JP2008018529A - Communication robot - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a communication robot which communicates with a person without giving a sense of incongruity. <P>SOLUTION: The robot communication robot 10 includes eyeball portions 76R, 76L, and eye cameras 46R, 46L are arranged in the eyeball portions 76R, 76L respectively. An object position such as the person or a specific object in an image obtained from the eye cameras 46R, 46L is detected, and the eyeball portions 76R, 76L are displaced so as to face toward the direction of the object. Thus, the communication robot 10 changes the posture to make eye contact with the person or steadily gaze at the direction of the object. In addition, the eyeball portions 76R, 76L are displaced with the movement of a head portion 42, such as turning the line of the sight in the direction of the movement of the head portion 42 when the head portion 42 moves. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a communication robot, and more particularly, to a communication robot having a function for communication and having a portion corresponding to a human eye or an eyeball, that is, an eyeball portion.

  Some conventional robots cause eye movements to transmit a certain intention, for example, by moving the eyeball part to the left or right or turning it.

  However, in the prior art, only a single object-oriented eye movement is mechanically performed, and a life feeling cannot be created. Therefore, the person who is trying to communicate may feel uncomfortable, and the feeling of communicating may be hindered.

  Therefore, a main object of the present invention is to provide a communication robot that can communicate without a sense of incongruity.

  The present invention is a communication robot having a communication function, and includes an eyeball part, an object detection means for detecting a target object, and an eyeball part displacement means for displacing the eyeball part so as to face the direction of the object. , A communication robot.

  An eyeball portion that is recognized as an eye appearance and an appearance is provided at a position corresponding to the eye, for example. The target object is detected by the object detection means. For example, a camera is provided at an appropriate location of the communication robot, and the first detection unit detects an object in the image based on the image acquired from the camera, and calculates, for example, the position and orientation thereof. As the object, for example, a human face or a specific object can be set. In addition, when a plurality of touch sensors are provided at an arbitrary location of the communication robot, the second detection unit detects, for example, a touch sensor that is turned on when touched by a person as an object. Then, the eyeball part is displaced by the eyeball part displacing means so as to face the direction of the detected object. That is, the line of sight is directed toward the face of a person, a specific object, or a touched part. Therefore, for example, when communicating with a person, the communication robot is adapted to match the line of sight with the person, or to look at a specific object direction or a touched part as a topic.

  Moreover, when comprised including a head, an eyeball part is provided in this head. Since the head is a part corresponding to the head, it is attached to the trunk via a neck joint, for example, and is displaced by the head displacement means. The head can be displaced so that, for example, the front side of the head, that is, the face faces the direction of the object. Further, the eyeball part can be displaced in relation to the movement of the head by the eyeball part displacing means. Specifically, for example, angle data proportional to the movement speed of the head is calculated, and the eyeball is displaced based on the angle data, so that the line of sight is directed in the direction in which the head is going. Thus, the eyeball part can perform natural eyeball movement according to the movement of the head when the head is moving.

  According to this invention, it is possible to match the line of sight with a person or to gaze at the object direction. In other words, communication can be achieved with natural eye movements. Further, the eyeball unit can perform eye movements related to the movement of the head. Therefore, since the communication is accompanied by a very natural eye movement similar to that of a person, the person can communicate with the communication robot without feeling uncomfortable.

  The above object, other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of embodiments with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, a communication robot (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as “robot”) 10 of this embodiment includes a carriage 12, and this carriage 12 is shown in FIG. A wheel 14 for autonomously moving the robot 10 is provided on the lower surface of the robot. The wheel 14 is driven by a wheel motor (indicated by reference numeral “70” in FIG. 4), and the carriage 12, that is, the robot 10 can be moved in any direction, front, back, left, and right. Although not shown, a collision sensor (indicated by reference numeral “74” in FIG. 4) is attached to the front surface of the carriage 12, and this collision sensor is used to detect people and other obstacles to the carriage 12. Detect contact. When contact with an obstacle is detected during the movement of the robot 10, the driving of the wheels 14 is immediately stopped to suddenly stop the movement of the robot 10 to prevent a collision.

  In this embodiment, the height of the robot 10 is set to about 100 cm so as not to intimidate people, particularly children. However, this height can be arbitrarily changed.

