JP2018126808A - Robot with booth - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a robot with a booth, which enables communication with a user, which can remove external noises while reliably identifying the user to be targeted, and which can achieve an increase in the degree of freedom of equipment, including weight saving of the equipment.SOLUTION: A window part 12 makes a user face a robot body part 20. This enables a microphone 30 to reliably recognize the user's voice. Additionally, only visual output can be performed, for example, in a robot body part 20. Other functions are provided in a decentralized manner in respective locations within a booth 10, when needed. Thus, the degree of freedom of equipment, including weight saving of the equipment, can be increased.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a robot that recognizes a human voice and enables communication with a user.

  In recent years, development of robots having a voice dialogue function has been progressing, and there are those capable of communicating with humans (see Patent Document 1). In order to improve the voice interaction function by the robot, for example, it is conceivable to increase the number of microphones mounted on the robot or to develop software for noise removal (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  However, it is not always easy to specify a voice of a target person in a robot having a voice interaction function. For example, in a place where a large number of unspecified people come and go, such as in the premises of a city center station or an event venue, the target should be the same as the voice or announcement broadcast of a person other than the user who should be the target of the dialogue. It is easy to mix noise that is difficult to distinguish from human voices that should be removed, that is, noise that is difficult to remove.

  Further, in addition to the voice interaction function and the function for further improving the voice interaction function, if various functions are to be assigned to the robot, the number of components and the like to be mounted increases, which tends to be heavy equipment.

JP 2006-181651 A JP 2009-192942 A

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and is a robot that enables communication with a user, and is capable of removing external noise while reliably identifying a user to be targeted. An object is to provide a robot with a booth that can improve the degree of freedom of equipment including weight reduction of equipment.

  In order to achieve the above object, a robot with a booth according to the present invention includes a visual recognition target that can be visually recognized by a person, a voice recognition unit that can recognize a human voice, and a window unit that faces the user to the visual recognition target. And a booth in which the voice recognition unit is arranged.

  In the robot with a booth, the voice recognition unit can surely recognize the voice of the user by causing the user to face the object to be viewed through the window. In addition, the various functions that the robot has been trying to handle need not be provided only for the visual target. For example, the visual target only provides visual output, and other functions are required at various locations in the booth. Accordingly, it is possible to disperse and provide the equipment according to the requirements, thereby improving the degree of freedom of equipment including weight reduction of equipment.

  In a specific aspect of the present invention, the booth has a partition wall portion that removes external noise while disposing the visual recognition target and the voice recognition portion inside and separating them from the outside. In this case, the voice recognition function for recognizing the user's voice by removing external noise by the separating partition can be enhanced.

  In another aspect of the present invention, the partition wall has a silencing structure that silences the sound from the outside at the boundary with the window. In this case, the sound of the user can be reliably recognized by blocking the sound from the outside by the silencer structure.

  In still another aspect of the present invention, the separation partition wall is a movable type that changes the window. In this case, by changing the size and shape of the window portion, for example, it is possible to adjust the degree of sealing according to the intensity of noise and the user's preference.

  In still another aspect of the present invention, the visual recognition target is a humanoid three-dimensional structure. In this case, a user can be made to regard a humanoid three-dimensional structure as an object to be faced.

  In still another aspect of the present invention, the humanoid three-dimensional structure has a shape that imitates a part or the whole of the upper body including at least the head. In this case, for example, the head of a humanoid three-dimensional structure can be captured as an object to be faced by the user, and the versatility of installation can be enhanced when used as a guide.

  In still another aspect of the present invention, the window is an opening provided to communicate from the outside. In this case, the user's voice can be recognized through the opening.

  In still another aspect of the present invention, the booth is partially or entirely made of a light transmissive resin material. In this case, the inside of the booth can be made easily visible to the user.

  In still another aspect of the present invention, the window portion has a shape that causes a relative difference from the peripheral portion of the window portion with respect to the distance from the visual recognition target. In this case, the user can easily approach the window.

  In still another aspect of the present invention, the window portion has a recess portion that causes a relative difference in distance from the visual recognition target. In this case, the presence of the hollow portion makes it easier for the user to approach the inside of the apparatus from the window portion, and the target for voice recognition can be reliably narrowed down.

  In still another aspect of the present invention, the booth is configured by providing a hole in a part of a dome-shaped member that accommodates a visual target. In this case, the window portion can be formed by providing the hole portion while covering the visual recognition target with the dome-shaped member.

