Self-Balancing Mobile Agent Control for Active User Engagement

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Solution Overview

Problem

Recent agent devices struggle to achieve sufficient communication with users, as they primarily focus on information presentation rather than active engagement.

Innovation Solution

An information processing apparatus comprising an autonomous mobile body that maintains an inverted state and is controlled to perform inducing actions, such as presenting information and urging users to perform specific behaviors, to enhance user interaction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If an agent device presents information to users, then information delivery is achieved, but user engagement and communication effectiveness deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinformation deliveryVSAvoidcommunication effectiveness

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies inversion by having the agent device physically approach and move close to the user rather than remaining stationary, fundamentally changing the interaction dynamic from passive information presentation to active engagement, thereby improving communication effectiveness while maintaining information delivery

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The agent device employs dynamic movement capabilities, transitioning between different positions and orientations to capture user attention and enhance engagement. The device can move closer to users, change its orientation, and perform physical actions that make information presentation more compelling, thus resolving the contradiction between information delivery and communication effectiveness

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Device complexity

If an agent device remains stationary to present information, then device simplicity is maintained, but user attention and communication quality deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice simplicityVSAvoiduser attention capture

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The agent device incorporates dynamic movement capabilities that allow it to actively approach users and adjust its position to capture attention. This dynamic behavior enhances communication quality without requiring complex structural changes, maintaining relative device simplicity while significantly improving user engagement

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The agent device autonomously navigates and positions itself to optimize user interaction, performing self-service functions that reduce the need for complex external control systems. This autonomous positioning capability enables the device to capture user attention effectively while maintaining a relatively simple overall system architecture

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS12311539B2Information processing apparatus and control method

Publication Date: 2025.05.27 SONY GROUP CORP

AI summary

Communication with a user is more naturally and effectively realized. An information processing apparatus includes an autonomous mobile body that travels while maintaining an inverted state, and an operation control unit that controls an operation of the autonomous mobile body. The autonomous mobile body includes a main body, two wheels mounted on the main body, and a drive mechanism that drives the two wheels. The operation control unit controls the drive mechanism to maintain the inverted state of the autonomous mobile body by the two wheels. When the autonomous mobile body is placed on a surface that is flat, a part of a columnar surface of each of the wheels comes into contact with the surface.