  A polygonal column sensor mounting panel 16 is provided on the carriage 12, and an ultrasonic distance sensor 18 is mounted on each surface of the sensor mounting panel 16. The ultrasonic distance sensor 18 measures a distance between the mounting panel 16, that is, a person mainly around the robot 10.

  On the carriage 12, the lower part is surrounded by the above-described mounting panel 16, and the body of the robot 10 is attached so as to stand upright. This body is composed of a lower body 20 and an upper body 22, and the lower body 20 and the upper body 22 are connected by a connecting portion 24. Although not shown, the connecting portion 24 has a built-in lifting mechanism, and the height of the upper body 22, that is, the height of the robot 10 can be changed by using the lifting mechanism. As will be described later, the elevating mechanism is driven by a waist motor (indicated by reference numeral “68” in FIG. 4). The height 100 cm of the robot 10 described above is a value when the upper body 22 is at its lowest position. Therefore, the height of the robot 10 can be 100 cm or more.

  One omnidirectional camera 26 and one microphone 28 are provided in the approximate center of the upper body 22. The omnidirectional camera 26 photographs the surroundings of the robot 10 and is distinguished from an eye camera 46 described later. The microphone 28 captures ambient sounds, particularly human voice.

  Upper arms 32R and 32L are attached to both shoulders of the upper body 22 by shoulder joints 30R and 30L, respectively. The shoulder joints 30R and 30L each have three degrees of freedom. That is, the shoulder joint 30R can control the angle of the upper arm 32R around each of the X axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis. The Y axis is an axis parallel to the longitudinal direction (or axis) of the upper arm 32R, and the X axis and the Z axis are axes orthogonal to the Y axis from different directions. The shoulder joint 30L can control the angle of the upper arm 32L around each of the A, B, and C axes. The B axis is an axis parallel to the longitudinal direction (or axis) of the upper arm 32L, and the A axis and the C axis are axes orthogonal to the B axis from different directions.

  Forearms 36R and 36L are attached to the respective distal ends of upper arms 32R and 32L via elbow joints 34R and 34L. The elbow joints 34R and 34L can control the angles of the forearms 36R and 36L around the axes of the W axis and the D axis, respectively.

  In the X, Y, X, W axes and the A, B, C, D axes that control the displacement of the upper arms 32R and 32L and the forearms 36R and 36L (FIG. 1), “0 degree” is the home position. In this home position, the upper arms 32R and 32L and the forearms 36R and 36L are directed downward.

  Although not shown, touch sensors are provided on the shoulder portion of the upper body 22 including the shoulder joints 30R and 30L, the upper arms 32R and 32L, and the forearms 36R and 36L, respectively. , It detects whether a person has touched these parts of the robot 10. These touch sensors are also generally indicated by reference numeral 72 in FIG.

  Spheres 38R and 38L corresponding to hands are fixedly attached to the tips of the forearms 36R and 36L, respectively. Instead of the spheres 38R and 38L, a “hand” in the shape of a human hand can be used when a finger function is required unlike the robot 10 of this embodiment.

  Although the shape, dimensions, etc. of the robot 10 are set as appropriate, in other embodiments, for example, the upper body 22 includes a front surface, a back surface, a right side surface, a left side surface, a top surface, and a bottom surface, and the right side surface and the left side surface. The surface may be formed so that the surface faces obliquely forward. That is, the width of the front surface may be shorter than the width of the back surface, and the shape of the upper body 22 viewed from above may be a trapezoid. In such a case, the shoulder joints 30R and 30L are attached to the right side surface and the left side surface via left and right support portions whose surfaces are parallel to the left and right side surfaces, respectively. The rotation range of the upper arm 32R and the upper arm 32L is restricted by the left and right side surfaces or the surface (attachment surface) of the support portion, and the upper arms 32R and 32L do not rotate beyond the attachment surface. However, if the inclination angle of the left and right side surfaces, the distance between the B axis and the Y axis, the lengths of the upper arms 32R and 32L, the lengths of the forearms 36R and 36L, etc. are appropriately set, the upper arms 32R and 32L will exceed the front. Since it can rotate to the inner side, the arms of the robot 10 can cross forward even if there is no degree of freedom of the arms by the W axis and D axis. Therefore, even when the degree of freedom of arms is small, close communication such as embracing with a person located in front can be achieved.