  In still another aspect of the present invention, the robot is a guidance type robot that provides various guidance to a user depending on a visual recognition target based on information from a voice recognition unit. In this case, various kinds of guidance can be given to the user.

  In yet another aspect of the present invention, an information mark indicating that it is a guide office is attached to the booth. In this case, the user can be notified that there is an information desk.

  In still another aspect of the present invention, a plate-like panel that is disposed inside the booth and is movable is provided. In this case, external audio and internal audio can be controlled, and for example, it is possible to cope with a case where there are a plurality of users.

(A) is a perspective view which shows one structural example of the robot with a booth which concerns on 1st Embodiment, (B) is a perspective view which shows about the state which attached the muffling structure part, (C) is a plane. FIG. It is a perspective view which shows an example about the use condition of a robot with a booth. It is a top view which shows an example about the usage condition of a robot with a booth. (A) And (B) is a figure for demonstrating the use condition of the robot of a comparative example. (A) is a perspective view which shows the example of 1 structure of the robot with a booth which concerns on one modification, (B) and (C) are the figures for demonstrating the use condition of the robot with a booth. (A) is a perspective view which shows the example of 1 structure of the robot with a booth which concerns on another modification, (B) is a perspective view which shows another example of installation. It is a perspective view which shows the robot with a booth of another modification. (A) And (B) is a figure for demonstrating the example of installation of the microphone as a speech recognition part. (A) is a front view for demonstrating one structural example of the human-type three-dimensional structure as a visual recognition object mounted in the robot with a booth which concerns on 2nd Embodiment, (B) is a side view. is there. (A) And (B) is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of a humanoid three-dimensional structure. (A) is a figure which shows an example about a use condition in order to demonstrate one structural example of the robot with a booth which concerns on 2nd Embodiment, (B) is a figure which shows an example about another use condition. It is a figure for demonstrating one specific structure of the robot with a booth which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a top view which shows the example of 1 structure of the robot with a booth which concerns on 3rd Embodiment.

[First Embodiment]
Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 1 etc., an outline | summary is demonstrated about an example of the robot with a booth which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention.

  The booth-equipped robot 100 according to the present embodiment includes a booth 10 constituting an appearance, a robot body 20 as a visual recognition target that can be visually recognized by a person, a microphone 30 as a voice recognition unit capable of recognizing a human voice, And a base portion 40 that supports each portion. Here, it is assumed that the booth-equipped robot 100 is a guide-type robot that performs various types of guidance for the user by the robot body 20 based on information from the microphone 30. That is, the booth-equipped robot 100 recognizes the voice of the user with the microphone 30 and enables communication with the user based on the recognized voice information. Therefore, in addition to the above, it is possible to provide an output device that enables output by sound, images, or the like using, for example, a speaker or a display unit.

  The booth 10 is made of, for example, a part or all of a light-transmitting resin material, and makes the state of the inside visible from the outside, that is, makes the robot body 20 as a visual target visible. . The booth 10 is a member having a dome shape with a circular bottom surface, and is configured by providing a hole in a part of the member. As a result, the booth 10 communicates from the outside to the inside with the separation partition wall portion 11 that forms an interior (or an internal space) for housing each part such as the robot body 20 and the microphone 30 while being separated from the outside. And a window portion 12 which is an opening provided in the. Note that the base portion 40 that supports the booth 10 has a cylindrical shape corresponding to the circular bottom surface of the booth 10. Thereby, it can also be understood that the upper surface of the base part 40 and the separating partition part 11 cooperate to form a sealed internal space except for the window part 12 (opening part). In this embodiment, as shown in the figure, in the booth 10, the window 12 is provided corresponding to the front of the robot body 20, so that a person who intends to use the robot 100 with a booth, that is, a user It is made easy to make the person who should become the robot main-body part 20 face. In other words, the user can be easily specified for the booth-equipped robot 100 side, and the voice recognition in the microphone 30 can be reliably performed.

  As described above, the robot body 20 is arranged inside the booth 10, and as shown in the drawing, the head-shaped portion HD provided at the top in a spherical shape or a shape close thereto, and the head-shaped portion HD It has a body-like part TR provided on the lower side and supporting the head-like part HD, and has a shape imitating the upper body of a person. Here, what has a shape imitating a part or the whole of the upper body including at least the human head, such as the robot main body 20, is included in the humanoid three-dimensional structure.

