Robot Drowsiness State Control for Lifelike Sleep Transitions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing robots that imitate living creatures lack the ability to realistically simulate states of drowsiness and wakefulness, failing to adequately express lifelikeness in their behavior.
Innovation Solution
A robot equipped with sensors and processors that update a drowsiness parameter based on external events and ambient illuminance, transitioning between pseudo-sleep and pseudo-awake states to mimic the behavior of a living creature.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a robot uses simple sleep mode switching, then the control structure remains simple, but the lifelikeness of drowsiness simulation is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by introducing a drowsiness parameter that varies continuously rather than using simple binary sleep mode switching. This parameter can take multiple values representing different degrees of drowsiness, allowing the robot to simulate more realistic transitional states between wakefulness and sleep, thereby improving lifelikeness while managing complexity through parameter-based control
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by making the robot's state transitions gradual and continuous based on the drowsiness parameter, rather than abrupt switches. The robot can progress through intermediate drowsiness levels, creating dynamic and realistic behavior patterns that mimic natural sleep onset and wakefulness transitions
2Reliability
If a robot transitions gradually between sleep and wake states, then the lifelikeness is improved, but the response speed to external stimuli decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by enabling flexible transition speeds between states. The control system can adjust the rate of drowsiness parameter change based on external conditions, allowing fast transitions when stimulated and slow natural transitions during normal sleep-wake cycles, thus balancing realism with responsiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by preparing the robot in intermediate drowsiness states rather than fully asleep states when external events are anticipated. This allows the robot to be pre-positioned for quicker response while maintaining the appearance of gradual state transitions, resolving the conflict between realism and response speed
Data Source
AI summary
A robot includes a first sensor and at least one processor. The at least one processor is configured to, in response to detecting an occurrence of a predetermined type of event based on an output from the first sensor, update a value of a parameter indicating a degree of pseudo-drowsiness of the robot with a value corresponding to the type of the event having occurred, and switch a state of the robot between a pseudo-sleep state and a pseudo-awake state based on the updated value of the parameter.