  A head portion 42 is attached to the upper center of the upper body 22 via a neck joint 40. The neck joint 40 has three degrees of freedom and can be angle-controlled around each of the S, T, and U axes. The S-axis is an axis that goes directly from the neck, and the T-axis and the U-axis are axes that are orthogonal to the S-axis in different directions. The head 42 is provided with a speaker 44 at a position corresponding to a human mouth. The speaker 44 is used by the robot 10 to communicate with a person around it by voice or voice. However, the speaker 44 may be provided in another part of the robot 10, for example, the trunk.

  The head portion 42 is provided with eyeball portions 76R and 76L at positions corresponding to the eyes. Eyeball portions 76R and 76L include eye cameras 46R and 46L, respectively. The right eyeball portion 76R and the left eyeball portion 76L may be collectively referred to as an eyeball portion 76, and the right eye camera 46R and the left eye camera 46L may be collectively referred to as an eye camera 46. The eye camera 46 captures the video signal by photographing the face of the person approaching the robot 10 and other parts or objects.

  Note that each of the omnidirectional camera 26 and the eye camera 46 described above may be a camera using a solid-state imaging device such as a CCD or a CMOS.

  For example, the eye camera 46 is fixed in the eyeball unit 76, and the eyeball unit 76 is attached to a predetermined position in the head 42 via an eyeball support unit (not shown). The eyeball support portion has two degrees of freedom and can be controlled in angle around each of the α axis and β axis (FIG. 2). The α-axis and the β-axis are axes set with respect to the head 42, the α-axis is an axis in a direction toward the top of the head 42, the β-axis is orthogonal to the α-axis and the front side of the head 42 It is an axis in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which (face) faces. In this embodiment, when the head 42 is at the home position, the α axis is set to be parallel to the S axis and the β axis is set to be parallel to the U axis. In such a head 42, when the eyeball support portion is rotated around each of the α axis and β axis, the tip (front) side of the eyeball portion 76 or the eye camera 46 is displaced, and the camera axis, that is, the line-of-sight direction is changed. It is moved (FIG. 3).

  In the α axis and β axis for controlling the displacement of the eye camera 46, “0 degree” is the home position. At this home position, the camera axis of the eye camera 46 is the head 42 as shown in FIG. The direction of the front side (face) is directed, and the line of sight is in the normal viewing state.

  The configuration of the control system of the robot 10 shown in FIG. 1 is shown in the block diagram of FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the robot 10 includes a microcomputer or a CPU 50 for overall control. The CPU 50 is connected to a memory 54, a motor control board 56, a sensor input / output board 58, and a voice through a bus 52. An input / output board 60 is connected.

  Although not shown, the memory 54 includes a ROM and a RAM, in which a control program for the robot 10 is written in advance and voice or voice data to be generated from the speaker 44 is stored. The RAM is used as a temporary storage memory and can be used as a working memory.

  The motor control board 56 is configured by, for example, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), and controls each axis motor such as each arm, head, and eyeball. That is, the motor control board 56 receives the control data from the CPU 50, and controls the angles of the three motors for controlling the X, Y, and Z axes of the right shoulder joint 30R and the axis W of the right elbow joint 34R. The rotation angle of a total of four motors (one of which is collectively shown as “right arm motor” in FIG. 4) 62 is adjusted. The motor control board 56 includes a total of four motors including three motors that control the angles of the A, B, and C axes of the left shoulder joint 30L and one motor that controls the angle of the D axis of the left elbow joint 34L. (They are collectively shown as “left arm motor” in FIG. 4.) The rotation angle of 64 is adjusted. The motor control board 56 also adjusts the rotation angles of three motors 66 (collectively shown as “head motors” in FIG. 4) that control the angles of the S, T, and U axes of the head 42. To do. The motor control board 56 also controls a waist motor 68 and two motors 70 (hereinafter collectively referred to as “wheel motors”) 70 that drive the wheels 14.

  Furthermore, the motor control board 56 adjusts the rotation angles of two motors 78 (collectively shown as “right eyeball motors” in FIG. 4) that control the angles of the α axis and β axis of the right eyeball portion 76R. In addition, the rotation angle of two motors 80 that control the angles of the α axis and β axis of the left eyeball portion 76L (collectively shown as “left eyeball motor” in FIG. 4) 80 is adjusted.