  The microphone 30 is disposed inside the booth 10 and functions as a voice recognition unit by recognizing a voice of a user who is facing the robot body 20 and is receiving guidance. Although the microphone 30 can be installed at various locations inside the booth 10, in the illustrated case, as an example, the microphone 30 is provided close to the window portion 12 on the upper surface of the base portion 40. Thereby, it can install reliably and can recognize a user's voice reliably. As for the installation location, for example, it may be provided at a location corresponding to the ear in the head-shaped portion HD of the robot body 20.

  The booth-equipped robot 100 having the above-described configuration functions as a guidance-type robot that performs various types of guidance by being installed on an existing mounting table PT such as an information counter in a station. In addition, it is considered that the robot body 20 is shaped like the upper body of a person, so that, for example, when the robot body 20 is installed on the mounting table PT, it is likely to become a natural height for the user to interact.

  Here, as shown in FIGS. 1 (B) and 1 (C), the sound from the outside is silenced at the edge portion EG of the separation wall portion 11, that is, at the boundary between the separation wall portion 11 and the window portion 12. It can be configured to have a silencing structure MT. By providing the muffling structure MT, it is possible to more reliably recognize only the user's voice by blocking voices other than the user's voice among the external sounds. As for the sound deadening structure MT, for example, a structure constituted by a foamed polystyrene or a sponge-like member, a structure constituted by a structure using multiple diffraction or destructive interference used for a sound insulation wall of an expressway, and the like are conceivable.

  2 and 3 are diagrams illustrating an example of a usage situation of the robot 100 with a booth. Here, for example, the usage situation is shown in a situation where an unspecified number of people PEs such as the premises of a city center station or an event venue are installed. That is, in such a case, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, it is considered that a plurality of people PE surround the robot 100 with a booth, and human voices are directed to the robot 100 with a booth from various directions. Therefore, it is difficult to establish a one-to-one dialogue with the user US to be shown. Further, in addition to human voices, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, it is conceivable that various sounds such as train noise, announcements on the premises, other station premises noise, traffic noise, and the like are generated. In such a place, in particular, noise that is difficult to distinguish from an object to be recognized, that is, a voice of the user US to be an object of dialogue, is difficult to be mixed. Specifically, noise other than the voice of the user US includes a voice of a person NU other than the voice of the user US and a broadcast of a local announcement.

  In such a situation, the robot 100 with a booth according to the present embodiment should be targeted while removing external noise such as a voice of a human NU other than the voice of the user US and a broadcast of an announcement on the premises by the separation wall 11. The voice of the user US can be reliably recognized by the microphone 30 through the window 12. That is, as briefly shown in FIG. 3, in the booth 10, a voice from a person PE (user US) located in front of the window 12 is drawn inside through the window 12 as an opening and picked up by the microphone 30. On the other hand, various voices including the voice of the human NU from other directions are cut off and bounced off by the partition wall 11. Alternatively, the sound is muted by the silencing structure portion MT. As described above, the voice of the user US to be targeted can be reliably recognized.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a comparative robot (without a booth) under the same usage conditions as described above. FIG. 4 (A) corresponds to FIG. 2, and FIG. This corresponds to FIG. As shown in the figure, in the case of this comparative example, human voices and various noises reach the robot 20A from various directions. Therefore, in order for the robot 20A to identify and guide the user and enable various communications including dialogue, it is premised that a set of microphones, speakers, and the like is first installed. In addition, various facilities are required such that various devices are provided in order to make it possible to distinguish between speech to be acquired and noise, or microphones have directivity to perform speech recognition. That is, various functions necessary for guidance are centrally assigned to the robot 20A. In this case, the number of parts to be mounted on the robot 20A increases, and the robot 20A is likely to be heavily equipped.

  In contrast, in the robot 100 with a booth according to the present embodiment, the noise is blocked by the separation wall 11 while the user faces the robot body 20 that is the object to be viewed by the window 12, so that the voice recognition unit The user's voice can be reliably recognized by a certain microphone 30. Further, it is not necessary to provide only the robot body 20 with various functions that the robot has been trying to carry out so far. For example, in the robot body 20, only visual output can be performed, and other functions can be distributed in various places inside the booth 10 as necessary. For example, in the illustrated example, the microphone 30 is disposed separately from the robot body 20. However, it is not indispensable to separate the microphones, and a microphone may be incorporated in the robot body 20 at a location corresponding to the ear. As described above, in the present embodiment, it is possible to improve the degree of freedom of equipment including weight reduction of equipment.

