JP2003305669A - Robot phone - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a robot phone enabling people to communicate by synchronizing the forms, motion, positions, and the like of a plurality of robots placed in distant places. <P>SOLUTION: This robot phone is provided with the robot in the form of a stuffed toy used as a user interface and including a mobile part at a part of the body; a microphone 11 and a loudspeaker 12 for calls; a driving part for driving the mobile part; a position information sensor 14 for acquiring position information on the mobile part; and a communication connecting part 16. The communication connecting part transmits a voice signal from the microphone to the other party through a communication line, reproduces a voice signal received from the other party in the loudspeaker, transmits a signal indicating the position of the mobile part from the position information sensor, to the other party, receives the position information corresponding to the mobile part, from the other party, and sends it to the driving part. The driving part drives the mobile part on the basis of the received position information. An echo canceler or the like is further provided to solve the problem of oscillation of a control system caused by a communication delay. Communication is possible also with the gesture of the robot as well as voice. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is one of a robot user interface (RUI) for a person to communicate by synchronizing the shapes, movements, positions, etc. of a plurality of robots placed at distant places. Is a robot phone.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, human-friendly robots such as pet robots, humanoid robots, museum guide robots, and nursing robots have become popular. These robots have an overwhelming presence compared to CG characters moving around on the screen of a computer, which is considered to be one of the reasons for their popularity.

A robot can be regarded as a computer having physicality, and the physical existence of the body itself is the source of overwhelming presence, and through physical interaction using the body, the real world Can exert a great influence on.

A robotic interface has been proposed as a concept in which a robot that enables strong interaction with the real world is regarded as an interface between the real world and the information world (Y. Wakita, S. Hirai, K. Machid.
a, K. Ogimoto, T. Itoko, P. Backes and S. Peters,
Application of intelligent monitoring for superlon
g distance teleoperation, Proc., IEEE IROS'96, Osa
ka, pp.1031-1037, 1996). In particular, by using a robot as a user interface-Robotic User Interface (RUI) -it is possible to construct a real world oriented user interface environment that has both input and output for the real world. In addition, by utilizing the characteristics of the robot as a general-purpose machine, there is an advantage that it is easy to ensure a certain degree of versatility while using a physical interface.

To connect the real world with another real world
The RUI implementations are Telexistence and Object Oriented Telexistence. The object-oriented tele-gistance is a concept for "working and communicating in a remote place by sharing the shapes and movements of objects in a remote place with him".

In the conventional tele-existence / telepresence, the environment around the remote robot is taken in and reconstructed in the vicinity of the operator to convey a sense of reality, and the user feels as if he / she is there. The remote robot can be operated with. Since the telexistence is a method based on the presentation of a high degree of realism to the operator, the burden of hardware and software tends to be high in the part of measuring, transmitting, and presenting the realism. In addition, since the tele-gistance operates the remote robot from a first-person perspective, it is most effective when the slave robot has the same structure, size, and dynamic characteristics as if it were a remote robot itself. Target. However, at present, it is difficult to manufacture a robot having the same structure as a human being, and a humanoid robot can achieve dynamic characteristics equivalent to or better than those of humans, and it is possible to perform work using the robot. By then, there are many technical problems. In addition, depending on the work object or application field such as mobile robots and construction machines, the slave robot may not be the same structure and size as a human, or the viewpoint is a third person perspective (overhead perspective) rather than first person perspective. It seems that there are many cases.

Therefore, in the present application, rather than reconfiguring the remote environment around the user, the remote robot itself is reconfigured at the user's hand, thereby controlling the remote robot more easily and intuitively. Suggest to do. Whereas the conventional tele-gistance was an environment-oriented system that "how to closely and transparently connect a remote environment and an operator", the present invention "densely connects a remote robot and a device at hand" It is an object-oriented telexistence, with the main focus on "to combine".

The following documents disclose communication with a remote place through sharing of tactile sensation. (1) Brave, S., and Dahley, A. inTouch: A Medium
for Haptic Interpersonal Communication, Extended
Abstracts of CHI'97, pp.363-364, ACM Press, 1997. (2) Brave, S., Ishii, H., and Dahley, A. Tangibl
e Interface for Remote Collaboration and Communicat
ion, Proceedings of CSCW'98, pp.169-178, ACM Pres
s, 1998. (3) Fogg, BJ, Cutler, L., Arnold, P., and Eisb
ack C. HandJive: a device for interpersonal haptic
entertainment, Proceedings of CHI'98, pp.57-64, A
CM Press, 1998.

(1) relates to transmission of only rotational force by three wooden rollers, (2) indicates a chess piece object,
In the case of (3), since the information presented as the bulge of the balloon held in the hand is extremely limited, it is included in the ambient low information transmission means in communication. On the other hand, according to the present invention, by sharing a robot having a degree of freedom arranged close to that of a person, not only the tactile information having a high degree of freedom but also the gesture information can be visually transmitted.

As an example of using a stuffed animal as a user interface, there is the following document. (4) Yukiko Hoshino, Yasushi Suzuki, Eiko Yamamoto, Noritaka Hirokawa, Masayuki Inaba, Hirochika Inoue, Development of a table-top robot for studying visual-tactile interaction behavior in daily life, 16th Annual Conference of the Robotics Society of Japan , Pp.5-6, 1998. (5) Tomoko Yonezawa, Brian Clarkson, Michiaki Yasumura, Kenji Mase, Plush toys with sensors according to contextual music expression, Interaction 2001, pp.19-20, 2
001.

