JP2003199183A - Voice response robot - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a voice response robot in which a resonance sound caused by an operation of the voice response robot is surely prevented from intruding into a microphone for picking up sound information. <P>SOLUTION: A silencing member 17 made of a vibration damper member is placed to an inner panel 15 of a robot head and a bellows member 16 connecting the head and a robot shell that are propagation paths of the resonance sound delivered to the microphone 12 picking up sound information. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a voice-responsive robot that operates in response to voice information such as human commands and specific sounds. In particular, the present invention relates to a voice-responsive robot capable of reliably preventing a resonance sound generated by the operation of the voice-responsive robot from entering a microphone that collects voice information.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Voice-responsive robots have become popular in recent years as they operate in response to voice information such as human commands and specific sounds.
This robot has a microphone, a voice information recognition processing unit, and an operation unit. In this robot, voice information such as human commands and specific sounds is received by a microphone, and the voice information recognition processing unit connected to this microphone recognizes the voice information from the microphone and converts it into a motion signal to the motion unit. The operation unit performs operations such as rotation, rotation, vertical movement, tilting, and walking based on the operation signal from the voice information recognition processing unit.

However, in this type of robot, various operations in the operating section are generally performed by using a motor as a drive source, and a motor sound and a sliding sound generated during the operation of the operating section are generated by an inner panel of the robot. When the sound is propagated to the inside panel, the inside panel resonates with the inside panel and becomes a chattering sound (resonant sound) and is transmitted through the inside panel, which may enter the microphone.

The chattering sound (resonance sound) that has entered the microphone is processed as erroneous voice information, which may cause a malfunction of the operating unit.

The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and it is possible to reliably prevent the resonance sound generated by the operation of the voice-responsive robot from entering the microphone for collecting voice information. It is an object of the present invention to provide a voice-responsive robot that is made possible.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is a voice-responsive robot which operates in response to voice information such as a human command or a specific sound. A gist of a voice-responsive robot is characterized in that a silent member made of a vibration damping material is arranged in a propagation path in which a resonance sound generated by an operation propagates to a microphone that collects the sound information.

The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the silent member is made of a vibration damping material containing an organic low molecular material having a high dipole efficiency, and the voice-responsive robot according to claim 1 is summarized as follows. did.

According to a third aspect of the invention, the organic low molecular weight material is selected from a compound having a benzothiazyl group, a compound having a benzotriazole group, a compound having a diphenylacrylate group, and a compound having a benzophenone group. The voice-responsive robot according to claim 2, characterized in that it is a kind or a mixture of two or more kinds.

The invention according to claim 4 is characterized in that the organic low molecular weight material is blended in a ratio of 1 to 100 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the matrix polymer constituting the high damping material. Alternatively, the voice-responsive robot described in 3 is used as the gist.

[0010]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The voice-responsive robot of the present invention will be described in more detail below. A voice-responsive robot according to the present invention includes a microphone that receives voice information, a voice information recognition processing unit that is connected to the voice information, recognizes voice information from the microphone, and transmits an operation signal corresponding to the voice information to an operation unit. An operation unit that performs various operations according to an operation signal from the recognition processing unit is incorporated.

In the voice-responsive robot 11 shown in FIG. 1, the microphone 12, the voice information recognition processing unit 13, and the operation unit 14 are built in the head of the robot 11.

Voice information such as a human command and a specific sound is collected by the microphone 12 in the head of the robot 11.
The voice information received by the microphone 12 is sent to the voice information recognition processing unit 13 connected to the voice information. In the voice information recognition processing unit 13, the voice information from the microphone 12 is subjected to recognition processing, converted into an operation signal, and sent to the operation unit 14. The operating unit 14 includes two motors 14a for rotating and vertically moving the head, a gear 14b, and an operating arm (not shown). According to the operation signal sent from the voice information recognition processing unit 13, the two motors 14a are rotationally driven,
An operating arm (not shown) operates via the gear 14b to rotate and move the head up and down.

In the configuration shown in FIG. 1, the microphone 12
The inner panel 15 of the surrounding head and the robot 11
The silent member 1 is provided on the inner surface side of the bellows member 16 that connects the head and the body.
7 are arranged.

Even if a motor sound or a sliding sound generated when the operation unit 14 of the robot 11 operates in accordance with the operation signal propagates to the inner panel 15 and the bellows member 16, the inner surface of the inner panel 15 and the bellows member 16 is moved to the inner surface side. The arranged silent member 17 suppresses the inner panel 15 and the bellows member 16 from resonating, or effectively attenuates the chattering sound (resonance sound) transmitted from another place to the inner panel 15 and the bellows member 16. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent the chattering sound (resonance sound) from entering the microphone 12.

The vibration damping material having the function of preventing the generation of chattering sounds (resonance sounds) or effectively damping the chattering sounds (resonance sounds) is not particularly limited. For example, in a matrix polymer, mica scale, Conventionally known vibration damping materials such as glass pieces, calcium carbonate, barite, and those filled with an inorganic filler such as precipitated barium sulfate can be used.

