JP2018167356A - robot - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a robot which can show a facial expression graphically.SOLUTION: In a robot, area corresponding to an upper lip of an outer skin is respectively united to a first acting portion, a second acting portion, and a third acting portion which are provided on a supporting body, at three places in each area around a center area of the upper lip and around both side areas of the upper lip, on a back surface thereof. An area corresponding to a lower lip of the outer skin is respectively united to a fourth acting portion, a fifth acting portion, and a sixth acting portion which are provided on the supporting body, at three places of each area around a center area of the lower lip and around both side areas of the lip, on a back surface thereof. The first acting portion and the fourth acting portion are respectively displaced in a generally vertical direction, thereby elastically deforming the area around the center area of the upper lip and the area around the center area of the lower lip in generally the vertical direction. The second and third acting portions, and the fifth and the sixth acting portions are respectively displaced in a generally horizontal direction, thereby elastically deforming both side areas of the upper lip and both side areas of the lower lip in generally the horizontal direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a robot, and more particularly, to a robot in which a predetermined support is covered with an elastic material skin.

  In recent years, in the fields of entertainment and welfare, development of a robot capable of more realistically expressing human expressions is awaited. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a robot that attempts to express a facial expression by moving the eyebrows of the robot with a magnetic force.

  In recent years, an attempt has been made to develop a robot that displays a realistic expression while reproducing a human-like skin texture by covering an operating support with an elastic skin made of a silicon material or the like.

JP 2009-274184 A

  However, the robot covered with an elastic material made of silicon material etc. has a very realistic appearance, but the muscles and movements involved in the actual expression of human facial expressions are very complex. As soon as facial expression is performed, the lack of facial expression can be glimpsed. In particular, since the structure of the mouth is actually complicated, there are many conventional robots of this type that are simply opened and closed in the vertical direction.

  The present invention has been made under the above-described technical background, and an object of the present invention is to provide a robot capable of expressing a facial expression more realistically.

  Other objects and operational effects of the present invention will be easily understood by those skilled in the art by referring to the following description of the specification.

  The above technical problem can be solved by a robot having the following configuration.

  That is, the robot according to the present invention includes a support body having a plurality of motion parts that perform a displacement operation, and an outer skin that is made of an elastic material and covers the support body. In the robot that elastically deforms a part or the whole, the outer skin has a region corresponding to the upper lip and the lower lip, and the region corresponding to the upper lip of the outer skin is around the central region of the upper lip on the back surface thereof, and The first operating part, the second operating part, and the third operating part provided on the support body are respectively connected at three locations around the both sides of the upper lip, and The area corresponding to the lips is the fourth operating part provided on the support at the three locations of the area around the center area of the lower lip and the areas around both sides of the lower lip on the back surface thereof. , Coupled with the fifth working part and the sixth working part The first operating part and the fourth operating part corresponding to the periphery of each central area of the upper lip and the lower lip are displaced in a substantially vertical direction, respectively, so that the periphery of the central area of the upper lip and the lower lip The second and third operation portions corresponding to the periphery of each side region of the upper lip and the lower lip, and the fifth and sixth operations The portions are respectively displaced in a substantially horizontal direction, and thereby elastically deform the periphery of both sides of the upper lip and the periphery of both sides of the lower lip in a substantially horizontal direction.

  According to such a configuration, the upper lip and the lower lip are combined with the respective motion parts behind the center lip and the three sides around the center, the central part around the substantially vertical direction, and the sides around the two sides. Since it is elastically deformed in a substantially horizontal direction, these elastic deformations are combined, and the viewer can feel realistic movements of the mouth like a human.

  Further, in the robot, the outer skin further includes left and right cheek regions disposed on both sides of the upper lip and the lower lip, and the left and right cheek regions have a right cheek region periphery and a left cheek region on the back surface thereof. In the vicinity of the region, the seventh operation unit and the eighth operation unit provided on the support body are respectively coupled with the seventh operation unit and the eighth operation unit, and the seventh operation unit and the eighth operation unit are respectively substantially front and rear along the outer skin. It may be displaced in the direction, whereby the left and right cheek regions may be elastically deformed.

  According to such a configuration, more realistic mouth movements can be reproduced by including not only the mouth but also cheek movements.