  Hereinafter, a modified example of the robot with a booth according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5A is a perspective view showing a configuration example of the booth-equipped robot 100 according to a modification, and FIG. 5B is a plan view. In the illustrated example, the configuration of the window portion 12 that forms the opening portion has a hollow portion HL as a shape that causes a relative difference from the peripheral portion of the window portion 12 with respect to the distance from the robot body portion 20. . Specifically, the recess portion HL is formed by providing the notch portion NT at a position corresponding to the window portion 12 in the base portion 40, so that the user US is more than the peripheral portion of the window portion 12 in the window portion 12. It approaches the robot body 20. This makes it easier to distinguish between the user US and a person NU other than the user. That is, it becomes easier to create a situation where the user US is limited to one person. For example, as shown in FIG. 5 (B), the size of the notch NT should be such that only one adult can enter, or more than one adult can enter, but two or more cannot enter. Can be considered. If there is no dent as illustrated above or something corresponding to this, it seems that it is rare, but depending on the installation environment etc., as shown in FIG. It is considered that a case may occur in which the voices of the two people are picked up at the microphone 30 at the same time by being in a state of facing the window portion 12 in half. On the other hand, by providing the hollow part HL as illustrated in FIG. 5A and the like, such a situation can be avoided and the user US to be targeted can be easily narrowed down to one person.

  In addition, in the above example, it has the shape which produces a relative difference with the peripheral part of the window part 12 and the window part 12 by having the hollow part HL formed by providing the notch part NT. As long as the difference can be generated, the shape may be other than the above-described hollow portion HL. For example, by making the peripheral portion of the window portion 12 protrude from the window portion 12, a relative difference is generated. It may be a thing. For example, it is conceivable to provide a plate-like protruding portion that protrudes outward along the boundary between the window portion 12 and the separation partition wall portion 11.

  Hereinafter, a modified example of the robot with a booth according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. As in a modified example shown in FIG. 6A, an information mark IM indicating that it is a guidance center may be attached to the upper side of the booth 10 in the robot 100 with a booth. By providing the information mark IM at a relatively high position that is easy to see even from a distance, it is possible to notify the user that there is a guide office. Further, instead of the mounting table PT such as an information counter, a dedicated pedestal 50 for the booth-equipped robot 100 may be provided as in a modified example shown in FIG. 6B, for example. In the illustrated example, the portion corresponding to the base portion 40 in FIG. 1 and the like is integrated with the pedestal portion 50, but the pedestal portion may be provided separately from the base portion 40. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7, the dedicated pedestal 150 may have a moving mechanism MM including a tire or the like. In this case, the booth-equipped robot 100 can guide the user to the destination as well as show the route to the destination, for example. That is, it is conceivable to provide dedicated pedestal portions having various shapes and structures according to purposes.

  Various cases are conceivable for the attachment position of the microphone 30. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 8A, a portion of the separation partition wall portion 11 that is close to the boundary with the window portion 12 and that is close to the target user's head (or the user's mouth). It is also conceivable that the distance from the user to the microphone 30 is reduced by installing the microphone 30 in the installation location candidates CA, CB and the like. Further, as exemplified in FIG. 8B, it may be considered that the microphone 30 is arranged in a place where the voices of the users are easily gathered. For example, it is conceivable that the partition wall 11 is made parabolic or elliptical and the microphone 30 is installed at the focal position.

  As described above, in the robot with a booth 100 according to the present embodiment, the structure of the window portion 12 in the booth 10 should make the robot body 20 that is a visual target easier to face and guide the user. The target users can be specified (narrowed down) more reliably. Further, in the booth 10, the partition wall 11 removes external noise that is difficult to distinguish and difficult to remove, such as a voice of a person other than the voice of the user or a broadcast of a local announcement. As described above, the user's voice can be more reliably recognized by the microphone 30 serving as the voice recognition unit. If the view is changed, the voice of the user who is the target of guidance can be captured without providing a special structure such as providing the voice recognition unit with directivity. The various functions that the robot that performs guidance so far does not need to be provided only in the robot body 20, for example, the microphone 30 that is a function corresponding to a human ear that recognizes a user's voice. Is installed in the booth 10 so that it does not necessarily need to be attached to the robot body 20, and the user's voice recognition by the microphone 30 can be maintained in a more reliable state. In this case, the robot 100 with a booth can improve the degree of freedom of equipment including the weight reduction of equipment.