Hoshino et al. Use a stuffed animal as a physical agent, and Yonezawa et al. Use a doll as an input interface for interactive operation of music.
Neither (4) nor (5) uses the doll for object-sharing communication.

[0012]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a robot phone that allows a person to communicate by synchronizing the shapes, movements, positions, etc. of a plurality of robots placed at distant places. To aim.

It is another object of the present invention to solve the problem of control system oscillation due to communication delay in object-oriented telemetry.

[0014]

A robot phone according to the present invention is used as a user interface and includes a robot having a movable part in a part of its body, a drive part for driving the movable part, and a position of the movable part. A position information sensor that acquires information and a communication connection unit are provided, and the communication connection unit transmits a signal indicating the position of the movable unit from the position information sensor to the other party through a communication line, When the position information corresponding to the movable part is received from the side and sent to the drive part, the drive part drives the movable part based on the received position information, and the movable part is moved by an external force. During the predetermined time, the drive based on the position information from the other party is not performed. The communication line includes a wired line such as a telephone line, and a wireless line such as a wireless LAN and Bluetooth. Alternatively, it may be a wired or wireless communication line for peer-to-peer (one-to-one) connection.

[0015] Preferably, a line delay amount measuring unit for measuring a transmission delay in the communication line is provided, and the drive unit, when the transmission delay amount exceeds a predetermined value, the position information from the partner side. Not driven by.

Preferably, a line delay amount measuring unit for measuring a transmission delay in the communication line is provided, and the predetermined time is changed according to the transmission delay amount.

A robot phone according to the present invention is used as a user interface and includes a robot including a movable part in a part of its body, a drive part for driving the movable part, and position information for acquiring position information of the movable part. A sensor, a communication connection unit, and an operation right determination unit that determines whether the operation right of the robot is on the self side or the other side, and the communication connection unit is configured to operate the operation right via a communication line. When the determination unit determines that the own side has the operation right, a signal indicating the position of the movable section from the position information sensor is transmitted to the other side, and the position information corresponding to the movable section is received from the other side. This is sent to the drive unit, and the drive unit drives the movable unit based on the received positional information when the operation right determination unit determines that the own side does not have the operation right.

Preferably, a timepiece device is provided, and when the communication connection section transmits a signal indicating the position of the movable section from the position information sensor to the other party, the time information is also transmitted to the other party. Receiving the time information relating to the position information corresponding to the movable part from the other party, the operation right determining section determines the operation right by comparing the time information of the own side and the time information of the other party.

Preferably, an inquiry / answer unit for sending an inquiry about the operation right to the other party via the communication line and receiving an answer from the other party is provided, and the operation right decision unit is configured such that the movable unit is When moved by an external force, the inquiry / answer unit sends an inquiry to the other party, and the operation right is determined based on the answer.

[0020] Preferably, the operation right judging unit gives a temporary operation right to the self side when the movable part is moved by an external force, and when it is determined from the answer that the other side has the operation right. The temporary operation right is canceled.

[0021] Preferably, it is provided with a priority table in which priority information relating to the operation right is stored in advance, and the operation right judging section judges the operation right based on the priority table.

Preferably, an operation history table for storing an operation history is provided, and the operation right determination section determines the operation right based on the contents of the operation history table.

Preferably, an operation right display unit for displaying the presence or absence of the operation right based on the output of the operation right determination unit is provided.

A robot phone according to the present invention is used as a user interface, and includes a robot including a movable part in a part of its body, a drive part for driving the movable part, and position information for acquiring position information of the movable part. A sensor, a communication connection unit, an external force detection unit that detects whether or not an external force is applied to the movable unit, and an active / passive action separation unit that separates active action and passive action based on the output of the external force detection unit. And the communication connection unit transmits a signal indicating the position of the movable unit from the position information sensor, which is related to the passive motion separated by the active motion / passive motion separation unit, via a communication line. The position information corresponding to the movable part is received from the other party and sent to the drive part, and the drive part drives the movable part based on the received position information.

A robot phone according to the present invention is used as a user interface and includes a robot including a movable part in a part of its body, a drive part for driving the movable part, and position information for acquiring position information of the movable part. A sensor, a communication connection unit, and an adaptive filter that receives a signal indicating the position of the movable unit from the position information sensor and position information corresponding to the movable unit from the other side received from the communication connection unit. The driving unit drives the movable unit based on the output of the adaptive filter.

The robot phone according to the present invention is used as a user interface and includes a robot including a movable part in a part of its body, a drive part for driving the movable part, and position information for acquiring position information of the movable part. A sensor, a communication connection unit, and an encoder that encodes a signal indicating the position of the movable unit from the position information sensor into an audio signal in an audible range, and the communication connection unit includes a communication line having an echo cancellation function. Via, transmits a signal indicating the encoded position of the movable portion to the other party, receives position information corresponding to the encoded movable portion from the other party, and sends it to the drive section, and the drive section The movable part is driven based on the received position information.

The robot phone according to the present invention is used as a user interface and includes a robot including a movable part in a part of the body, a microphone and a speaker for communication, a drive part for driving the movable part, and the movable part. A position information sensor for acquiring position information of the microphone, and a communication connection unit, wherein the communication connection unit transmits a voice signal from the microphone to a partner via a communication line and receives a voice signal from the partner. On the speaker, transmits a signal indicating the position of the movable part from the position information sensor to the other party, receives position information corresponding to the movable part from the other party, and sends it to the drive section, The drive section drives the movable section based on the received position information.

