Inverted Mobile Robot Posture Control for Emotion Expression

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional autonomous mobile bodies, such as robot vacuum cleaners and pet robots, are limited in their motion expression and cannot effectively change posture while maintaining a frontward tilting posture, restricting their ability to convey emotions and interact with users in a more engaging manner.

Innovation Solution

An autonomous mobile body with a configuration that includes wheels driven by independent motors, a substrate with movable eye portions, and a control system that allows for temporal changes in posture angle, enabling the expression of emotions through controlled movements and postures, such as joy, anger, and sadness, while maintaining a frontward tilting posture.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the autonomous mobile body maintains a fixed frontward tilting posture, then the control system is simple and stable, but the motion expression is limited and cannot convey emotions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemotion expression capabilityVSAvoidcontrol system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by transitioning from a fixed posture to a dynamic posture control system. The operation controller dynamically adjusts the posture angle around the reference posture angle based on motion data, enabling the autonomous mobile body to express different emotions through posture changes while maintaining overall stability through continuous control adjustments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the posture angle parameter dynamically. By varying the posture angle around a reference value based on motion data (such as vibration amplitude and frequency), the system enables rich motion expressions without requiring a completely new control architecture, thus balancing expressiveness with control simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Adaptability or versatility

If the autonomous mobile body changes posture frequently to express emotions, then the motion expression is enriched, but the stability of the inverted pendulum structure is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveemotion expression capabilityVSAvoidinverted pendulum stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses dynamic control to maintain stability during posture changes. The operation controller continuously adjusts the posture angle based on motion data, enabling the inverted pendulum structure to adapt to posture variations while maintaining balance through real-time control corrections.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback control where the operation controller monitors the actual posture angle and compares it with the target posture angle derived from motion data. Based on this feedback, the controller adjusts the posture control to maintain stability while achieving the desired emotion expression, ensuring the inverted pendulum remains balanced during dynamic movements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP4070866B1Information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program
Publication Date: 2024.05.15 SONY GROUP CORP
  • EP4070866B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4070866B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4070866B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An information processing device (10) according to the present disclosure includes an operation controller (175) that controls a moving operation of an autonomous mobile body (10) that travels while maintaining an inverted state, and controls a posture operation of the autonomous mobile body that temporally changes from a reference posture in the inverted state. Furthermore, the information processing device (10) according to the present disclosure further includes an acquisition unit (174) that acquires motion data corresponding to a posture operation of the autonomous mobile body (10). The operation controller (175) controls a posture operation of the autonomous mobile body (10) based on the motion data acquired by the acquisition unit (174).