[Second Embodiment]
Hereinafter, a second embodiment obtained by modifying the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 9 and the like. FIG. 9A is a front view for explaining a configuration example of the robot main body 220 which is a humanoid three-dimensional structure as a visual target mounted on the robot with a booth according to the present embodiment. FIG. 9B is a side view of the robot main body 220. 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining the operation of the robot main body 220. FIG. As shown in FIG. 11 (A) and the like, the robot 200 with a booth according to the present embodiment includes a robot main body 220, and a user US2 having a certain height difference from a user US1 who rides in a wheelchair. It is compatible with a wide range up to US3.

  Hereinafter, the robot body 220 constituting the robot 200 with a booth according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, the configuration of the robot body 220 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9A and 9B. As shown in the figure, the robot main body 220 includes a head-shaped portion HD provided at the uppermost portion and having a nearly spherical shape, and a barrel-shaped body that is provided below the head-shaped portion HD and supports the head-shaped portion HD. It has a shape part TR and has a shape imitating the upper body of a person, that is, a humanoid three-dimensional structure. Further, the body-shaped part TR is configured by a chest part TR1 located on the upper side and a seat part TR2 located on the lower side. As shown in FIG. 9B, the connection surface SS between the chest part TR1 and the seat part TR2 is inclined with respect to the bottom surface BT of the seat part TR2 (also the bottom surface of the entire apparatus).

  On the front side, which is a portion corresponding to the face, of the head-like portion HD, a panel portion PL composed of, for example, a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel is provided. For example, by displaying an image of the eyes, nose, and the like on the panel portion PL, an image like a face can be provided on the head portion HD. Moreover, it is good also as what performs an image display required in order to perform guidance.

  A camera CM as a human sensor is provided at a fixed position provided on the bottom surface BT inside the seat portion TR2 located on the lower side of the body-like portion TR. As the camera CM, various devices such as an infrared camera that enable human detection can be applied. Here, as an example, it is assumed that the face position of the detected person (user) can be detected by the camera CM being able to recognize the face. Moreover, you may provide speaker SP in chest TR1 located in the upper side among trunk-like parts TR.

  Hereinafter, the movement of the robot main body 220 will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in the drawing, the robot main body 220 is upright as shown in FIG. 10A because the head-shaped portion HD and the chest TR1 and the seat TR2 that constitute the trunk-shaped portion TR are rotatable. The posture can be changed to a posture looking up in a posture or a posture such as bending down and looking down as shown in FIG. Specifically, as indicated by an arrow A1 in FIG. 10, the seat portion TR2 is rotatable about an axis AX1 perpendicular to the bottom surface BT. Further, as indicated by an arrow A2, the chest TR1 is rotatable about an axis AX2 perpendicular to the connection surface SS. With the above-described axis rotation, the robot body 220 can change its posture from the upright state shown in FIG. 10A to the forward bending state shown in FIG. Furthermore, the head portion HD can be tilted in the direction indicated by the arrow A3. As a result, the robot main body 220 enables an operation as if the head is turned upside down or on the bald side. As described above, by combining the movements of the three movable parts, even with a relatively simple structure, the posture can be greatly changed, and movements close to human movements can be expressed.

  Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 11 (A) and 11 (B), a robot 200 with a booth according to this embodiment equipped with the robot main body 220 will be described. As shown in FIG. 11A, the robot 200 with a booth includes a booth 210 and a pedestal 250 supporting the robot main body 220 in addition to the robot main body 220.

  The booth 210 includes a partition wall 211 that accommodates the robot body 220 and the pedestal 250 and forms an interior (or internal space), and a window 212 that is an opening provided to communicate from the outside to the inside. Have. Here, as shown in the figure, a user US1 who rides in a wheelchair is assumed as a target person, and detailed illustration is omitted. However, for example, the width of the window 212 is such that one wheelchair can pass. It is assumed that Thereby, it is possible to maintain appropriate narrowing down of the users (subjects of voice recognition) by the window portion 212 while enabling use in a state where the vehicle is on a wheelchair. On the other hand, with respect to the vertical width of the window 212, from a user US1 who rides in a wheelchair to a user US2 having an average female height displayed only with a face in the figure, and a user US3 having a tall height. It is envisaged that it will be able to cope with a wide range, and it is conceivable to have an opening that can accommodate these.