Preferably, the microphone and the speaker are arranged facing the front side of the robot. The signal indicating the position of the movable unit and / or the position information transmitted / received by the communication connection unit may be difference information. In this case, the signal indicating the position of the movable portion and / or the position information is set to a predetermined value when the movable portion has not been moved for a predetermined time or more and / or when the power is turned on, whereby the movable portion is moved. It is desirable that the parts are set in a predetermined state. The drive unit in the above invention,
The control of each part such as the position information sensor and the communication connection part is realized by a computer, for example. For example, in the computer, the communication connection unit transmits a signal indicating the position of the movable unit from the position information sensor to the other party via a communication line, and the other party transmits position information corresponding to the movable unit. It receives and controls it to send it to the drive unit, the drive unit drives the movable unit based on the received position information, and when the movable unit is moved by an external force, the other unit for a predetermined time. The control is performed so that the drive based on the position information from the side is not performed. The present invention also includes a program for this computer. The program for executing the control of the present invention is recorded in, for example, a recording medium. The medium may be, for example, an EPROM device,
Flash memory device, flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, magneto-optical disk, CD (C
D-ROM, Video-CD included, DVD (DV)
D-Video, DVD-ROM, DVD-RAM are included), ROM cartridge, RAM memory cartridge with battery backup, flash memory cartridge, non-volatile RAM cartridge and the like. Also,
It includes a wire communication medium such as a telephone line and a communication medium such as a wireless communication medium such as a microwave line. The Internet is also included in the communication medium here. A medium is a medium in which information (mainly digital data, programs) is recorded by some physical means, and allows a processing device such as a computer or a dedicated processor to perform a predetermined function. is there.

[0029]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiment 1 of the Invention The present invention is
He is involved in a shape sharing system as a form of object-oriented telegraphy. What is the shape sharing system?
It is a system that can synchronize the shapes of objects to share shapes with remote locations and enable interaction with remote locations. The “shape” is one of the most basic elements in identifying and recognizing an object, and is also an important key for knowing the state of the object. The shape sharing system achieves close coupling between a remote robot and a device at hand by synchronizing shapes that play an important role in object recognition.

By synchronizing the shapes in real time, it is possible to convey not only the static object shape but also the "movement" which is the process of changing the shape. Further, the shape of the object on its own side is exactly the shape of the object on the remote side, and it also has an effect as a display. Input and output are performed by the same device, and an intuitive operation system without switching between input and output is realized. Further, since the interaction with the object is performed through an organ capable of simultaneously inputting as a hand and outputting to the outside world, the system is essentially an interactive interface.

In the present invention, a robot that enables a strong interaction with the real world is used as an interface between the real world and the information world (Robot User Interface (RUI)).

The RUI has the following features.・ It is possible to interact with the physical world, and it is possible to actually move things.・ Visual information can be displayed according to the shape and movement of the robot. -It is possible to present tactile information by applying force to the person from the robot. -A person can directly touch the robot and change its shape to input instructions.・ Voice interaction such as a call to the robot and utterance of the robot itself is possible.

A robot phone has been proposed as one of the RUIs. The robot phone is an RUI for a person to communicate by synchronizing the shapes, movements, positions, etc. of a plurality of robots placed at distant places. By performing shape synchronization in real time, the robot phone can transmit not only information about the shape of an object, but also its movement. Further, unlike an electronic depression displayed on a normal display, it is also possible to actually touch a person to transmit a force or move an object to perform work. In other words, it can be said that it is a phone that can present visual, tactile, and auditory information in an integrated manner. When both users apply force to the robot at the same time, they feel the force of each other.

In general, a robot can be divided into an autonomous type that automatically makes a decision based on information from a sensor or the like and an allomorphic type robot that makes a decision by a human who operates it. The robot phone is categorized into the latter type of robot.

An example of the robot phone will be described below. FIG. 1 shows a stuffed robot phone. 1 of FIG.
Reference characters a and 1b are robot phones housed in a teddy bear, respectively. A microphone 11 and a speaker 12 for making a call, a motor / planetary gear reducer 13 and a position detecting means provided on a skeleton joint of the teddy bear. A (potentiometer) 14, a processor 15 for controlling these, and a communication connection unit 16 for performing communication through the communication line 2 are provided. The speaker 12 is attached to the chest of the plush toy, and the microphone 11 is attached to the head. These are incorporated into the plush bear along with the skeleton. The microphone 11 and the speaker 12 are attached to the front side of the stuffed toy, and the user can face and interact with the robot phone to talk and operate. As a result, it is possible to obtain a feeling that the user is interacting with the other party.

Although not shown in the drawing, the motor / planetary gear reducer 13 and the position detecting means 14 are provided at the joints of the frame, respectively. For example, it is provided inside the right arm or head of a teddy bear. The motor / planetary gear speed reducer 13 and the position detecting means 14 are actuators having two degrees of freedom and two degrees of freedom at the head, for a total of four degrees of freedom.
In order to have a degree of freedom closer to that of a human being and to enable movement with a lighter force, it is preferable that the four limbs each have two degrees of freedom and the head have three degrees of freedom, which is 11 degrees of freedom. As a result, it is possible to output a change in the stuffed animal's posture due to an external force to the outside or change the posture based on a signal from the outside. The processor 15 performs bilateral control and keeps the robot phones 1a and 1b in the same posture. Bilateral means bidirectional. Bilateral control is known as a control method for transmitting the weight or reaction force (feeling of contact) received by a manipulator as a weight to an operation lever or the like. The two robot phones 1a and 1b are connected to the communication network 2 so that they can talk with each other through the communication network 2 and change their posture by applying force to their stuffed toy to reflect it on the other party, that is, in the same posture. Can be made.