  In addition, the above-described motors of this embodiment are stepping motors or pulse motors for simplifying the control, except for the wheel motors 70, but may be DC motors similarly to the wheel motors 70.

  Similarly, the sensor input / output board 58 is configured by a DSP, and takes in signals from each sensor and camera and gives them to the CPU 50. That is, data relating to the reflection time from each of the ultrasonic distance sensors 18 is input to the CPU 50 through the sensor input / output board 58. The video signal from the omnidirectional camera 26 is input to the CPU 50 after being subjected to predetermined processing by the sensor input / output board 58 as required. The video signal from the eye camera 46 is also given to the CPU 50 in the same manner. In FIG. 4, the touch sensors described in FIG. 1 are collectively represented as “touch sensors 72”, and signals from the touch sensors 72 are given to the CPU 50 via the sensor input / output board 58. .

  The synthesized voice data is given to the speaker 44 from the CPU 50 via the voice input / output board 60, and the voice or voice according to the data is outputted from the speaker 44 accordingly. Then, the voice input from the microphone 28 is taken into the CPU 50 via the voice input / output board 60.

  The robot 10 of this embodiment includes an eyeball unit 76, detects the position of a specific object such as a person or an object, and displaces the eyeball unit 76 to face the direction of the object. Further, the robot 10 performs eye movement related to the movement of the head 42.

  For example, in the robot 10, when a human face is present in the image acquired from the eye camera 46, the position of the human face as the target object is detected, and the eyeball unit 76 and the eye camera 46 are directed in that direction. Therefore, control angle data for the α axis and β axis is calculated. When this angle data is given to the right eyeball motor 78 and the left eyeball motor 80, the eyeball unit 76 and the eye camera 46 are displaced so that the line-of-sight direction is directed toward the human face. Therefore, the robot 10 can match the line of sight with the person, and the person can communicate without feeling uncomfortable.

  Further, when the head 42 is operating, for example, control angle data of the α axis and the β axis is calculated based on the movement speed around the axes (S axis and U axis) for controlling the neck joint, and this data is calculated. May control the eyeball support. In this case, it is possible to represent the movement of the eyeball unit 76 that matches the movement of the head 42, and to prevent a person from feeling uncomfortable.

  In addition, the robot 10 can detect not only a human face but also a position of a specific object in an image acquired from the eye camera 46, and can direct a line of sight in that direction. In other words, for example, when introducing a poster or the like affixed to a wall or the like, a natural operation such as detecting the position of an introductory material such as a poster and introducing the face while facing it is performed. It can also be done.

  Specifically, the robot 10 operates according to flowcharts shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, for example. In this flowchart, an example of the operation when introducing a poster installed on a wall is shown.

  First, in steps S1 to S5, initial setting is performed. In step S <b> 1, the CPU 50 extracts angle data from the memory 54 and sends it to the motor control board 56 so that the head 42 is directed forward. That is, an angle “0” is given to each motor (head motor 66) that controls the rotation angles of the S, T, and U axes. Accordingly, in step S1, the head 42 faces the front. In step S <b> 3, the CPU 50 extracts angle data from the memory 54 and sends it to the motor control board 56 so that the eyeball unit 76 faces the front. That is, an angle “0” is given to the motors (the right eyeball motor 78 and the left eyeball motor 80) that control the rotation angles of the α axis and the β axis, respectively. Accordingly, in this step S3, the eyeball unit 76 and the eye camera 46 face the front and the line of sight faces the front. In step S5, the current time values are set in the variables t1, t2, and t3. Although not shown, the variable c is set to a value smaller than 1 as an initial setting.

  In subsequent step S7, the CPU 50 captures the video signal from the eye camera 46 into the sensor input / output board 58, and in step S9, detects the position of a human face in the camera image by processing the video signal. . Various methods can be used as a method for determining a person's face. For example, the skin color portion may be determined to be a person's face. Further, for example, data such as a specific person's face or characteristics may be stored in the memory 54 in advance, and the line of sight may be adjusted only for the specific person by referring to this data.

