Exercise Coaching Robot Control Through User Tracking and Gestures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for encouraging users to exercise are insufficient in motivating individuals who lack exercise habits, as simply presenting nudges through messages or temperature-based considerations do not provide strong enough motivation.
Innovation Solution
A control method for a robot that receives exercise encouragement instructions, detects the user's position, moves into their vicinity, performs gestures to encourage exercise, and adjusts its actions based on user behavior monitoring to actively engage the user in physical activity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If text or sound-based nudges are used to encourage exercise, then the system is simple and easy to implement, but the motivation provided to users is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a robot as an intermediary between the exercise encouragement system and the user. The robot physically approaches the user and provides gestures (such as waving or pointing) to encourage exercise, rather than relying solely on text or sound messages. This intermediary physical presence significantly enhances user motivation while maintaining system simplicity through automated robot control.
2Reliability
If a robot physically approaches the user to provide gestures, then user motivation is significantly enhanced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robot is designed to perform multiple functions: it detects user position using optical sensors, navigates to the user, performs various encouraging gestures through actuators, and monitors user behavior. By consolidating these diverse functions into a single multi-functional robot platform, the patent reduces overall system complexity compared to having separate systems for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The robot autonomously detects the user's position, navigates to them, and performs appropriate gestures without requiring direct human intervention for each action. The system monitors user behavior and automatically adjusts its encouragement strategy, enabling self-service operation that reduces operational complexity.
3Reliability
If the robot monitors user behavior continuously to adjust encouragement, then the effectiveness of exercise promotion is improved, but the energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous monitoring, the system uses periodic behavior detection through the optical sensor or microphone. The robot checks user behavior at intervals and adjusts its encouragement gestures based on these periodic observations. This periodic approach maintains effective user engagement while significantly reducing energy consumption compared to continuous monitoring.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The robot effectively motivates users to exercise by providing a stronger incentive through physical presence and gestures, overcoming the limitations of text or sound-based nudges and enhancing user engagement in physical activities like walking or running.
Implementation Method 1
detecting a current position of the user through an optical sensor included in the robot
Implementation Method 2
monitoring behavior of the user through the optical sensor or a microphone included in the robot
Data Source
AI summary
A control method of a robot according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes receiving from an external computer information that instructs the robot to encourage a user to exercise; sensing a user's current position; moving the robot into a predetermined area that includes the user's current position; causing the robot to perform a gesture to encourage the user to exercise; monitoring behavior of the user; and performing driving of the robot along with exercise of the user, based on a result of the monitoring.