  Furthermore, the 2nd and 3rd action | operation parts or the 5th and 6th action | operation parts are mutually interlock | cooperated, respectively, and the area | region equivalent to the said upper lip or the area | region corresponding to the said lower lip of the said outer skin is constricted. Alternatively, it may be elastically deformed so as to spread on both sides.

  According to such a configuration, the movement of the mouth is almost always left and right, so that the movement of the lips can be reproduced efficiently and sufficiently.

  In addition, when the first operating portion is displaced in a substantially vertical direction, the first operating portion is displaced so as to push the outer skin forward, thereby elastically deforming so as to protrude around the central region of the upper lip. Good.

  According to such a configuration, it is possible to realistically or naturally reproduce a movement that protrudes or constricts the mouth.

  Furthermore, each area | region of the both sides periphery of the said upper lip is each couple | bonded with the said 2nd operation | movement part and said 3rd operation | movement part of the said support body through the 2nd and 3rd connection piece pair which can be attached or detached. The regions on both sides of the lower lip are coupled to the fifth and sixth operating portions of the support through detachable fifth and sixth coupling piece pairs, respectively. The second and third coupling piece pairs and the fifth and sixth coupling piece pairs each have a positioning structure on their coupling surfaces, and are coupled to each other via magnetic force. It may be.

  According to such a configuration, since the support and the outer skin are coupled via the pair of detachable coupling pieces, the outer skin provided with one coupling piece even when the outer skin deteriorates over time. Can only be thrown away and replaced with a new skin. Thereby, even when a problem such as aging of the outer skin occurs, it is possible to provide a robot that can easily replace the outer skin and can withstand practical use.

  In addition, the periphery of the central region of the upper lip and the periphery of the central region of the lower lip may be coupled to the first operating unit and the fourth operating unit via a fitting structure by fitting. .

  According to such a configuration, in a region where the amount of displacement is relatively large, it is possible to prevent the coupling piece pair that couples the operating portion and the outer skin from being detached from the amount of displacement of the operating portion. can do.

  Further, the robot further includes an actuator fixed to the support, a guide pipe fixed to the support, and the guide pipe, one end being the actuator and the other end being the operating unit. And the first operating unit to the sixth operating unit may perform a displacement operation when the wire is driven by the actuator to be sent out or pulled in.

  According to such a configuration, the location where the displacement is actually performed and the actuator serving as the operation source can be separated via the wire, so even if there are locations where a large number of displacement operation units are concentrated. Each component can be arranged without difficulty in the support space.

  The support includes a jaw part that can be displaced to open and close, and the fourth operating part, the fifth operating part, and the sixth operating part are provided on the jaw part of the support. It may be.

  According to such a configuration, the movement part combined with the region corresponding to the lower lip is displaced integrally with the jaw part, so that the movement of the mouth more like a human can be reproduced.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a robot capable of reproducing a realistic mouth movement like a human being.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of the robot head. FIG. 2 is a front view of the support. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the jaw coupling component. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the forehead joint component. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a support provided with a guide pipe. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram relating to an adhesive surface. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the robot head. FIG. 8 is a view showing the back surface of the outer skin. FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of the connecting piece with the arm member. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the coupling member with the arm member. FIG. 11 is an operation diagram of the coupling member with the arm member. FIG. 12 is an operation diagram of the wire drive coupling piece. FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the upper lip central portion operation unit. FIG. 14 is an operation diagram of the upper lip center operation unit. FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the lower lip center part operating part. FIG. 16 is an operation diagram of the lower lip center operation unit. FIG. 17 is a partially exploded perspective view of the upper lip both side operation unit. FIG. 18 is a partially exploded perspective view of the lower lip both side operation unit. FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating an operation example of the mouth. FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram showing a modification.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a robot according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

<1. Overall configuration>
<1.1 Structure of outer skin and support>
The configuration of the robot head 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of the robot head 1. The robot head 1 is configured by covering an outer skin 10 made of an elastic material such as silicon on a support body 50 having a function as a skeleton and an operation unit and having a shape similar to that of a human head. In the figure, the outer skin 10 is shown in a partially broken state for easy understanding. Further, the outer skin 10 and the support body 50 are basically coupled to each other via an operation part of the support body 50 as described later. However, in order to maintain the tension of the outer skin 10 on the support 50 and to stably arrange it, the outer skin 10 that is detachably coupled to a part of the support 50 between the outer skin 10 and the support 50. An auxiliary support member 30 that is not bonded may be provided.