  In step S11, it is determined whether a predetermined time has elapsed from time t1 and whether a human face is in the image. If “YES” in the step S11, the CPU 50 calculates the angle data of the α axis and the β axis corresponding to the detected direction of the human face in the step S15, and uses the angle data as the motor control board 56. Send to. The right eye motor 78 and the left eye motor 80 are given control angles of the calculated α axis and β axis, respectively. Therefore, in this step S15, if there is a person in the field of view, the eyeball unit 76 is directed toward the face of the person, and the person and the robot 10 can match the line of sight.

  In the subsequent step S17, the current time is set in the variable t1, and after this step S17, the process proceeds to step S25. As described above, when the process of step S15 is executed and the line of sight is directed toward the face of the person, the variable t1 is reset to the current time. Therefore, the process of step S15 is performed until a predetermined time passes thereafter. Is not executed.

  On the other hand, if “NO” in the step S11, that is, if a certain time has not yet elapsed from the time t1, or if there is no human face in the image, the CPU 50 performs a time t2 in a step S13. It is determined whether or not a fixed time has elapsed and the motor for adjusting the rotation angle of the S-axis or U-axis among the head motor 66 is operating.

  If “YES” in the step S13, the moving speeds Vs and Vu of the operating S axis and the U axis are detected in a step S19, and control angles of the α axis and the β axis are detected based on the moving speeds Vs and Vu. Calculate the data. Specifically, the α-axis rotation angle is set to a value (aVs) proportional to the S-axis motion speed Vs, and the β-axis rotation angle is set to a value (bVu) proportional to the U-axis motion speed Vu. The Here, a and b are constants and are set appropriately. Then, this angle data is sent to the motor control board 56 to give the angle “aVs” to the motor that controls the rotation angle of the α axis, and to give the angle “bVu” to the motor that controls the rotation angle of the β axis. Then, since the α-axis and the β-axis correspond to the S-axis and the U-axis, respectively, the eyeball unit 76 is directed in the moving direction of the head 42, that is, the direction in which the face of the head 42 is about to face. In this way, when the head 42 is moved, the line of sight is directed in the moving direction, and a very natural eye movement according to the movement of the head can be realized. In this embodiment, specifically, such an eye movement is realized when the head 42 is moved by the processing of steps S35 and S39 described later. In the subsequent step S21, the current time is set in the variable t2, and after this step S21, the process proceeds to step S25. As described above, since the variable t2 is reset to the current time, the process of step S19 is not executed until a predetermined time has elapsed.

  On the other hand, if “NO” in the step S13, that is, if a certain time has not elapsed since the time t2, or if neither of the motors for adjusting the rotation angles of the S axis and the U axis is operating, In subsequent step S <b> 23, the CPU 50 extracts angle data from the memory 54 and sends it to the motor control board 56 so that the eyeball unit 76 faces the front. That is, an angle “0” is given to the motors (the right eyeball motor 78 and the left eyeball motor 80) that control the rotation angles of the α axis and the β axis, respectively. Therefore, in this step S23, the eyeball unit 76 and the eye camera 46 are directed to the front. That is, for example, the line of sight moved in step S15, step S19, or the like is returned to the front.

  When the process of step S17, S21 or S23 is completed, the CPU 50 determines whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed from time t3 in the subsequent step S25. If “NO” in the step S25, the process returns to the step S7. Therefore, the processing from step S7 to step S25 is repeatedly executed until a predetermined time has elapsed from time t3. On the other hand, if “YES” in the step S25, the process proceeds to a step S27 in FIG.

  In step S27, the CPU 50 determines whether the variable c is 1 or more. If “NO” in the step S27, that is, if the variable c is smaller than 1, the process proceeds to a step S31. In step S31, the CPU 50 captures the video signal from the eye camera 46 into the sensor input / output board 58, and in step S33, detects the position of the wall poster from the camera image by processing the video signal. It should be noted that data such as poster characteristics is stored in the memory 54 in advance, and the poster position is detected by referring to this data.

  In this embodiment, it is assumed that a poster is installed in the field of view of the robot 10, but if the poster is not in the image acquired in step S31, for example, the processing in steps S35 and S37 is skipped. It may be advanced or the head 42 may be moved to scan the surroundings to find a poster.

  In step S <b> 35, the CPU 50 calculates angle data of the S-axis, T-axis, and U-axis corresponding to the detected direction of the poster position, and sends this data to the motor control board 56. Therefore, in step S35, the front side (face) of the head 42 is directed in the direction in which the poster is present, and the robot 10 looks as if it is gazing at the poster.

