JP7125083B2 - interactive robot - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to interactive robots.

There has been proposed an interactive robot that is placed on a table, acquires information from the outside world using a camera, microphone, etc., displays an image on a display, emits synthesized voice from a speaker, and interacts with a user.

For example, in Patent Document 1, a torso having a plurality of parts that rotate around axes that are not parallel to each other is provided. An interactive robot has been proposed that has a structure that can change the angle of depression.

U.S. Patent 2016/0151917A1

In the interactive robot described in Patent Literature 1, in order to turn the head of the robot toward various users of different heights, the body part is greatly bent back or bent forward. Poor stability with changes in posture.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the background described above, an object of the present invention is to provide an interactive robot that is excellent in stability as its posture changes.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides an interactive robot having a horizontally rotatable body and a vertically rotatable head arranged above the body. The body has an abdomen having an upper surface that is a plane oblique to the vertical direction, and a chest provided above the abdomen and rotatable around an axis perpendicular to the upper surface. A first aspect of the present invention provides an interactive robot in which the vertical line of the center of gravity of the head does not go out of the outline of the body as the abdomen or chest rotates and the head rotates .

According to the interactive robot of the first aspect, since the head can be rotated in the vertical direction, the robot can move in a wide range of angles of elevation and depression without greatly bending the body back or bending forward. You can change the direction of your head. Therefore, an interactive robot is provided which is excellent in stability as the posture changes. Further, according to the interactive robot of the first aspect, the load on the rotation mechanism of the body and the head is small, and high durability is achieved.

Further, the present invention is an interactive robot having a horizontally rotatable body and a vertically rotatable head arranged above the body, wherein the head is an image. and the display position of the image within the display screen is moved in the direction of movement of the display screen by movement of the head according to rotation of the torso or the head. A robot is provided as a second aspect.

According to the interactive robot of the second aspect, since the head can be rotated in the vertical direction, the robot can move in a wide range of angles of elevation and depression without greatly bending the body back or bending forward. You can change the direction of your head. Therefore, an interactive robot is provided which is excellent in stability as the posture changes. In addition, according to the interactive robot of the second aspect, a natural movement is realized in which the head faces the user and at the same time the eye-like image faces the user .

In the interactive robot of the first or second aspect, a configuration may be employed as a third aspect in which the head rotates in the vertical direction in conjunction with the rotation of the body in the horizontal direction. .

According to the interactive robot of the third aspect, a natural movement is realized in which the torso and the torso move toward the user at the same time.

In the interactive robot of the second aspect, a configuration may be adopted as a fourth aspect in which the movement of the position of the image is started earlier than the movement of the head.

According to the interactive robot of the fourth aspect, when the head faces the user, a natural movement is realized in which the eye-like image faces the user earlier than the movement of the head.

The figure which showed the external appearance of the interactive robot which concerns on one Embodiment. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of an interactive robot according to one embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the head of the interactive robot according to one embodiment; The figure which showed the hardware constitutions of the interactive robot which concerns on one Embodiment. The figure which showed the functional structure of the interactive robot which concerns on one Embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the vertical movement of the head 13 of the interactive robot 1 according to one embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram exemplifying changes in the posture of the interactive robot and the image displayed on the display according to the embodiment; The figure which showed the flow of the process which the control apparatus of the interactive robot which concerns on one Embodiment performs. FIG. 4 is a diagram exemplifying changes in the posture of the interactive robot and the image displayed on the display according to the embodiment; The figure which showed the flow of the process which the control apparatus of the interactive robot which concerns on one Embodiment performs. FIG. 4 is a diagram exemplifying changes in the posture of the interactive robot and the image displayed on the display according to the embodiment; The figure which showed the flow of the process which the control apparatus of the interactive robot which concerns on one Embodiment performs.

[Embodiment]
An interactive robot 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the appearance of an interactive robot 1. As shown in FIG.

The interactive robot 1 includes a base portion 11 , a body portion 12 and a head portion 13 . The base portion 11 is, for example, a member having a shape in which the side surface of a low-height truncated cone is curved outward, and is arranged at the bottom of the interactive robot 1 .

