Robot Emotion Control Based on Recognition and Decision Difficulty

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing technologies struggle to make robot devices perform actions that evoke feelings of personal attachment and emotional expression effectively, lacking the ability to selectively exhibit such behaviors based on environmental conditions and user interaction.

Innovation Solution

A control device with a recognizing unit, action decision managing unit, behavior managing unit, and drive control unit that determines and executes emotional expressions based on environmental difficulty levels and user attention to enhance personal attachment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If robot devices perform random movements to enhance entertainment aspect, then user interest is improved, but the ability to perform actions with specific meaning (emotional expressions) deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveentertainment capabilityVSAvoidemotional expression capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The robot dynamically switches between random movement mode and emotionally meaningful action mode based on real-time assessment of environmental difficulty and user attention. The behavior managing unit adjusts the robot's action characteristics dynamically, transitioning from purely entertainment-focused random movements to emotionally expressive actions when conditions are favorable, thus resolving the contradiction between entertainment versatility and emotional expression reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes key parameters (difficulty level of recognition, difficulty level of action decision, user attention degree) to determine when to exhibit emotional expressions. By monitoring these parameters and adjusting behavior accordingly, the robot can maintain entertainment value while selectively performing emotionally meaningful actions when conditions permit, thus resolving the contradiction between random movement entertainment and meaningful emotional expression

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If robot devices exhibit emotional expressions frequently, then personal attachment is improved, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepersonal attachment evocationVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of continuously exhibiting emotional expressions, the robot performs partial emotional expressions selectively when environmental conditions are favorable (low difficulty levels and high user attention). This partial action approach maintains personal attachment benefits while significantly reducing power consumption compared to continuous emotional expression

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The robot exhibits emotional expressions periodically based on assessments of environmental difficulty and user attention rather than continuously. This periodic action pattern allows the robot to maintain user attachment while managing power consumption by spacing out emotionally expressive actions during appropriate moments

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

3Adaptability or versatility

If robot devices perform complex actions to evoke personal attachment, then user interest is improved, but user discomfort increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveemotional expression capabilityVSAvoiduser discomfort

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses feedback from environmental difficulty assessment and user attention monitoring to determine appropriate emotional expressions. By continuously monitoring these feedback signals and adjusting behavior accordingly, the robot can perform emotionally meaningful actions that are likely to be well-received by users, minimizing discomfort while maximizing attachment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The robot assesses environmental conditions and user attention before performing emotionally expressive actions, effectively taking preliminary anti-action to prevent user discomfort. By evaluating difficulty levels and user engagement beforehand, the robot avoids performing complex emotional expressions when conditions are unfavorable, thus preventing potential user discomfort

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Data Source

PatentUS12379733B2Control device and control method

Publication Date: 2025.08.05 SONY GROUP CORP

AI summary

A control device includes a recognizing unit that recognizes an external environment based on sensing information, an action decision managing unit that, based on the recognized external environment, decides on actions to be taken, a behavior managing unit that, based on at least either difficulty level of recognition for the recognizing unit or difficulty level of action decision for the action decision managing unit, determines about whether or not to exhibit emotional expressions, and a drive control unit that, based on the determination performed by the behavior managing unit, controls execution of the actions corresponding to the emotional expressions.