  In step S37, the variable t3 is set to the current time, and the variable c is set to 1. After step S37, the process returns to step S7 in FIG. 5 and the process is repeated. As described above, since the variable t3 is reset to the current time, the processes after step S27 are not executed until a predetermined time elapses thereafter. Since the variable c is set to 1, the next time step S27 is processed, “YES” is determined and the process proceeds to step S29.

  On the other hand, if “YES” in the step S27, it is determined whether or not the variable c is 2 or more in a step S29. If “NO” in the step S29, that is, if the variable c is 1 or more and less than 2, the process proceeds to a step S39. In step S <b> 39, the CPU 50 extracts the angle data from the memory 54 and sends it to the motor control board 56 so that the head 42 is turned upward. That is, an angle “0” is given to the motor that controls the rotation angle of the S axis and the T axis, and an angle “45” is given to the motor that controls the rotation angle of the U axis. Therefore, in this step S39, the head 42 that has been directed in the poster direction is turned forward diagonally upward and looks like looking up. This appearance is an operation that assumes a case where a person is guided in front of the robot 10 in advance.

  In step S 41, the CPU 50 extracts predetermined audio data from the memory 54 and sends it to the audio input / output board 60. Therefore, a synthesized voice such as “Please look at the poster” is output from the speaker 44. In this manner, it is possible to interact with a person by outputting synthesized speech related to a specific object, and to convey the meaning of the movement of the head 12 and the eyeball unit 76.

  In this way, it is possible to interact with a person while sandwiching a very natural action such as an action of turning his / her face to the poster as an introduction target (step S35). Even when there is no person nearby, it can be expected that a person approaches by such an operation of inviting such a person or an operation of emitting a sound (steps S39 and S41).

  In the subsequent step S43, the variable t3 is set to the current time again, and the variable c is set to 2. After step S43, the process returns to step S7 in FIG. 2 and the process is repeated. In this way, since the variable t3 is set again at the current time, the processes after step S27 are not executed until a certain time has passed thereafter. Further, since the variable c is set to 2, the next time step S29 is processed, the CPU 50 determines “YES”, and the operation process of the head 42 and the eyeball unit 76 is ended. Needless to say, the series of operation processes shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 may be repeatedly executed, for example, every predetermined time.

  According to this embodiment, when interacting with a person or the like, it is possible to match the line of sight with the person or gaze at a specific object direction to be discussed. In other words, communication can be achieved with natural eye movements. Further, the eyeball unit 76 can perform eye movement related to the movement of the head 42. Therefore, communication is performed with extremely natural eye movements similar to those of humans and animals, so that humans can communicate with the robot 10 without feeling uncomfortable.

  The embodiment of the present invention may be applied with various modifications. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the head 12 is displaced in step S35 so that the face is directed to the poster, but only the eyeball portion 76 may be directed to the poster.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, in step S39, the face of the head 42 is directed in a predetermined direction, such as diagonally upward at the front. For example, the same processing as in steps S7, S9, and S35 is executed. Thus, the position of the person's face may be detected and the face of the head 42 may be directed in the face direction.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, it is assumed that there is a person in the field of view of the robot 10. For example, before processing step S <b> 7, the head 42 is moved to scan the surroundings. If there is no person to look around or if there is no person, etc., as in step S41, a synthesized voice or the like is issued in advance so that the person is brought near or in the field of view. Good. Note that other methods such as emitting light may be applied as actions for attracting people.

  In other embodiments, for example, when touched by a person, the touch sensor 72 in the on state is detected to calculate the position of the touched position, and necessary angle data is respectively given to the necessary motor. The head 42 and the eyeball unit 76 may be appropriately moved so that the line of sight is directed in that direction. That is, the touch sensor 72 in the on state may be detected as an object, and the displacement of the eyeball unit 76 and the head 12 may be controlled so as to face the direction of the object. Also in this case, as in the above-described embodiments, the eyeball unit 76 can be moved in relation to the movement of the head 42, and a very natural eyeball movement can be performed. I don't remember it.