The body portion 12 is arranged above the base portion 11 and is rotatable in the horizontal direction. In the present application, "rotation in the horizontal direction" means rotation about a substantially vertical axis ( left-right rotation called so-called "pan").

The torso 12 has an abdomen 121 and a chest 122 . The abdomen 121 is arranged on the base 11 side, and the chest 122 is arranged on the head 13 side. The shape of the abdomen 121 and the chest 122 is generally the shape of the bottom side portion divided by the oblique plane with the axis of the cone. Abdomen 121 is rotatable around a vertical axis. Hereinafter, regarding the direction of rotation of the abdomen 121, the direction of arrow A shown in FIG. 1 (counterclockwise direction when viewed from above) is referred to as "+A direction", and the direction opposite to arrow A is referred to as "−A direction".

The chest 122 is rotatable around an axis perpendicular to the upper surface of the abdomen 121 . Hereinafter, regarding the direction of rotation of the chest 122, the direction of arrow B shown in FIG. 1 (counterclockwise direction when viewed from above) is referred to as "+B direction", and the direction opposite to arrow B is referred to as "−B direction". A speaker 1221 is arranged on the chest 122 .

The shape of the head 13 is the shape of the portion with the larger volume obtained by dividing a sphere with a surface bent to form an angle of approximately 135 degrees. The head 13 is arranged above the body 12 and is vertically rotatable. In the present application, "rotation in the vertical direction" means rotation about a substantially horizontal axis in a state in which the interactive robot 1 is placed on a horizontal surface so that the bottom surface of the base portion 11 is in contact with the horizontal surface ( vertical rotation called "tilt"). Hereinafter, regarding the direction of rotation of the head 13, the direction of arrow C shown in FIG. 1 (clockwise direction when viewed from the left side) is referred to as "+C direction", and the direction opposite to arrow C is referred to as "-C direction". .

The surface of head 13 includes two planes. The upper one of these planes is called face portion 13a, and the lower one is called jaw portion 13b. A display 131, a camera 132, and a microphone 133 are arranged on the face 13a. The microphones 133 are provided on the left and right sides of the face 13a, and are capable of inputting stereo sound.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of the interactive robot 1. FIG. The base portion 11 has a circular bottom surface 11a and a circular top surface 11b. The top surface 11b and the bottom surface 11a are parallel to each other.

The base unit 11 includes a rotating shaft 101 , a motor 102 and gears 103 . The rotating shaft 101 is provided so as to protrude upward from the center of the upper surface 11b. A concave portion 104 is formed in the upper surface 11b, and a motor 102 and a gear 103 are arranged in the concave portion 104. As shown in FIG. A gear 103 is attached to the rotating shaft of the motor 102 and is rotated by the operation of the motor 102 . The top of the screw thread of the gear 103 protrudes upward from the upper surface 11b and meshes with a rack 202, which will be described later.

The abdomen 121 has a circular bottom surface 121a and a circular top surface 121b. The bottom surface 121a and the top surface 121b are not parallel.

Abdomen 121 includes bearing 201 , rack 202 , rotating shaft 203 , motor 204 and gear 205 . The bearing 201 is recessed upward from the bottom surface 121 a and receives the rotating shaft 101 of the base portion 11 . The rack 202 is provided on the bottom surface 121a so as to draw a circle around the bearing 201 so as to mesh with the gear 103 of the base portion 11. As shown in FIG.

When the motor 102 of the base portion 11 is driven, the gear 103 rotates, applying a force in the circumferential direction to the rack 202 meshing with the gear 103 , and rotating the abdomen 121 around the rotation shaft 101 .

The rotating shaft 203 is provided so as to protrude upward from the center of the upper surface 121b. A concave portion 206 is formed in the upper surface 121b, and a motor 204 and a gear 205 are arranged in the concave portion 206. As shown in FIG. A gear 205 is attached to the rotating shaft of the motor 204 and is rotated by the operation of the motor 204 . The top of the screw thread of the gear 205 protrudes upward from the upper surface 121b and meshes with the rack 302, which will be described later.