As shown in FIG. 1, by configuring the robot phone in a shape similar to a human or animal, it is possible to realize a robot phone that enables communication using gestures. FIG. 2 shows an example of a call and an operation performed using the robot phones 1a and 1b according to the embodiment of the present invention. Two users are robot phones 1a and 1b, respectively.
Face to face with each other to talk and operate. Many users have experience playing with dolls and can easily operate the doll-type interface. For example, waving the hand of one robot phone and waving the other robot phone, or YES /
No gesture can be performed. Further, when both users shake the hands of the doll at the same time, it is possible to shake hands while feeling the force of the other party through the hands of the doll. Since the robot phone operates one object at the same time, depending on the state, it sometimes acts as its own alter ego and sometimes as the opponent's alter ego.

FIG. 3 shows another example of a snake-type robot phone. The main body has seven nodes 17-1 to 17-7
Composed of. The joints 17-1 to 17-7 are connected to each other by a rotatable joint, and can bend the body like a snake as a whole. Each node is provided with a module including a motor / planetary gear mechanism 13 and a potentiometer 14. Six servomotors are used as actuators in the snake-type robot phone of FIG.

Although this snake-type robot phone has a restriction that the operable area is within a two-dimensional plane, the shape of the body can be expressed by the body itself. The shape can be freely configured by touching with hands.

In the above example, the control of the servo motor is realized by software on the one-board microcomputer, for example. PWM control is used to drive the motor. As a bilateral servo control method, a symmetrical type as shown in FIG. 4 is adopted, and control is performed so that the positional deviation of the paired servo motors is always minimized. In FIG. 4, 20
Is a subtracter for obtaining the position deviation, and 21a and 21b are position command units for respectively driving the servo motors forming a pair of the robots 1a and 1b based on the position deviation. The angle signal output from the robots 1a and 1b is obtained by the potentiometer 14. The force applied to the robots 1a and 1b acts on the joints of the skeleton of the robot and changes the position, that is, the posture of the joints. In this specification, a robot is any of the shapes, structures, and functions of living things,
Or, it is a machine that uses everything as a standard.

In the control system of FIG. 4, when the user applies a force to the robot 1a or 1b to change its posture, the change is output as an angle signal. Robot 1
The posture of a and the posture of the robot 1b are compared by the subtractor 20. When the postures are different, that is, when the positions of some or all of the joints do not match, the position command units 21a and 21b issue commands to the servo motors of the robots 1a and 1b so that the positions of the joints match. By the servo motors responding to this, the postures of the robots 1a and 1b become the same. For example, if the arm of the robot 1a is raised, the position command unit 21b commands the robot 1b to raise the arm. On the other hand, the position command unit 21a commands the robot 1a to lower its arm, so that the manipulator feels a reaction force. Symmetrical bilateral control
It is possible to simply construct the controller without the need for force sensors.

According to the control system of FIG. 4, when the master device is operated, the slave device follows this operation without delay, so that the operator of the master device can freely control the shape of the slave device.

In this example, by adopting the operation method in which the shape at hand and the shape of the operation target are matched,
It is possible to create shapes while interacting with the device in real time, which is a very intuitive operation method. That is, the device existing at the operator's hand also functions as a display device that continuously presents the remote shape. Furthermore, since the bilateral control is completely symmetrical, it is possible to operate each other without distinguishing which device is the master or the slave. In addition, not only the position but also the transmission of force is performed. For example, if you restrain the joint of one device with your hand so that you do not move it, you feel that the other device is restrained by the other device. be able to.

By the way, when the normal bilateral control is performed via a line having a communication delay, there is a problem that the control system is likely to oscillate. Due to communication delay, feedback from the other side is always delayed, so
This is because it is difficult to create a control system that is difficult to oscillate.

In the past, symmetric bilateral control was simple but rarely used. This is because the weight of the device / part on the other side to be controlled returns to the operator side as it is. Therefore, more sophisticated force feedback type control methods are more frequently used. No proposal has been made to solve the problem of communication delay in simple symmetric bilateral control.

A method for preventing oscillation due to delay used in the first embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

In FIG. 5, the line delay amount measuring units 22a, 22a
2b measures the delay amount of the line, and uses this for the position command unit 21.
a and 21b. The position command units 21a and 21b are
The servo motors of the robot bodies 10a and 10b are driven based on the above-mentioned position deviation, and the control is performed by the robot 10.
a signal indicating that an operation has been performed from a or 10b (a signal indicating that an external force has been applied to the joint and the position has changed. It is determined that an external force has been applied when the position has changed even though no drive signal has been given. Yes) and the amount of delay of the line.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing the outline of the processing. The communication delay amount is measured (S1), and the communication delay amount is compared with a predetermined threshold value (S2). The threshold value is determined according to the degree of delay / oscillation allowed in the system. When the communication delay amount is larger than the threshold value, the feedback invalid time is set according to the communication delay amount in order to avoid an adverse effect due to the communication delay (S3). When the user operates the robot body 10, this is detected (S4),
Feedback from the other party is invalidated for a set time (S5). With the above processing, the feedback from the other party is invalidated only when there is a communication delay equal to or greater than the threshold value, and thus oscillation due to the delay can be prevented.

FIG. 7 shows another processing example. The processing of FIG.
The step of comparing the communication delay amount and the threshold value in FIG. 6 (S2) is not provided. Therefore, in the processing of FIG. 7, step S5 is executed regardless of the communication delay amount, but the invalid period is determined according to the communication delay amount.