  The pedestal portion 250 includes a top plate portion 251 and a support portion 252 that supports the top plate portion 251. The top plate portion 251 has a shape that protrudes sufficiently large forward so that the robot main body 220 can be placed thereon, while the support portion 252 that supports the top plate portion 251 from below is higher than the top plate portion 251. A recessed space SA is formed below the top plate 251. By appropriately adjusting the sizes of the top plate portion 251 and the support portion 252, as shown in the drawing, the space SA formed on the lower side of the top plate portion 251, the lower part from the waist of the user US1 who rides in the wheelchair It can be sufficient for storage. Thereby, user US1 who gets on a wheelchair can approach sufficiently in order to face robot body part 220. FIG.

  Here, the robot main body 220 faces, for example, a user US1 who rides on a wheelchair with a head height of about 120 cm, a user US2 with a head height of about 165 cm, and a user US3 with a height of about 165 cm. It is possible to change the posture as much as possible. For example, for the standing user US2 and the user US3, as shown in FIG. 11A, the head portion HD is indicated by an arrow in the state shown in FIG. By appropriately tilting in the direction indicated by A3, the angle of the head portion HD can be adjusted so as to face each other according to the height of each user. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 11B, for a user US1 who rides in a wheelchair or a relatively short user such as an infant, as described with reference to FIG. The head portion HD can be tilted by moving the portion TR to bend forward and tilting the head portion HD. Regarding the height dimensions of the robot main body 220 and the pedestal 250, for example, the height H1 of the robot main body 220 may be about 50 to 55 cm, and the height H2 of the pedestal 250 may be about 90 cm. Thereby, it can be sufficient to cope with the difference in the height of the user's top as described above. In the case of such a configuration, it is considered that a relatively large space region UD is likely to be generated above the robot body 220. In this case, instead of providing a microphone, a camera as a human sensor, a speaker, or the like in each part of the robot main body 220, these may be provided in the space region UD. That is, as illustrated in FIG. 12, a microphone 230, a display unit PP, and the like may be provided on the upper side of the booth 210. In this case, the robot body 220 can be simplified without having voice recognition or guidance display functions. Further, as shown in the figure, when the external light OL is backlit as an installation environment and the influence of the external light OL on the camera installed inside the booth 210 is large, the inside of the booth 210 Auxiliary illumination AL that generates illumination light GL that becomes forward light may be provided.

  As described above, also in the robot 200 with a booth according to the present embodiment, the structure of the window 212 in the booth 210 makes it easier for the user to face the robot main body 220 that is a visual recognition target and provides guidance. This makes it possible to more reliably identify (narrow down) the target users. Further, in the booth 10, the separation partition wall 211 removes external noise that is difficult to distinguish and difficult to remove, such as a voice of a person other than the voice of the user or a broadcast of a local announcement. In addition, various functions that the robot that performs guidance so far do not need to be provided only in the robot main body 220. For example, the microphone 230 is provided in a relatively large space area UD above the robot main body 220. Etc., it is possible to improve the degree of freedom of equipment including weight reduction of equipment.

[Third Embodiment]
Hereinafter, a third embodiment obtained by modifying the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 13 is a plan view illustrating a configuration example of the robot 300 with a booth according to the present embodiment.

  In this embodiment, by having the panel which has the plate-shaped member which is arranged inside the booth 310 and is movable, it has a configuration that can cope with a case where there are a plurality of users to be targeted. This is different from the other embodiments described above. In the example shown in FIG. 13, it is assumed that there are about three users USa, Usb, and USc at the maximum.

  The booth-equipped robot 300 according to this embodiment includes an inner panel IP on the back side of the robot body 20 placed on the pedestal 350 in the booth 310 in addition to the booth 310, the robot body 20, and the microphone 30. Is provided.

  The booth 310 has a partition wall 311 and a window 312 which is an opening provided so as to communicate from the outside to the inside. Although it is assumed that a plurality of people enter and leave the window 312, the window 312 is not larger than necessary. For example, by providing a silencing structure MT at the boundary between the partition 311 and the window 312, The part 311 and the muffling structure part MT cooperate to make it possible to reliably cut off voices other than the user's voice coming from outside the booth 310 other than the front side where the window 312 is located.

  Various configurations are conceivable for the configuration of the inner panel IP. However, in the illustrated example, a fixed portion FI located on the center side in the rear of the robot main body portion 20 and hinges provided at both ends of the fixed portion FI, for example, By providing a structure, a drive mechanism, and the like, it has a pair of movable parts MPa and MPb that can rotate about the left and right ends of the fixed part FI as axes. In this case, the fixed portion FI and the pair of movable portions MPa and MPb are each configured by a plate-like member, and the inner panel IP has a configuration like a three-sheet folding screen.