Chest 122 has a circular bottom surface 122a and a circular top surface 122b. The bottom surface 122a and the top surface 122b are not parallel.

Chest 122 includes bearing 301 , rack 302 , motor 303 , gear 304 , and a pair of left and right guide grooves 305 . Bearing 301 is recessed upward from bottom surface 122 a and receives rotating shaft 203 of abdomen 121 . The rack 302 is provided on the bottom surface 122a so as to draw a circle around the bearing 301 so as to mesh with the gear 205 of the abdomen 121. As shown in FIG.

When the motor 204 of the abdomen 121 is driven, the gear 205 rotates, exerting a circumferential force on the rack 302 meshing with the gear 205 , causing the chest 122 to rotate about the rotation axis 203 .

The guide grooves 305 are a pair of left and right grooves that are elongated substantially in the front-rear direction and are provided so as to be recessed downward from the upper surface 122b. The guide groove 305 has a receiving groove 305a extending laterally outward at one end (for example, the front end) thereof. The guide groove 305 receives a hook 401 to be described later from the receiving groove 305 a and serves to guide the movement of the head 13 in the front-rear direction with respect to the chest 122 .

A concave portion 306 is formed in the upper surface 122b, and a motor 303 and a gear 304 are arranged in the concave portion 306. As shown in FIG. A gear 304 is attached to the rotating shaft of the motor 303 and is rotated by the operation of the motor 303 . The crest of the thread of the gear 304 protrudes upward from the top surface 122b and meshes with a rack 402 (FIG. 3), which will be described later.

The head 13 has a pair of left and right hooks 401 . The hook 401 protrudes downward from the lower surface of the main body of the head 13, and its end portion is bent outward in the left-right direction.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the head 13. As shown in FIG. 3(a) is a view of the head 13 viewed from below in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3(b) is a view of the head 13 viewed from behind in FIG. A pair of left and right hooks 401 projecting downward are arranged on the lower surface of the head 13 as described above. The head 13 also includes a longitudinally extending rack 402 on its lower surface.

When the motor 303 of the chest 122 operates, the gear 304 rotates, exerting a longitudinal force on the rack 402 meshing with the gear 304, causing the head 13 to rotate about the horizontal axis passing through the center of its sphere. .

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the interactive robot 1. As shown in FIG. The control device 51 is a computer for controlling the operation of each part of the interactive robot 1 . The control device 51 is arranged inside the interactive robot 1, for example. However, the control device 51 may be arranged outside the interactive robot 1 and control each part of the interactive robot 1 by wireless communication, for example.

The control device 51 comprises a processor 511 , a memory 512 and an interface 513 . The processor 511 performs various data processing according to programs stored in the memory 512 . The memory 512 stores various data such as programs executed by the processor 511 . The interface 513 is connected to devices such as the display 131, the camera 132, the microphone 133, the speaker 1221, the motor 102, the motor 204, and the motor 303, and inputs and outputs data between these devices and the processor 511 or the memory 512. conduct.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the interactive robot 1. As shown in FIG. That is, the processor 511 performs data processing according to the program according to the present embodiment, thereby operating as an apparatus having the configuration shown in FIG. A functional configuration of the control device 51 will be described below.

The control device 51 includes a drive control unit 5101, a display control unit 5102, a human detection unit 5103, and an interaction control unit 5104 as functional components.

The drive control unit 5101 controls driving of the motors 102 , 204 and 303 based on the information acquired by the human detection unit 5103 and the interaction control unit 5104 . The horizontal and vertical orientations of the head 13 are changed by drive control of these three motors by the drive control unit 5101 .

The display control unit 5102 controls display of images on the display 131 in conjunction with drive control of the three motors by the drive control unit 5101 .

The human detection unit 5103 acquires an image captured by the camera 132, detects a user from the acquired image, and notifies the drive control unit 5101 of the detection result. The drive control unit 5101 drives and controls the three motors in response to the notification from the human detection unit 5103 so that the face 13a faces the detected user.

The dialog control unit 5104 acquires the voice uttered by the user picked up by the microphone 133 and causes the speaker 1221 to output the voice in response to the acquired voice.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the vertical movement of the head 13 of the interactive robot 1, that is, the movement of the head 13 around the horizontal axis.

