Autonomous Greeting Robot Control for Human-Like Empathy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current robot technologies have not effectively replicated the emotional connection and companionship provided by pets, as humans do not perceive robots as having free will, which is essential for empathy and companionship.
Innovation Solution
An autonomously acting robot that determines its movements and gestures based on an external environment and internal state, using sensors to detect and respond to humans, mimicking human-like or animal-like actions to increase empathy, featuring a movement determining unit, action determining unit, and recognizing unit to select and execute gestures such as greeting or seeing off actions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a robot performs predetermined actions based on external environment, then the robot can respond to humans, but the robot cannot autonomously select actions to create the impression of free will
Solution Approach 1:
The robot dynamically switches between different action selection modes (predetermined actions vs. autonomously selected actions) based on the situation. The control system integrates both predefined response protocols and autonomous decision-making capabilities, allowing the robot to adapt its behavior dynamically rather than following a fixed control architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The robot is pre-programmed with multiple types of actions (predetermined actions and autonomously selectable actions) that can be chosen based on the situation. This preliminary preparation of various action patterns allows the robot to quickly respond without complex real-time computation for every decision.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a robot autonomously selects actions to emulate human-like behavior, then empathy toward the robot increases, but the technology complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robot exhibits different qualities of autonomy in different contexts. In some situations, it performs predetermined actions with simple control, while in other situations, it autonomously selects actions to create the impression of free will. This localized application of autonomy reduces overall system complexity while maintaining empathy-generating capabilities where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system is segmented into multiple independent modules: sensors for environmental perception, processing units for determining robot state, and control units for selecting and executing actions. This segmentation allows each module to operate independently with well-defined interfaces, reducing overall system complexity while enabling autonomous behavior.
3Measurement precision
If a robot uses multiple sensors to detect external environment, then the robot can recognize human presence accurately, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple sensors (imaging sensor, infrared sensor, microphone) are merged into an integrated perception system that processes environmental information collectively. The sensors work together to detect human presence through multiple modalities (visual, thermal, acoustic), achieving high detection accuracy while sharing processing resources and reducing overall system complexity through unified control.
Data Source
AI summary
Empathy toward a robot is increased by the robot emulating human-like or animal-like behavior. A robot includes a movement determining unit that determines a direction of movement, an action determining unit that selects a gesture from multiple kinds of gesture, and a drive mechanism that executes a specified movement and gesture. When a user enters a hall, an external sensor installed in advance detects a return home, and notifies the robot via a server that the user has returned home. The robot heads to the hall, and welcomes the user home by performing a gesture indicating goodwill, such as sitting down and raising an arm.