In the first embodiment of the present invention, when the operator on one side starts operating the robot 10, the feedback from the other side is disabled, and the system is temporarily enabled to operate in only one direction. (S4, S5). That is, the movement input on the operating side is transmitted to the other party as it is, but the input action on the other party is ignored for a certain period of time. If the normal bilateral control is a full-duplex (fully bidirectional) system, this method can be said to be a half-duplex system.

The system constantly measures the delay of the communication path and switches from the normal bilateral control to the above-mentioned method according to the communication delay amount, so that it is optimal for the line condition without the user being particularly conscious of it. A control method can be selected (S1, S2).

Furthermore, by changing the time during which the system is unidirectional in the above method according to the communication delay amount (S3), when the line changes from the state without communication delay to the state, You can also make the state transition smoothly. According to the flowchart of FIG. 7, when the communication delay is 0, the time in which the system is unidirectional becomes 0, and as the communication delay time increases, the time in which the system becomes unidirectional increases.

Second Embodiment of the Invention First Embodiment of the Invention
In the above, in which side the system becomes a one-way system that receives an input is determined by which operator has started the operation first. Therefore, how to process when both operators start operating at about the same time becomes a problem. In particular, when the communication delay is large, the time interval at which the start of the operation is considered to be the same is increasing, so it can be said to be a critical problem (when both are moved at the same time, information indicating that the other side has moved Because I receive it, I cannot decide which one should be given the operation right next).

The system according to the second embodiment of the invention (see FIG. 8) is for solving the above problem. In FIG. 8, reference numerals 23a and 23b are operation right determination units that receive operation information and time information associated with the operation information and determine which is given an operation right. Reference numerals 24a and 24b are timepiece devices that output absolute time. The time information is sent to the other party via the communication line 2 together with the operation information. In FIG. 8, the portions having the same reference numerals as those in the other drawings indicate the same or corresponding portions.

The system according to the second embodiment of the present invention solves the above problem by strictly synchronizing the time at both ends of the system. In this system, the system can know the global time on each side even if the robot phones are far from each other. By associating the motion information exchanged by the system with the global time, it is possible to determine which one moved first in the global time. However, if the delay time becomes long, the period in which the other party's control is received in the middle of the operation while it is being operated becomes longer.

Ideally, each of the robot phones 1a and 1b should be provided with an absolute time source 24a, 24b such as an atomic clock or GPS that can be locally accessed. This would eliminate the need for time synchronization between the two ends of the system.

Third Embodiment of the Invention Another method for solving the problem when both operators start operating at about the same time will be described. Embodiment 3 system of the invention (FIG. 9)
The reference) is for solving the above problem. Figure 9
, 25a and 25b are robots 10a and 1
0b is operated, the inquiry / answer part 26a, 26b for inquiring the operation right to the other party and receiving the answer from the other party to the inquiry, the robot 10a,
Inquiry from the signal from 10b indicating the operation /
While sending the inquiry to the answer units 25a and 25b,
When a response is received from the sections 25a and 25b, the operation right is determined based on the response, and when the user has the operation right, the position command section 2
It is an operation right determination unit that gives permission to drive the robots 10a and 10b to 1a and 21b. In FIG. 9, the same reference numerals as those in the other drawings indicate the same or corresponding portions.

FIG. 10 is a schematic flowchart according to the third embodiment of the invention. As can be seen from FIG. 10A, the system according to the third embodiment of the invention prepares a protocol capable of inquiring each other's state between both ends of the system, and when the operator starts to operate, the inquiry protocol To inquire about the status of the other party (S11-S1
3) The answer is received from the other party (S14, S15), and if the other party has not started the operation, the operator is allowed to perform the subsequent operation (S16, S17).

In the protocol of FIG. 10A, when the delay time of the communication line becomes long, the operator starts the operation (after applying the force) until the system permits the operation (actually, the operation starts). Up to) (so-called operation becomes heavy when the delay becomes long). In order to avoid this, as shown in FIG. 10B, the operation on the operating side may be permitted early while inquiring the other party (S18). However, depending on the situation, the temporary permission for the operation may be revoked after the movement is started.

In this inquiry protocol, the system makes an inquiry to the other party and waits for the answer before determining the operation direction. Therefore, the delay of the communication path occurs both on the way back and on the way back. Affected twice. Therefore, the third embodiment of the present invention is effective when the communication delay is relatively small.

Fourth Embodiment of the Invention Another method for solving the problem when both operators start operating at about the same time will be described. Embodiment 4 of the invention (FIG. 1)
1) is for solving the above problem. In FIG. 11, 27a and 27b are position command units 21a and 2b.
1b is an operation right determination unit that determines the operation right of the operation input to 1b. Reference numerals 28a and 28b are priority tables that predefine the side to be prioritized when conflicts of operation rights occur, and 29a and 29b.
Reference numeral b is an operation history storage table that stores past operation history. In FIG. 11, the portions having the same reference numerals as those in the other drawings indicate the same or corresponding portions.

As a simpler method compared to the first to third embodiments of the invention, a method of determining the operable direction of the system according to a predetermined criterion when operating simultaneously can be considered. The system of FIG. 11 is for this purpose.

When the operations from both sides collide due to the communication delay, the operation on one side is preferentially selected based on the contents of the priority tables 28a and 28b. Priority table 28
Information of priority is stored in advance in a and 28b so that the operation right is uniquely determined. This approach does not make the systems completely symmetrical and keeps the differences.