FIG. 6(a) shows a state in which the head 13 has the largest depression angle, FIG. 6(c) shows a state in which the head 13 has the largest elevation angle, and FIG. It is the figure which showed those intermediate states. Hereinafter, the state of FIG. 6B is referred to as "standard state".

In order to shift from the state (standard state) of FIG. 6B to the state of FIG.
(1) The motor 102 is driven to rotate the abdomen 121 by 180° in the +A direction with respect to the base portion 11 .
(2) The motor 204 is driven to rotate the chest 122 in the -B direction with respect to the abdomen 121 by 180°.
(3) Drive the motor 303 to rotate the head 13 in the -C direction with respect to the chest 122 to the maximum extent.

As a result of the drive control as described above, the head 13 moves downward while maintaining its horizontal orientation.

6(b) (standard state) and FIG. 6(c), the drive control section 5101 of the control device 51 performs the following control (4).
(4) Drive the motor 303 to rotate the head 13 in the +C direction with respect to the chest 122 to the maximum range.

6(a), 6(b), and 6(c), a vertical line (straight line perpendicular to the horizontal plane) drawn from the center of gravity G of the head 13 is outside the outline of the body 12. never go out to In the example of FIG. 6 , the exterior angle line of the body portion 12 is the outer circumference line of the bottom surface 121 a of the abdomen 121 . Therefore, in this case, the vertical line drawn down from the center of gravity G does not extend outside the outer peripheral line of the bottom surface 121 a of the abdomen 121 .

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating changes in the attitude of the interactive robot 1 and the image displayed on the display 131 when the head 13 of the interactive robot 1 changes direction from the front to the bottom. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the flow of processing performed by the control device 51 to implement the operation of FIG.

The display 131 displays an eye 601, which is an image simulating an eye, and reflected light 602, which is an image simulating reflected light seen in the eye. The display control unit 5102 of the control device 51 controls the eyes 601 and the reflected light according to the horizontal and vertical rotation of the head 13 according to the operation of the three motors controlled by the drive control unit 5101 of the control device 51 . Control is performed to change the display position in the display 131 of 602 .

FIG. 7A shows the posture of the interactive robot 1 in the standard state and the positions of the eyes 601 and the reflected light 602 on the display 131. FIG. In the standard state, the head 13 faces the front, and the eyes 601 are displayed approximately in the center of the display 131 . Reflected light 602 is positioned approximately in the two o'clock direction from the center of eye 601 . From this state, drive control and display control by the control device 51 are started.

First, the display control unit 5102 moves the position of the eye 601 on the display 131 downward from the center of the display 131, and moves the position of the reflected light 602 from the center of the eye 601 to approximately the 1 o'clock direction (step S701). As a result, the positions of the eye 601 and the reflected light 602 are as shown in FIG. 7(b). In the state of FIG. 7(b), the attitude change has not started.

Subsequently, the drive control unit 5101 instructs the motors 102, 204, and 303 to drive (step S702). The motor 102 rotates the gear 103 according to the instruction from the drive control unit 5101 so that the abdomen 121 rotates in the +A direction. The motor 204 rotates the gear 205 according to the instruction from the drive control unit 5101 so that the chest 122 rotates in the -B direction. The motor 303 rotates the gear 304 according to the instruction from the drive control unit 5101 so that the head 13 rotates in the -C direction. As a result, the head 13 moves downward while maintaining its lateral position. FIG. 7(c) shows a state in the middle of the movement. In the state of FIG. 7(c), the positions of the eye 601 and the reflected light 602 on the display 131 have not changed from the state of FIG. 7(b).

Subsequently, the drive control unit 5101 determines whether or not each of the abdomen 121, chest 122, and head 13 has rotated to the target position (step S703). The target position in the example shown in FIG. 7 is that, from the standard state of FIG. This is the position rotated by about 30° in the C direction. If it is determined that each of the abdomen 121, chest 122, and head 13 has not rotated to the target position (step S703; No), the process returns to step S702, and the motors 102 and 204 are rotated to reach the target positions. , continues to instruct one or more of the motors 303 to drive.

