Service Robot Trigger Control for Human-Like Task Handoffs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users of personal service robots may feel discomfort when the robot's behavior differs from that expected of a human, especially when robots coordinate tasks, leading to unclear intentions and unnatural service provision.
Innovation Solution
A robot control system that includes a storage unit for trigger action information, a trigger determination unit, and an action execution unit, allowing the robot to execute actions based on specified trigger conditions, ensuring natural behavior and service provision by mimicking human-like interactions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If robots coordinate services to improve productivity, then service efficiency is improved, but user comfort deteriorates when robots suddenly take over operations without human-like transition behaviors
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by having robots execute transition behaviors before actually taking over operations. When a robot needs to take over from another robot, it first performs a transition action (such as moving to the other robot's position or displaying a takeover signal) before executing the service action. This preliminary transition behavior makes the takeover process transparent and comfortable for users, resolving the contradiction between efficient coordination and user comfort.
2Productivity
If robots execute services automatically to improve productivity, then service delivery speed is improved, but user understanding of robot intentions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where robots provide status information about their current actions and intentions to users during service execution. The robot control unit sends feedback signals to display the robot's current state, planned actions, and progress to the user interface. This continuous feedback loop maintains user understanding of robot intentions while preserving automatic service delivery speed, resolving the contradiction between productivity and information transparency.
3Ease of operation
If trigger conditions are added to control robot actions for natural behavior, then user comfort is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented into modular components: a trigger condition evaluation unit that separately processes conditions, a robot control unit that executes actions, and a coordination unit that manages multiple robots. Each module handles specific aspects of behavior control independently. This segmentation allows complex natural behavior to be achieved through simple, manageable trigger conditions without overwhelming system complexity, as each module can be designed and optimized separately.
Data Source
AI summary
A robot control system controlling a robot executing a personal service includes: a storage unit configured to store therein in advance trigger action information for which a task to be executed by the robot is formed by a series of actions and the actions and trigger conditions for respectively starting the actions are specified; a trigger determination unit configured to determine whether a trigger condition of the action is satisfied; an action execution unit configured to execute the action; and a task execution unit configured to sequentially select an action specified in the trigger action information of the task to be executed by the robot, cause the trigger determination unit to determine whether a trigger condition of the selected action is satisfied, and cause the action execution unit to execute the action when the trigger condition is satisfied.