Alternatively, the operation history tables 29a, 29
The operation right is given to one side according to the operation history of b. For example, the side performing the last operation is preferentially selected.
Alternatively, the operation right is given to a person who operates a specific part. For example, when the arm of the robot is moved on the one hand and the neck of the robot is moved on the other hand, the operation right is given to the side operating the neck (or arm). The priority order of which part is given priority is predetermined. For example, prioritize gestures in order of increasing meaning (neck>arm>
leg). For example, priorities are determined in descending order of operation frequency.

Fifth Embodiment of the Invention First Embodiment of the Invention
4 to 4, it may be difficult for the user to know which side is currently in an operable state (especially when the communication delay is large). Therefore, it is preferable to provide a display unit for displaying the operation right (see FIG. 12). In FIG. 12, reference numerals 30a and 30b denote operation right display units that receive information on the operation right from the operation right determination units 26a and 26b or 27a and 27b and display the presence or absence of the operation right. In FIG. 12, the portions having the same reference numerals as those in the other drawings indicate the same or corresponding portions. The operation right display units 30a and 30b can be applied to the systems shown in FIGS. 5, 8, 9 and 11.

The operation right display sections 30a and 30b are, for example,
It is an LED provided on the nose of the stuffed animal. For example, this LED glows blue when you can operate it,
Glows red when only the other party can operate.

Sixth Embodiment of the Invention Another method for solving the influence of oscillation due to communication delay will be described. The system according to the sixth embodiment of the invention (see FIG. 13) is for solving the above problem. In FIG. 13, 31
a and 31b are external force detection units, 32a and 32b, which determine whether the operation of the robot is active as a result of driving by the position command unit 21 or passive as a result of external force being applied. Is an external force detector 31a, 3
It is an active / passive separation unit that transmits only position information regarding a passive motion to the other side based on the determination result of 1b. In FIG. 13, the portions having the same reference numerals as those in the other drawings indicate the same or corresponding portions. 20
Reference numerals a and 20b denote computing units that take the deviation between the current position of the robot and the position command from the outside and input it to the position command unit only when the corresponding external force detection unit outputs.

The symmetric bilateral control controls both the master and slave actuators so that the slave follows the displacement of the master. That is, when displacement occurs in the master, relative displacement occurs between the master and slave. Symmetrical bilateral control controls the drive currents of the motors attached to the master and slave so that the relative displacement becomes 0, and generates drive torque and restraint torque for both. In the symmetric type, when a force is applied to the master and the slave, a relative displacement always exists between them. It is said that this method is simple and stable because it does not detect the force and feeds it back to the position control of the control system.

However, when there is a delay in the transmission system, the system becomes unstable and easily oscillates. The primary cause of system instability is that the motion information transmitted to the partner robot returns again with a delay after operating the partner robot. A similar phenomenon is observed as an echo during a voice call on an international call. The system according to the sixth embodiment of the invention is for reducing the influence of this delay.

The sixth embodiment of the invention relates to an external force transmission type bilateral control. This is an active movement of the joints of the robot (when the robot is in a stationary state when the robot is moving according to the internal control command) and a passive movement (when an external person applies force to the robot, When the robot contacts an external object), it is separated and the joint angle or joint velocity or joint torque data during passive operation is transmitted to the paired robot. The external force detectors 31a and 31b shown in FIG. 13 distinguish active and passive motions, and the active / passive motion separation unit 32a and
32b selects the position information related to the passive motion and transmits it to the other party.

In order to separate the active action from the passive action, it suffices to be able to detect whether or not an external force is exerted on the robot. In order to detect the external force, the following method can be considered, for example.・ Install force sensors and switches on the robot. This directly detects the external force.・ Observe the difference between the joint angle on the internal control command and the actual joint angle. If the two angles are different, it can be determined that an external force is applied.・ Observe the drive current of the motor that drives the joint. When the position (angle) of the joint is changing even though the drive current of the motor is small or 0, it can be determined that the external force is applied.

Seventh Embodiment of the Invention Another method for solving the influence of oscillation due to communication delay will be described. The system according to the seventh embodiment of the invention (see FIG. 14) is for solving the above problem. In FIG. 14, 33
a and 33b are LMS (Least Mean Square) and RLS (Recursive)
Least Square) and other adaptive filters. In FIG. 14, the portions having the same reference numerals as those in the other drawings indicate the same or corresponding portions.

The echo is canceled by using an applied filter in a general telephone line, an internet telephone or the like. The destabilization of the robot operation due to the transmission delay, which is the object of the present application, makes it possible to stably operate the robot by using the adaptive filter by considering the robot operation as the same wave as the voice.

Specifically, the adaptive filters 33a, 33b
Records the transmitted motion, and when the motion signal resulting from the motion transmitted by the partner robot returns, returns the recorded motion signal by appropriately adjusting the gain and then taking the difference. This makes it possible to extract only the operation on the other side while suppressing oscillation.

Eighth Embodiment of the Invention Another method for solving the influence of oscillation due to communication delay will be described. The system according to the eighth embodiment of the invention (see FIG. 15) is for solving the above problem. In FIG. 15, 34
Reference numerals a and 34b are encoders for encoding the position (angle) information of the robot into audio signals in the audible range. In FIG. 15, the portions having the same reference numerals as those in the other drawings indicate the same or corresponding portions. The communication line 2 has an echo canceller function.