If it is determined that each of the abdomen 121, chest 122, and head 13 has rotated to the target position (step S703; Yes), the drive control unit 5101 stops driving the motors 102, 204, and 303, The process ends (step S704). FIG. 7D shows a state in which the abdomen 121, chest 122, and head 13 have each reached their target positions. In the state of FIG. 7(d), the positions of the eye 601 and the reflected light 602 on the display 131 have not changed from the state of FIG. 7(c).

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating changes in the posture of the interactive robot 1 and the image displayed on the display 131 when the head 13 of the interactive robot 1 changes direction from the front to the right. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the flow of processing performed by the control device 51 to implement the operation of FIG.

9A shows the posture of the interactive robot 1 in the standard state and the positions of the eyes 601 and the reflected light 602 on the display 131, as in FIG. 7A. From this state, drive control and display control by the control device 51 are started.

First, the display control unit 5102 moves the position of the eye 601 on the display 131 rightward from the center of the display 131 (step S801). As a result, the position of the eye 601 becomes the state shown in FIG. 9(b). Note that the position of the reflected light 602 on the eye 601 does not change. In addition, in the state of FIG. 9B, the posture has not started to change.

Subsequently, the drive control unit 5101 instructs the motor 102 to drive (step S802). The motor 102 rotates the gear 103 according to the instruction from the drive control unit 5101 so that the abdomen 121 rotates in the +A direction. As a result, the head 13 moves rightward while maintaining the vertical angle. FIG. 9(c) shows a state in the middle of the movement. In the state of FIG. 9(c), the positions of the eye 601 and the reflected light 602 on the display 131 have not changed from the state of FIG. 9(b).

Subsequently, the drive control unit 5101 determines whether or not the abdomen 121 has rotated to the target position (step S803). The target position in the example shown in FIG. 9 is a position where the abdomen 121 is rotated 90 degrees in the +A direction from the standard state shown in FIG. 9(a). If it is determined that the abdomen 121 has not rotated to the target position (step S803; No), the process returns to step S802 to continue instructing the motor 102 to reach the target position.

If it is determined that the abdomen 121 has rotated to the target position (step S803; Yes), the drive control unit 5101 stops driving the motor 102 and ends the process (step S804). FIG. 9(d) shows a state in which the abdomen 121 has reached the target position. In the state of FIG. 9(d), the positions of the eye 601 and the reflected light 602 on the display 131 have not changed from the state of FIG. 9(c).

FIG. 11 is a diagram exemplifying changes in the posture of the interactive robot 1 and the image displayed on the display 131 when the head 13 of the interactive robot 1 changes direction from the front to the oblique upper right. Also, FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a flow of processing performed by the control device 51 to realize the operation of FIG.

FIG. 11(a) shows the posture of the interactive robot 1 in the standard state and the positions of the eyes 601 and the reflected light 602 on the display 131, as in FIGS. 7(a) and 9(a). From this state, drive control and display control by the control device 51 are started.

First, the display control unit 5102 moves the position of the eye 601 on the display 131 from the center of the display 131 to the upper right direction, and moves the position of the reflected light 602 from the center of the eye 601 to about the 3 o'clock direction (step S901). As a result, the position of the eye 601 becomes the state shown in FIG. 11(b). In the state of FIG. 11(b), the attitude change has not started.

Subsequently, the drive control unit 5101 instructs the motors 102, 204, and 303 to drive (step S902). The motor 102 rotates the gear 103 according to the instruction from the drive control unit 5101 so that the abdomen 121 rotates in the -A direction. The motor 204 rotates the gear 205 according to the instruction from the drive control unit 5101 so that the chest 122 rotates in the +B direction. The motor 303 rotates the gear 304 according to the instruction from the drive control unit 5101 so that the head 13 rotates in the +C direction. As a result, the head 13 tilts to the left while maintaining its lateral position, and moves to a state of slightly looking up. FIG. 11(c) shows a state in the middle of the movement. In the state of FIG. 11(c), the positions of the eye 601 and the reflected light 602 on the display 131 have not changed from the state of FIG. 11(b).