  In the inner panel IP, the movable parts MPa and MPb are rotated, for example, to further remove noise, or to guide the voice of the person to be spoken among the users USa, Usb and USc to be targeted, For example, it is possible to increase the sound collection efficiency in the microphone 30 installed between the robot body 20 and the fixed part FI. That is, it is possible to control external audio and internal audio by the inner panel IP, and it is possible to cope with a case where there are a plurality of users. About operation | movement of movable part MPa, MPb, it is good also as a mode which user USa, Usb, USc operates operation | movement of movable part MPa, MPb besides the case where it controls on the robot 300 with a booth side.

  As for the configuration of the inner panel IP, in addition to the above, for example, it is configured to have a pair of plate-like members having curvature, corresponding to the movable parts MPa, MPb, The direction of the member may be changed by sliding along a pedestal having an arcuate edge. In this case, a part corresponding to the fixed part FI may be unnecessary. In addition, for example, the inner panel IP may be constituted by a large number of two or more movable plate-like members, and an internal space that can be closed by these is formed. In this case, the degree of sealing can be adjusted by changing the shape of the inner panel IP in accordance with the intensity of noise and user preference. That is, depending on the configuration of the movable parts MPa and MPb, for example, in the state where the movable parts MPa and MPb are most closed, a dedicated closed space where a person other than the user cannot enter or exit can be formed. When such a dedicated closed space is formed, for example, it should not be opened from the outside, function as a shelter to protect itself in an emergency, and if it is a shelter, contact the operator. It is good also to keep. Even in such a case, it may be opened from the inside of the exclusive closed space by an emergency switch or manually.

  Further, by providing microphones at a plurality of locations in the booth 310 and detecting the direction of the voice, it may be possible to recognize who is speaking among a plurality of users USa, Usb, and USc. In that case, it is good also as what changes a posture so that robot main-body part 20 may face a speaker.

  Furthermore, it is good also as what can restrict | limit the number of users by the attitude | position of movable part MPa and MPb, and the opening shape of the window part 312 changing. For example, in a state where the movable parts MPa and MPb are most closed, the number of interlocutors may be limited to one.

  As described above, also in the robot 300 with a booth according to the present embodiment, the structure of the window 312 and the like in the booth 310 makes it easier for the user to face the robot body 20 that is the object of visual recognition and provides guidance. It is possible to more reliably identify (narrow down) the users that should be performed. Also, in the booth 310, the partition wall 311 removes external noise that is difficult to distinguish and difficult to remove, such as a voice of a person other than the voice of the user or a broadcast of a local announcement. Also, in the booth 310, by providing one or more microphones and speakers in places other than the robot body 20, the robot body 20 is informed of various functions that the robot that has been guiding so far has been assigned. However, it is possible to improve the degree of freedom of equipment including weight reduction of equipment. In addition, in the case of the present embodiment, it is possible to cope with a case where there are a plurality of users, and for example, it is expected that the entrance entrance is widened to weaken the resistance to entering and make it easier for people to approach. .

[Others]
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be implemented in various modes without departing from the scope of the invention.

  First, in the above-described embodiment, the case where one robot with a booth as a guide device is installed has been described, but two or more robots with a booth may be arranged side by side. In this case, various shapes for the booth are assumed. For example, the robot body as an adjacent visual target may be separated by one partition member. That is, a part of the booth may be shared between adjacent ones. In addition, the timbre of the sound output from the speaker may be changed between adjacent robots with a booth.

  Further, the booth-equipped robot may be connected to a management device or the like via a network, for example. In this case, the matters that can be dealt with in software may be handled by a management device or the like that is a connection destination of the network. In addition, for example, it may be possible to deal with various languages so as to be able to guide more people. At this time, in addition to having a language recognition function, it is necessary to select a language in the booth. A touch panel or the like may be installed.

  Moreover, in the above, the booth is partially or entirely made of a light transmissive resin material so that the inside can be visually recognized. This makes it easy to see from the outside that there is a humanoid robot (robot body) that performs guidance in the booth, that is, there is a guiding device. However, part or all of the booth is light transmissive. It is good also as a structure which does not. In the present application, an effect of reducing the embarrassment of interacting with the robot for the user is expected by forming a sealed space by the booth (making it an occupied space). When a part or all of the booth is configured not to be light transmissive, it can be expected that the effect of making the occupied space will be further increased by not being seen from the surroundings during use.