As the vibration damping material, particularly preferably polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene (PE), chlorinated polyethylene (CPE), polypropylene (PP), ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, polymethyl methacrylate, polyvinylidene fluoride, poly Thermoplastic polymers such as isoprene, polystyrene (PS), styrene-butadiene-acrylonitrile copolymer (ABS resin), styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer (AS resin), or acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR), styrene-butadiene rubber ( SBR), butadiene rubber (BR), natural rubber (N
R), rubber-based polymers such as isoprene rubber (IR), unsaturated polyester, epoxy, phenol, melamine,
An example is one in which one or a mixture thereof selected from thermosetting polymers such as urethane or silicon resin is used as a matrix polymer, and an organic low molecular weight material having a high dipole efficiency is included in the matrix polymer.

Examples of organic low molecular weight materials having a high dipole efficiency include N, N-dicyclohexylbenzothiazyl-2-sulfenamide (DCHBSA), 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT), dibenzothiazyl sulfide (MBTS). ), N-cyclohexylbenzothiazyl-2-sulfenamide (CBS), N-tert.
-Butylbenzothiazyl-2-sulfenamide (BB
S), N-oxydiethylenebenzothiazyl-2-sulfenamide (OBS), N, N-diisopropylbenzothiazyl-2-sulfenamide (DPBS) and other compounds having a benzothiazyl group, an azole group on the benzene ring 2- {2'-hydroxy-3'-in which benzotriazole having a phenyl group bonded thereto has a phenyl group bonded thereto
(3 ", 4", 5 ", 6" Tetrahydrophthalimidemethyl) -5'-methylphenyl} -benzotriazole (2HPMMB), 2- {2'-hydroxy-5'-
Methylphenyl} -benzotriazole (2HMP
B), 2- {2'-hydroxy-3'-t-butyl-
5'-methylphenyl} -5-chlorobenzotriazole (2HBMPCB), 2- {2'-hydroxy-
Compounds having a benzotriazole group such as 3 ', 5'-di-t-butylphenyl} -5-chlorobenzotriazole (2HDBPCB), ethyl-2-cyano-3,3
A compound having a diphenyl acrylate group such as di-phenyl acrylate, or 2-hydroxy-4-
Examples thereof include one kind or a mixture of two or more kinds selected from compounds having a benzophenone group such as methoxybenzophenone (HMBP) and 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone-5-sulphonic acid (HMBPS).

The content of the organic low molecular weight material is preferably 1 to 100 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the matrix polymer. The range of this blending amount is
For example, when the amount is less than 1 part by weight, the sufficient effect of dramatically improving the vibration damping property cannot be obtained, and when it is more than 100 parts by weight, the organic low molecular weight material is not sufficiently compatible with the matrix polymer, It is not possible to expect the effect of more than 100 parts by weight.

As with the conventional vibration damping material, the vibration damping material is made of an inorganic filler such as mica flakes, glass flakes, calcium carbonate, barite, and precipitated barium sulfate for the purpose of further enhancing the vibration damping property and strength. Can be filled.

Further, this vibration damping material includes an antioxidant, a reinforcing agent, a strengthening agent, as long as the vibration damping property and the strength are not impaired.
Additives such as an antistatic agent, a flame retardant, a lubricant, a foaming agent, and a colorant can be appropriately mixed.

The silent member of the present invention has a plate shape, a rod shape, a spherical shape, depending on the size and shape of the robot or the size and shape of the place where the silent member is placed inside the robot.
It is formed into various shapes such as film. Further, the silent member can be made into a composite by laminating and integrating with another material such as a plate material or a steel plate.

Further, the silent member of the present invention can also take a form in which a vibration damping material containing the above-mentioned organic low molecular weight material and a conventional vibration damping material are used in combination.

The robot of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned example. For example, if a microphone is provided on the body or leg of the robot, the body or leg of the route to the microphone is A quiet member is attached to the inner panel, partition plate, or bellows plate, or the inner panel, partition plate, or bellows plate itself, which is the path to the microphone, is made of silent member. It can be freely changed and implemented within the specified range.

[0024]

In the voice-responsive robot of the present invention, the silent member made of the vibration damping material is arranged in the propagation path through which the resonance sound generated by the operation of the robot propagates to the microphone for collecting the voice information. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the resonance sound generated by the operation of the robot from entering the microphone and reliably prevent the malfunction due to the entrance of the resonance sound.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example in which a silent member is arranged on an inner panel of a robot head and a bellows member connecting the head and the body.

[Explanation of symbols]

12 ... Microphone 13 ... Voice recognition processing unit 14 ... Motion part 17 ... Quiet member

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. In a voice-responsive robot which operates in response to voice information such as a human command or a specific sound, a resonance sound generated by the motion of the robot propagates to a microphone for collecting the voice information. A voice-responsive robot characterized in that a silent member made of a vibration damping material is arranged in the path. 2. The voice-responsive robot according to claim 1, wherein the silent member is made of a vibration damping material containing an organic low molecular weight material having a high dipole efficiency. 3. The organic low-molecular-weight material is one or more selected from compounds having a benzothiazyl group, compounds having a benzotriazole group, compounds having a diphenylacrylate group, and compounds having a benzophenone group. The voice-responsive robot according to claim 2, wherein the voice-responsive robot is a mixture. 4. An organic low molecular weight material is blended at a ratio of 1 to 100 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of a matrix polymer constituting a vibration damping material.
Alternatively, the voice-responsive robot according to item 3.