status of robot 10b. Then, the body language unit 82 of robot 10a reports to the robot control device 9 the message "Robot 10b is performing repetitive side-to-side jumps and appears to be in good health," which it has generated based on the situation of robot 10b performing repetitive side-to-side jumps. The message transmitted from robot 10a to the robot control device 9 may be expressed in machine language or in natural language that humans can understand. Robots 10a and 10b communicate with each other using their respective body language units 82.

[0067] (An example of communication between robots 10) Referring to Figure 8, an example of communication between robots 10 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 8(a) shows a state in which robots 10a and 10b are communicating with the robot control device 9 without interruption and are receiving control commands normally. Since robots 10a and 10b are being controlled normally by the robot control device 9, an appropriate distance is maintained between robots 10a and 10b. The robot control device 9 is able to understand the status of robots 10a and 10b.

[0068] In the state shown in Figure 8(b), robot 10a is able to communicate normally with the robot control device 9, but robot 10b has lost communication with the robot control device 9 and cannot receive control commands. Therefore, the robot control device 9 is able to control robot 10a, but does not know the status of robot 10b. Robot 10b uses voice communication or body language to communicate to robot 10a, "Tell (the robot control device 9) that robot 10b is safe."

[0069] As shown in Figure 8(c), robot 10a, having received the message "Tell them I'm safe" from robot 10b, informs robot control device 9 that robot 10b is safe. Upon receiving the message that robot 10b is safe, robot control device 9 recognizes that robot 10b is safe and transmits the next control command for robot 10b, "Move to point B," to robot 10a. Upon receiving the next control command for robot 10b, robot 10a uses voice communication or body language to communicate to robot 10b "Go to point B." Robot 10b receives the next control command from robot 10a and moves towards point B.

[0070] (Robot control method and robot control program according to this embodiment) Next, with reference to Figure 9, the robot control program according to this embodiment of the disclosure will be described together with the robot control method. Figure 9 is an example of a flowchart of the robot control program according to this embodiment. The robot control method is executed by the processing unit 60d of the controller 60 of the robot 10 based on the robot control program. The robot control program includes a wireless communication step S80, a voice communication step S81, a body language step S82, and a control step S87, etc. The robot control program causes the processing unit 60d of the controller 60 to implement wireless communication functions, voice communication functions, body language functions, and control functions, etc. These functions are executed in the order shown in the flowchart of Figure 9, but the order can be changed as appropriate. Note that each function overlaps with the description of the various functional parts of the controller 60 described above, so a detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0071] The wireless communication function receives control commands via wireless communication (S80: wireless communication step).

[0072] The voice communication function is equipped with a microphone 18 and a speaker 17, and performs voice communication using the microphone 18 and speaker 17 (S81: Voice communication step).

[0073] The body language function is equipped with a camera and performs body language using the camera and the body 11 of the robot 10 (S82: Body Language Step).

[0074] The control function performs communication with other robots 10 using either voice communication or body language (S87: control step).

[0075] (Robot control method and robot control program according to other embodiments) Referring to Figure 10, a robot control program according to other embodiments will be described together with the robot control method. Figure 10 is an example of a flowchart of a robot control program according to other embodiments. The flowchart of the robot control program according to other embodiments shown in Figure 10 differs from the flowchart of the robot control program shown in Figure 9 in that an alarm generation step S83, a measurement data acquisition step S84, a robot presence / absence determination step S85, and a selection step S86 are added. The measurement method according to other embodiments is executed by the processing unit 60d of the controller 60 based on the robot control program according to other embodiments shown in Figure 10. The robot control program according to other embodiments shown in Figure 10 includes a wireless communication step S80, a voice communication step S81, a body language step S82, an alarm generation step S83, a measurement data acquisition step S84, a robot presence / absence determination step S85, a selection step S86, and a control step S87, etc.

[0076] The robot control program according to the other embodiment shown in Figure 10 enables the processing unit 60d of the controller 60 to implement wireless communication functions, voice communication functions, body language functions, alarm generation functions, measurement data acquisition functions, robot presence / absence determination functions, selection functions, and control functions. These functions are executed in the order shown in the flowchart of Figure 10, but the order can be changed as appropriate. Below, the robot control method and robot control program according to the other embodiment shown in Figure 10 will be described only in terms of the differences from the robot control method and robot control program shown in Figure 9. Furthermore, since each function overlaps with the description of the various functional parts of the controller 60 of the robot 10 described above, a detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0077] The alarm generation function generates an alarm to the area around the robot 10 to notify it of the interruption of communication between the wireless communication function and the robot control device 9 (S83: alarm generation step).

[0078] The measurement data acquisition function acquires the measurement results from the sensor as measurement data (S84: Measurement data acquisition step).

[0079] The robot presence / absence detection function determines, based on the measurement data, whether or not there are other robots around the robot that are not issuing alarms (S85: Robot presence / absence detection step).

[0080] The selection function selects either a voice communication function or a body language function based on the measurement data (S86: Selection step).

[0081] (Effects of the above embodiment) According to the above embodiment of the disclosure, the robot 10 is equipped with three communication means: wireless communication, voice communication, and body language. Therefore, even if wireless communication with the robot control device 9 is interrupted, information can be sent and received with the robot control device 9 and control commands can be received by mediated by voice communication or body language communication with other robots 10.