  Moreover, in the above, the robot main body 20 or the like that is a humanoid three-dimensional structure is illustrated as a visual recognition target that can be visually recognized by a person, but various shapes other than the above are assumed for the shape of the robot main body, For example, it may have a portion corresponding to a hand, an eye-nose, etc., and it may have a form closer to a human, and these parts may move during guidance. Conversely, it may be possible to adopt a form other than human. Further, a three-dimensional structure other than a human shape may be used. Furthermore, the visual recognition target may be other than a three-dimensional structure. For example, the visual recognition target may be configured by a three-dimensional hologram image.

  Moreover, in each said embodiment, it is good also as a variable-type thing which can change the size, shape, etc. of the window parts 12, 212, 312 by making the separation partition part 11, 211, 311 into a movable structure. As a structure for making it movable, various methods are conceivable, for example, similar to the structure of the movable parts MPa and MPb in the inner panel IP shown in FIG. By changing the size, shape, and the like of the windows 12, 212, and 312, it is possible to adjust the degree of sealing according to, for example, the intensity of noise and the preference of the user.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Booth, 11 ... Separation partition part, 12 ... Window part, 20 ... Robot main body part, 20A ... Robot, 30 ... Microphone, 40 ... Base part, 50 ... Base part, 100 ... Robot with booth, 150 ... Base part, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 200 ... Robot with a booth, 210 ... Booth, 211 ... Separation partition part, 212 ... Window part, 220 ... Robot main part, 230 ... Microphone, 250 ... Base part, 251 ... Top plate part, 252 ... Support part, 300 ... Booth Attached robot, 310 ... Booth, 311 ... Separating partition, 312 ... Window, 350 ... Base, A1-A3 ... Arrow, AL ... Auxiliary illumination, AX1, AX2 ... Axis, BT ... Bottom, CA, CB ... Installation location Candidate, CM ... Camera, EG ... Edge part, FI ... Fixing part, GL ... Illumination light, HD ... Head-like part, HL ... Depression part, IM ... Information mark, IP ... Inner panel, MM ... Moving mechanism, MP , MPb ... movable part, MT ... silencer structure part, NT ... notch part, NU ... person, OL ... external light, PE ... person, PL ... panel part, PP ... display part, PT ... mounting table, SA ... space, SP ... Speaker, SS ... Connection surface, TR ... Body, TR1 ... Chest, TR2 ... Seat, UD ... Space area, US, US1, US2, US3, USa, Usb, USc ... User

Claims (14)

A visual target that is visible to a person,
A voice recognition unit capable of recognizing human voice;
A booth-equipped robot having a window part for allowing a user to face the visual recognition target and a booth in which the voice recognition part is arranged.   2. The robot with a booth according to claim 1, wherein the booth has a partition wall portion that removes external noise while disposing the visual recognition object and the voice recognition unit inside the space and separating from the outside.   The booth-equipped robot according to claim 2, wherein the separation partition wall includes a silencing structure that silences sound from the outside at a boundary with the window.   The robot with a booth according to any one of claims 2 and 3, wherein the partition wall is a movable type that changes the window.   The robot with a booth according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the visual recognition target is a humanoid three-dimensional structure.   The robot with a booth according to claim 5, wherein the humanoid three-dimensional structure has a shape imitating a part or the whole of the upper body including at least the head.   The robot with a booth according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the window is an opening provided to communicate from the outside.   The robot with a booth according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a part or all of the booth is made of a light-transmitting resin material.   The robot with a booth according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the window has a shape that causes a relative difference from a peripheral portion of the window with respect to a distance from the visual recognition target.   The robot with a booth according to claim 9, wherein the window portion includes a hollow portion that causes a relative difference in distance from the visual recognition target.   The booth is a robot with a booth according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the booth is configured by providing a hole in a part of a dome-shaped member that houses the visual recognition target.   The robot with a booth according to any one of claims 1 to 11, which is a guidance type robot that performs various types of guidance for a user based on information from the voice recognition unit.   The robot with a booth according to claim 12, wherein an information mark indicating that it is a guide is attached to the booth.   The robot with a booth as described in any one of Claims 1-13 which has a plate-shaped panel arrange | positioned and movable inside the said booth.

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