Mobile Robot Action Planning for User Acceptability Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
In systems where robots interact with unspecified large numbers of users, there is a need for the robot to adjust its actions based on the acceptability of each user to ensure safety, security, and social acceptance.
Innovation Solution
An information processing apparatus that includes an action planner, which determines an action guideline for a mobile robot based on an acceptability level set for each user and an action parameter related to the robot's purpose, allowing the robot to plan its actions accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the robot follows a fixed safety distance rule to avoid users, then safety is improved, but interaction efficiency and task completion speed deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the safety distance adjustable rather than fixed. The safety distance dynamically changes based on the user's emotional state (calm, uncomfortable, angry) and the robot's action type (passive, active). This allows the robot to maintain appropriate safety margins while adapting to different interaction contexts, thereby improving both safety and interaction efficiency simultaneously.
2Reliability
If the robot maintains a large safety distance from users, then safety is improved, but task completion capability and user service quality deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The safety distance is dynamically adjusted based on the combination of user emotional state and robot action type. When the user is calm and the robot performs passive actions, the safety distance is reduced to enable better task completion. When the user is uncomfortable or angry, or when the robot performs active actions, the safety distance is increased to maintain safety. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between safety and task completion capability.
3Device complexity
If the robot uses a fixed action guideline, then system simplicity is maintained, but social acceptability and user comfort deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The action guideline is made dynamic by adjusting the safety distance parameter based on real-time detection of user emotional states and robot action types. Rather than using multiple complex predefined guidelines, the system dynamically modifies a single base guideline according to detected conditions, thereby maintaining system simplicity while improving social acceptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from user emotional state detection (via camera and microphone) to continuously adjust the safety distance parameter. This feedback loop allows the robot to adapt its behavior to user comfort levels in real-time, improving social acceptability while maintaining a relatively simple system architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program that can implement a robot system that is accepted by society.An action planner plans an action of a mobile body on the basis of an acceptability level to the mobile body set for each of one or a plurality of users and an action parameter that is set on the basis of an action purpose of the mobile body and determines an action guideline of the mobile body. The technology of the present disclosure can be applied to a robot system including a transfer robot, for example.