Subsequently, the drive control unit 5101 determines whether or not each of the abdomen 121, chest 122, and head 13 has rotated to the target position (step S903). The target position in the example shown in FIG. 11 is that, from the standard state of FIG. It is a position rotated about 10 degrees in the direction. If it is determined that each of the abdomen 121, chest 122, and head 13 has not rotated to the target position (step S903; No), the process returns to step S902, and the motors 102 and 204 are rotated to reach the target positions. , continues to instruct one or more of the motors 303 to drive.

When it is determined that each of the abdomen 121, chest 122, and head 13 has rotated to the target position (step S903; Yes), the drive control unit 5101 stops driving the motors 102, 204, and 303, The process ends (step S904). FIG. 11(d) shows a state in which the abdomen 121, chest 122, and head 13 have each reached their target positions. In the state of FIG. 11(d), the positions of the eye 601 and the reflected light 602 on the display 131 have not changed from the state of FIG. 11(c).

[Modification]
Various modifications can be made to the embodiments described above. Examples of these modifications are shown below. It should be noted that the above-described embodiment and modifications described below may be combined as appropriate.

(1) In the above-described embodiment, the body 12 of the interactive robot 1 has two parts, the abdomen 121 and the chest 122, which rotate independently. The number of rotating parts included in the body part 12 is not limited to two. That is, the body part 12 may have only one rotating part, or may have three or more independently rotating parts.

(2) The mechanism for rotating the abdomen 121 with respect to the base 11, the mechanism for rotating the chest 122 with respect to the abdomen 121, and the head 13 with respect to the chest 122, which were described using FIG. The mechanism for rotating is an example, and these portions may be rotated by a mechanism having a configuration different from that illustrated in the embodiment.

(3) In the above-described embodiment, the control device 51 is implemented by a computer, but the control device 51 may be configured as a dedicated device having the components shown in FIG.

(4) In the above-described embodiment, the correspondence relationship between the posture of the interactive robot 1 and the image displayed on the display 131 described with reference to FIGS. In this posture, an image different from that illustrated in the embodiment may be displayed on the display 131 . For example, the movement of the position of the eyes 601 on the display 131 may be started at the same time as the movement of the abdomen 121, the chest 122, and the head 13 is started. Also, for example, after each of the abdomen 121, chest 122, and head 13 reaches the target position, or before they reach the target position, the eye 601 displayed at a position shifted from the center of the display 131 is displayed on the display. You may move toward the center of 131.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Interactive robot, 11... Base part, 12... Body part, 13... Head, 51... Control device, 101... Rotating shaft, 102... Motor, 103... Gear, 104... Concave part, 121... Abdomen, 122... Chest 131 Display 132 Camera 133 Microphone 201 Bearing 202 Rack 203 Rotary shaft 204 Motor 205 Gear 206 Recess 301 Bearing 302 Rack 303 Motor , 304... Gear, 305... Guide groove, 306... Recess, 401... Hook, 402... Rack, 511... Processor, 512... Memory, 513... Interface, 601... Eye, 602... Reflected light, 1221... Speaker, 5101... Drive Control unit 5102 Display control unit 5103 Human detection unit 5104 Dialogue control unit.

Claims (4)

An interactive robot having a horizontally rotatable body and a vertically rotatable head arranged above the body,
The body has an abdomen having an upper surface that is a plane oblique to the vertical direction, and a chest that is provided above the abdomen and is rotatable around an axis perpendicular to the upper surface,
The vertical line of the center of gravity of the head does not go out of the outline of the trunk as the abdomen or chest rotates and the head rotates.
interactive robot. An interactive robot having a horizontally rotatable body and a vertically rotatable head arranged above the body,
The head has a display surface for displaying an image, and the display position of the image within the display surface is in the movement direction of the display surface caused by the movement of the head according to the rotation of the body or the head. to move
interactive robot. 3. The interactive robot according to claim 1, wherein the head rotates vertically in conjunction with horizontal rotation of the body. 3. The interactive robot according to claim 2 , wherein the movement of the display position of the image is started earlier than the movement of the head.

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