[0082] Furthermore, according to the embodiments of this disclosure described above, the robot 10 can communicate with humans by voice by using natural language for voice communication.

[0083] Furthermore, according to the embodiments of this disclosure described above, the robot 10 can communicate with an NLOS (Non-Line-of-Sight) environment (non-visual-distance environment), that is, with an opponent with whom direct line of sight is not possible (cannot be seen), by using voice communication.

[0084] Furthermore, according to the embodiments of this disclosure described above, the robot 10 can communicate with a relatively distant target even in a Line-of-Sight (LOS) environment by using body language.

[0085] Furthermore, according to the embodiments of this disclosure described above, the robot 10 can communicate by adding information such as graphs, tables, text, and illustrations to body language using the display 12 mounted on the body 11.

[0086] Furthermore, according to the embodiments of this disclosure described above, if the robot 10 loses communication with the robot control device 9, it will emit an alarm to notify its surroundings of this loss of communication, so that other robots 10 and humans in the vicinity can become aware that the robot 10 has lost communication with the robot control device 9.

[0087] According to each aspect of the present disclosure described above, even if wireless communication is interrupted, the robot 10 can receive control commands from the robot control device 9, thereby expanding the range of applications for the robot 10, and thus contributing to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 9, "Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation."

[0088] This disclosure is not limited to the robot 10, robot control method, and robot control program according to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various other modifications or applications without departing from the gist of this disclosure as described in the claims.

[0089] Furthermore, although the above embodiment uses the term "data," the term "data" can be replaced with "information," and the term "information" can be replaced with "data."

[0090] 9 Robot control device 10 Robot 10a Robot 10b Robot 11 Body 12 Display 13 First sensor 14 Second sensor 15 Tracking module 16 Front light 17 Speaker 18 Microphone 19 Communicator 20 Legs 21 Joint drive mechanism 22 Servo motor 23 Rotary encoder 24 Head 30 Legs 31 Joint drive mechanism 32 Servo motor 33 Rotary encoder 40 Legs 41 Joint drive mechanism 42 Servo motor 43 Rotary encoder 50 Legs 51 Joint drive mechanism 52 Servo motor 53 Rotary encoder 55 First power supply circuit 56 Second power supply circuit 60 Controller 60a ROM 60b RAM 60c Memory unit 60d Processing unit 60e Input / output interface 61 Wire 62 Power cable 70 Rechargeable built-in battery 71 Spare built-in battery 72 External power supply device 80 Wireless communication unit 81 Voice communication unit 82 Body language unit 83 Alarm generation unit 84 Measurement data acquisition unit 85 Robot presence / absence determination unit 86 Selection unit 87 Control unit 150 Information communication network 160 LLM 161 LLM server 170 MEC server 180 Wireless antenna

Claims

1. A robot that receives control commands from a robot control device via wireless communication, comprising: a wireless communication unit that receives the control commands via wireless communication; a voice communication unit equipped with a microphone and a speaker and performing voice communication using the microphone and speaker; a body language unit equipped with a camera and performing body language using the camera and the robot's body; and a control unit that performs communication with other robots using the voice communication unit or the body language unit.

2. The robot according to claim 1, further comprising an alarm generating unit that generates an alarm to notify the surrounding area of ​​the robot when communication between the wireless communication unit and the robot control device is interrupted.

3. The robot is equipped with a sensor that measures the presence or absence of other robots around itself and the distance between itself and other robots, and further comprises: a measurement data acquisition unit that acquires the measurement results of the sensor as measurement data, and a robot presence / absence determination unit that determines whether or not there are other robots around the robot that have not issued the alarm based on the measurement data, and the control unit, in the event that communication between the wireless communication unit and the robot control device is interrupted and the robot presence / absence determination unit determines that there are other robots around the robot that have not issued the alarm, performs communication with the other robot using the voice communication unit or the body language unit, as described in 2.

4. The robot according to claim 3, further comprising a selection unit that selects either the voice communication unit or the body language unit based on the measurement data, wherein the control unit performs communication with the other robot using the one selected by the selection unit from the voice communication unit or the body language unit.

5. The robot according to claim 2, characterized in that the control unit communicates with the other robot that has responded to the alarm using the voice communication unit.

6. The robot according to claim 2, characterized in that the control unit reports to the robot control device, using the wireless communication unit, that another robot is present when the control unit is generating the alarm.

7. The robot according to claim 6, characterized in that when the control unit receives the control command for the other robot, it transmits the control command to the other robot using the voice communication unit or the body language unit.

8. A robot control method for a robot that receives control commands from a robot control device via wireless communication, characterized in that the robot is made to perform: a wireless communication step of receiving the control commands via wireless communication; a voice communication step of being equipped with a microphone and a speaker and performing voice communication using the microphone and speaker; a body language step of being equipped with a camera and performing body language using the camera and the body of the robot; and a control step of performing communication with another robot in the voice communication step or the body language step.

9. A robot control program for a robot that receives control commands from a robot control device via wireless communication, characterized in that the robot has: a wireless communication function for receiving the control commands via wireless communication; a voice communication function for performing voice communication using a microphone and speaker; a body language function for performing body language using a camera and the robot's body; and a control function for performing communication with other robots in the voice communication function or the body language function.

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