When a telephone line or a VoIP connection is used as the communication line 2, the communication line has an echo canceling function. Therefore, if the angle information is encoded into a voice signal in the audible range and then transmitted as voice information to the other party through the communication line, the echo is canceled by the communication line itself. In this case, the robot phone need only include the encoder 33.

By the way, in the embodiment of the invention described above, the well-known bilateral control is adopted as the control of the robot phone. In the known bilateral control, position information (absolute value) was sent. However, unlike general bilateral control, it is not necessary to match the positions of both arms and legs in a robot phone. Therefore,
Instead of sending the absolute value of the position information, the difference (change amount) can be sent. In this case, as a result, the postures of the arms and legs do not match between the robot phones, but there is no problem in causing the other person to perform a motion of shaking the head or a motion of moving the arms or legs.

When the difference is sent as the position information, it is conceivable that the absolute position errors of the arms, legs, etc. are accumulated between the communicating robot phones, and eventually the postures of the two become completely different. Therefore, reset processing is performed at an appropriate time, and the positions of arms, legs, etc. are initialized (default).
It is desirable to return to. There are the following reset methods.・ Returns to the default position when left for a predetermined time.・ Reset at power on.

In the above description, the robot phone has been described as an interface (for example, a telephone) for bidirectional communication using the same device. The robot phone is not limited to this and may be connected to different types of devices. For example, the other party may be a computer. More generally, the robotic phone can be used as a doll-shaped force feedback device. For example, the robot phone can be used as an input / output interface of a game computer with a size that can be operated by hand. During play, the robot phone moves and its posture changes due to the movement of the character in the game and the influence of the environment. As a result, the movement of the character in the game is fed back to the player. Robotphone is a doll
Since it is an animal type, it can be used universally. For example, by letting the robot phone take a posture as if holding a steering wheel of an automobile and operating the arm in this state, the steering wheel operation information is given to the game computer, and conversely the arm is operated by the game computer. Can express the force and movement applied to the steering wheel.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the invention described in the claims, and these are also included in the scope of the present invention. It goes without saying that this is what is done.

Further, in the present specification, the means (unit) does not necessarily mean a physical means, but also includes the case where the function of each means is realized by software. Further, the function of one means may be realized by two or more physical means, or the functions of two or more means may be realized by one physical means.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a robot phone according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a usage pattern of the robot phone according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing another example of the robot phone according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a control system of the robot phone according to the embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram of a control system according to the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is an operation flowchart of the control system according to the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is another operation flowchart of the control system according to the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a functional block diagram of a control system according to a second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a functional block diagram of a control system according to a third embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a protocol according to a third embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram of a control system according to a fourth embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 12 is a functional block diagram of a control system according to a fifth embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 13 is a functional block diagram of a control system according to a sixth embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 14 is a functional block diagram of a control system according to a seventh embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 15 is a functional block diagram of a control system according to an eighth embodiment of the invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Robot Phone 2 Communication Line (Communication Network) 10 Robot 11 Microphone 12 Speaker 13 Drive Mechanism Including Servo Motor and Planetary Gear Reducer 14 Position Detector (Potentiometer) 15 Processor 16 Communication Connection (Modem) 17 Snake-type Robot Phone 20. Adder / subtractor 21 Position command section 22 Line delay amount measuring sections 23, 26, 27 Operation right determination section 24 Clock device 25 Inquiry / answer section 28 Priority table 29 Operation history table 30 Operation right display section 31 External force detector 32 Active / passive separator 33 Adaptive filter 34 Encoder

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference) H04M 11/00 301 H04M 11/00 301 // A63F 13/08 A63F 13/08 (72) Inventor Ichiro Kawabuchi 3-1-9 Shin-Kamata, Ota-ku, Tokyo 203 (72) Inventor Naoki Kawakami 9 No. 9 Kotemachi, Tottori City, Tottori Prefecture (72) Inventor ▲ Tachi ▼ ▲ Susume ▼ 2-31 Umezono, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture No. 14 F-term (reference) 2C001 CA09 2C150 BC06 CA02 CA18 DA13 DA23 DD01 DF01 DG01 DG13 DK01 DK08 EB01 EB03 EC08 EC37 ED01 ED21 ED37 ED39 ED42 ED49 EE02 EE07 KS09 KS16 JS07 BS07 JS07JS17JS07J0917S07J09171709091723 MT14 MT15 WA04 WC06 WC15 5K101 KK11 LL01 LL11 NN17 NN35 NN36 NN37 VV06

Claims (23)