  Further, when turning to the touched part, for example, the distance (angle) of movement between the head 42 and the eyeball part 76 is shared from the relationship between the current eye position and the touched position, and as a whole The head 42 and the eyeball 76 may be displaced so that the line of sight is directed toward the touched position. Specifically, the distance to the touched part is calculated. For example, the head 42 is moved up to half of the distance, and the eyeball unit 76 is moved in the other half. Such eye movements are also natural in relation to the movement of the head 42 and do not cause a person to feel uncomfortable.

  In addition, since the technique which orient | assigns the head 42 to the location touched is explained in full in patent application 2001-166018 by the applicant of this application, please refer to it.

  In the above-described embodiments, when the left and right eyeball portions 76 are controlled, the same angle data is given to the left and right eyeball motors so that both eyes are aligned, but separate angle data is calculated. The left and right eyeballs 76 may be moved separately by giving. In some cases, the left and right eyeballs 76 may be moved simultaneously by one eyeball motor.

  Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, the left and right eyeball portions 76 are provided in the same manner as a human being, but the eyeball portion 76 only needs to be visually recognizable as being a portion corresponding to the eyes. The number of eyeballs 76 is arbitrary and can be changed as appropriate. Similarly, the number of eye cameras 46 can be changed as appropriate.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the position of an object such as a person or a poster is detected based on an image from the eye camera 46. If possible, the position of the object is determined using an image from the omnidirectional camera 26. May be detected.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the position of the object is detected to control the displacement of the eyeball unit 76 or the head 12. However, for example, the orientation of the object is detected, or a time difference between images occurs. The object is detected by detecting a target area (it is considered that there is an object that seems to move), and the displacement control of the eyeball 76 or the head 12 is performed so as to face the object. It may be.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the eyeball unit 76 includes the eye camera 46. However, in some cases, the eye camera 46 is provided in a part other than the eyeball part 76 such as another part of the head 42. May be. In this case, the eyeball unit 76 is not a visual device because there is no camera, and is a part or dummy representing an apparent eye, but the eyeball unit 76 is provided at a position corresponding to the eye and is the eye of the robot 10. Therefore, there will be no particular problem for a person who communicates with the robot 10.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the eyes and face are merely directed toward the object. However, in some cases, for example, an action such as pointing an object direction using an arm portion or the like may be combined with the movement of the eyes. . That is, by providing necessary angle data to motors of appropriate axes such as the right arm motor 62 and the left arm motor 64, for example, an introduction operation in which the direction of an object such as a poster is indicated by the tip (hand) of the forearm, etc. You may make it perform combining further.

It is a front view which shows the whole structure of one Example of this invention. It is a front view which expands and shows the head of the FIG. 1 Example. It is a front view which shows the displacement of the eyeball part of FIG. 1 Example. It is a block diagram which shows FIG. 1 Example. It is a flowchart which shows a part of operation | movement in FIG. 1 Example. It is a flowchart which shows a part of other operation | movement in FIG. 1 Example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Communication robot 20 ... Lower body 22 ... Upper body 40 ... Neck joint 42 ... Head 46, 46R, 46L ... Eye camera 50 ... CPU
54 ... Memory 56 ... Motor control board 58 ... Sensor input / output board 60 ... Voice input / output board 66 ... Head motor 76, 76R, 76L ... Eyeball part 78 ... Right eyeball motor 80 ... Left eyeball motor

Claims (7)

A communication robot with a function for communication,
Eyeball,
A communication robot comprising: object detection means for detecting a target object; and eyeball part displacement means for displacing the eyeball part so as to face the direction of the object. A torso, a head attached to the torso via a neck joint and provided with the eyeball, and head displacement means for controlling the neck joint to displace the head;
The communication robot according to claim 1, wherein the eyeball part displacing unit displaces the eyeball part in relation to the movement of the head.   The communication robot according to claim 2, wherein the eyeball part displacing unit displaces the eyeball part based on angle data proportional to the movement speed of the head.   The communication robot according to claim 2, wherein the head displacement means displaces the head so that a front side of the head is directed toward the object.   The communication robot according to claim 1, wherein the object includes a human face.   The communication robot according to claim 1, wherein the object detection means includes first detection means for detecting the object based on an image obtained from a camera.   The said object detection means contains the 2nd detection means which detects the said touch sensor of an ON state as the said object among the some touch sensors provided in the arbitrary places of the said communication robot. The communication robot described.

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