[Claims] 1. Used as a user interface,
A robot including a movable part in a part of the body, a drive part that drives the movable part, a position information sensor that acquires position information of the movable part, and a communication connection part, and the communication connection part communicates. A signal indicating the position of the movable part from the position information sensor is transmitted to the other side through a line, receives position information corresponding to the movable part from the other side, and sends it to the drive part, The section drives the movable section based on the received position information, and when the movable section is moved by an external force, the section does not drive the movable section based on the position information from the other side. Robot phone to do. 2. A line delay amount measuring unit for measuring a transmission delay in a communication line is provided, wherein the drive unit uses the position information from the other side when the transmission delay amount exceeds a predetermined value. The robot phone according to claim 1, which is not driven. 3. The robot phone according to claim 1, further comprising a line delay amount measuring unit for measuring a transmission delay in the communication line, wherein the predetermined time is changed according to the transmission delay amount. 4. Used as a user interface,
A robot including a movable part in a part of the body, a drive part for driving the movable part, a position information sensor for acquiring position information of the movable part, a communication connection part, and an operation right of the robot on its own side or An operation right determination unit that determines which of the other side the communication connection unit has, when the operation right determination unit determines that the own side has an operation right via the communication line, A signal indicating the position of the movable part from the information sensor is transmitted to the other side, the position information corresponding to the movable part is received from the other side and sent to the drive part, and the drive part determines the operation right. A robot phone, which drives the movable part based on the received position information when the unit determines that the user does not have the operation right. 5. A timepiece device is provided, wherein when the communication connection section transmits a signal indicating the position of the movable section from the position information sensor to the other party, the time information is also transmitted to the other party and Receiving the time information related to the position information corresponding to the movable portion from the side, the operation right determination unit determines the operation right by comparing the time information of the own side and the time information of the other side. The robot phone according to claim 4. 6. An inquiry / answer unit for sending an inquiry about an operation right to the other party through the communication line and receiving a response from the other party, wherein the operation right determination unit has an external force applied to the movable unit. 5. The robot phone according to claim 4, wherein the inquiry / answer unit sends an inquiry to the other party when moved, and the operation right is determined based on the answer. 7. The operation right determination section gives a temporary operation right to the self side when the movable section is moved by an external force, and when the answer reveals that the other side has the operation right. The robot phone according to claim 6, wherein the temporary operation right is canceled. 8. A priority table that stores in advance priority information relating to an operation right, and the operation right determination unit determines the operation right based on the priority table. Robot phone. 9. The robot phone according to claim 4, further comprising an operation history table that stores an operation history, wherein the operation right determination unit determines the operation right based on the content of the operation history table. 10. The operation right determination unit determines that the own right has an operation right when an operation is performed immediately before on the movable unit on the own side. Robot phone. 11. The operation right determination unit determines that the own operation right is given when an operation of a predetermined movable unit among a plurality of movable units of the robot on the own side is performed. The robot phone according to claim 9, wherein: 12. The robot phone according to claim 4, further comprising an operation right display unit that displays the presence or absence of the operation right based on the output of the operation right determination unit. 13. A robot that is used as a user interface and includes a movable part in a part of its body, a drive part that drives the movable part, a position information sensor that acquires position information of the movable part, and a communication connection part. An external force detection unit that detects whether or not an external force is applied to the movable unit, and an active / passive action separation unit that separates an active action and a passive action based on the output of the external force detection unit. The connection unit is provided with the active operation / communication via a communication line.
A signal indicating the position of the movable part from the position information sensor, which is related to the passive motion separated by the passive motion separating part, is transmitted to the other side, and the position information corresponding to the movable part is received from the other side and is transmitted to the other side. A robot phone, wherein the robot phone is sent to the drive unit, and the drive unit drives the movable unit based on the received position information. 14. The robot phone according to claim 13, wherein the external force detection unit is a sensor that is provided in the robot and that directly detects an external force related to an operation. 15. The external force detecting unit detects an external force by observing a difference between a position signal on a control command for the driving unit and a signal indicating an actual position of the movable unit from the position information sensor. The robot phone according to claim 13, wherein the robot phone is a mobile phone. 16. The external force detection unit measures a drive current of the drive unit and a signal indicating a position from the position information sensor, and the drive current is smaller than a predetermined threshold value. 14. The robot phone according to claim 13, wherein it is determined that an external force is applied when the position of the movable portion is changing regardless. 17. A robot which is used as a user interface and includes a movable part in a part of its body, a drive part which drives the movable part, a position information sensor which acquires position information of the movable part, and a communication connection part. And a signal indicating the position of the movable part from the position information sensor and an adaptive filter that receives position information corresponding to the movable part from the other side received from the communication connection part as input, and the drive part is A robot phone, wherein the movable part is driven based on the output of the adaptive filter. 18. A robot which is used as a user interface and includes a movable part in a part of its body, a drive part which drives the movable part, a position information sensor which acquires position information of the movable part, and a communication connection part. And an encoder that encodes a signal indicating the position of the movable part from the position information sensor into an audio signal in an audible range, and the communication connection part is encoded via a communication line having an echo cancellation function. A signal indicating the position of the movable part is transmitted to the other side, the position information corresponding to the movable part encoded from the other side is received, and this is sent to the drive part, and the drive part receives the position information. A robot phone, characterized in that it drives the movable part based on the above. 19. A robot which is used as a user interface and includes a movable part in a part of the body, a microphone and a speaker for communication, a drive part which drives the movable part, and position information of the movable part. A position information sensor and a communication connection unit are provided, and the communication connection unit transmits a voice signal from the microphone to a partner via a communication line and reproduces a voice signal received from the partner on the speaker. , Transmitting a signal indicating the position of the movable portion from the position information sensor to the other party,
A robot phone, wherein position information corresponding to the movable part is received from a counterpart and is sent to the drive part, and the drive part drives the movable part based on the received position information. 20. The microphone and the speaker are arranged so as to face the front side of the robot, and a user can operate while facing the robot.
Robot phone as described. 21. The movable part is provided on a limb and a head of a body, the movable part provided on the limb has at least two degrees of freedom, and the movable part provided on the head has at least three degrees of freedom. 20. The robot phone according to claim 19, wherein the robot phone comprises. 22. The signal indicating the position of the movable part and / or the position information transmitted / received by the communication connection unit,
It is difference information, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.
The robot phone according to any one of 2 above. 23. The signal indicating the position of the movable part and / or the position information is set to a predetermined value when the movable part is not moved for a predetermined time or more and / or when the power is turned on. The robot phone according to claim 22, wherein the movable part is set in a predetermined state.