  FIG. 2 is a front view of the support 50. As is apparent from the figure, the support body 50 includes a central structural member 501 extending from a position corresponding to a human neck to the central portion of the support body 50, a base portion 502 provided at the upper end of the central structural member 501, It has a left side structural member 503 and a right side structural member 504 that are arranged on the base portion 502 and can be attached with various members such as actuators described later.

  The support body 50 is bonded to the outer skin 10 and has a plurality of operation portions that elastically deform a part of the outer skin 10 by performing a displacement operation. That is, in the vicinity of the position corresponding to the eyebrows of the support body 50, the right eyebrow peripheral portion operating unit 508 and the left eyebrow peripheral portion operating unit 509 that move the periphery of the position corresponding to the eyebrows of the outer skin 10 substantially vertically up and down. Is provided. Right and left eyeballs 512 and 513 of the support 50 have a right and left paired position operation unit 514 and a left eye and right position operation unit 515 for moving the vicinity of the position of the outer skin 10 directly up and down in a pair of left and right. Is provided. A right cheek upper operation unit 516 and a left cheek upper operation unit 517 that move the upper cheek periphery of the outer skin 10 substantially up and down are provided on the upper part of the cheek of the support 50. In the lower part of the cheek of the support 50, a right cheek lower operation part 518 and a left cheek lower operation part 519 for moving the periphery of the cheek lower part of the outer skin 10 substantially up and down are provided in a pair of left and right. At the center of the upper lip of the support body 50, an upper lip center operation section 524 that moves the center of the upper lip of the outer skin 10 substantially vertically is provided. At the center of the lower lip of the support 50, a lower lip center portion operating portion 525 that moves the lower lip center of the outer skin 10 substantially up and down is provided. A pair of left and right upper lip operating parts 520 and upper lip upper left operating part 521 for moving both upper upper lip sides of the outer skin 10 in a substantially horizontal direction are provided around the upper side of the upper lip of the support 50. . A pair of left and right lower lip operating parts 522 and a lower lip lower left operating part 523 for moving both lower parts of the lower lip of the outer skin 10 in a substantially horizontal direction are provided around the lower side of the lower lip of the support 50. Is provided. The left and right eyeball portions 512 and 513 of the support 50 are provided with a left eyelid operation unit 510 and a right eyelid operation unit 511 that perform a lid opening / closing operation on a pair of left and right sides. In addition, a first auxiliary support member coupling piece 526 and a second auxiliary support member coupling piece 527 serving as a coupling portion with the auxiliary support member 30 are provided at the center upper portion of the front surface of the support body 50.

  In addition, a portion corresponding to the forehead and chin of the support body 50 becomes a joint portion with the outer skin 10, and a forehead joint component 505 having a semicircular arc shape around the front surface of the robot head 1 and a chin portion joint. A part 506 is arranged. As will be described later, these coupling parts are not operated, but are coupled to the support 50 by a magnetic force on the inner surface side, and are bonded to the outer skin 10 on the outer surface side.

  FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the jaw coupling component 506. The jaw coupling component 506 includes a support side jaw coupling piece 506 b provided on the jaw of the support 50 and an outer skin side jaw coupling piece 506 a whose outer surface is bonded to the outer skin 10. The outer side jaw portion coupling piece 506a has a central magnetic coupling portion 5061a, a left magnetic coupling portion 5063a, and a right magnetic coupling portion 5062a having magnets on the adhesive surface side with the outer skin 10 at the center and left and right predetermined positions. On the other hand, the support side jaw coupling piece 506b has a central magnetic coupling portion 5061b having magnets on the back side (support side) of the contact surface with the skin side jaw coupling piece 506a at the center and left and right predetermined positions. The left side magnetic coupling portion 5063b and the right side magnetic coupling portion 5062b are coupled to each other via magnetic force, whereby the outer side jaw coupling piece 506a and the support side jaw coupling piece 506b are coupled. . The central magnetic coupling portion 5061b has two bosses on the contact surface with the outer skin side jaw coupling piece 506a, and this boss is provided on the central magnetic coupling portion 5061a of the outer skin side jaw coupling piece 506a. Positioning is realized by fitting with two corresponding boss holes (not shown).

  FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the forehead coupling component 505 (see FIG. 2). The forehead coupling component 505 is provided on the support side, and includes a support side forehead coupling piece 505b including a center magnetic coupling unit 5051a, a left magnetic coupling unit 5053a, and a right magnetic coupling unit 5052a, which will be described later. It consists of a skin side forehead coupling piece 505a to which the outer surface is bonded. The outer side frame portion coupling piece 505a has a central magnetic coupling portion 5051a, a left magnetic coupling portion 5053a, and a right magnetic coupling portion 5052a having magnets on the adhesive surface side with the outer skin 10 at predetermined locations on the center and left and right side surfaces. Are coupled to the central magnetic coupling portion 5051a, the left magnetic coupling portion 5053a, and the right magnetic coupling portion 5052a via the magnetic force, respectively, so that the outer skin side frame coupling piece 505a and the support side frame are combined. The partial coupling piece 505b is coupled. The central magnetic coupling portion 5051b has two boss holes on the contact surface with the outer skin side frame coupling piece 505a, and this boss hole is the central magnetic coupling portion 5051a of the outer skin side frame coupling piece 505a. Positioning is carried out by fitting with two corresponding bosses (not shown) provided in. The right magnetic coupling portion 5052a and the left magnetic coupling portion 5053a of the outer skin side forehead coupling piece 505a each have two bosses, and these bosses are connected to the right magnetic coupling portion 5052b provided on the support 50. Positioning is performed by fitting with two boss holes (not shown) provided in the left magnetic coupling portion 5053b.

  According to the positioning mechanism using the boss and the boss hole described above, even if the outer skin 10 is once removed, the outer skin 10 can be easily put on the original position.

  The support 50 shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 is simplified for easy understanding, and there is a description of a wire for driving a part of the operation unit and a guide pipe for guiding the wire. It is omitted.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the support 50 clearly showing the wire and the guide pipe. In the same figure, an outer skin side upper lip center coupling piece 524a disposed at the center of the upper lip of the support 50 is fitted and integrated with one end of a V-shaped support side upper lip center coupling piece 524b (see FIG. 13). ). The other end of the V-shaped support side upper lip center coupling piece 524b is connected to the wire 524c via a predetermined fastener (see FIG. 13). The wire 524c is fixed to the support 50 and covered in the middle by a guide pipe 524d having a predetermined shape holding force, and is connected to an output portion of an actuator 524e (not shown).

  Further, in FIG. 5, the upper lip upper right coupling part 520a and the upper lip upper left coupling piece 521a on the outer skin side are the upper lip upper right coupling part 520b (see FIG. 17) and the upper lip upper left upper coupling piece 521b (FIG. 17). Each of which is coupled via a magnetic force. The upper lip upper right joint piece 520b and the upper lip left upper joint piece 521b are configured to interlock with each other through a gear portion provided in a part thereof, and the upper lip left upper joint piece 521b is connected to the wire 521e at the end. Has been. The wire 521e is fixed to the support 50 in the middle and covered with a guide pipe 521d having a predetermined shape holding force, extends from the center of the support 50 to the side, and is connected to the output of the actuator 521f. ing.

  Further, in FIG. 5, a skin-side lower lip central coupling piece 525 a disposed at the center of the lower lip of the support 50 is a support-side lower lip central coupling piece 525 b (see FIG. 5) via a predetermined locking structure. 15). The support side lower lip center coupling piece 525b is connected to the wire 525e via a predetermined fastener at the end thereof. The wire 525e is fixed to the support 50 and covered with a guide pipe 525d having a predetermined shape holding force from the submandibular region to the temporal region, and is connected to the output portion of the actuator 525f.

  Further, in FIG. 5, the lower lip right lower joint piece 522a and the lower lip left lower joint piece 523a on the outer skin side are the lower lip right lower joint piece 522b (see FIG. 18) and the lower lip left lower joint piece on the support 50 side. 523b (refer to FIG. 18) and are coupled to each other through magnetic force. Although not explicitly shown in the figure, the lower lip right lower joint piece 522b and the lower lip left lower joint piece 523b are configured to be interlocked via a gear portion in the same manner as both sides of the upper lip. The lower lip lower left coupling piece 522b is connected to the wire 522e at the end. Although not explicitly shown, the wire 522e is fixed to the support 50 in the middle and covered with a guide pipe 522d having a predetermined shape holding force, and extends from the center of the support 50 to the right side. It is connected to an output portion of an actuator 522f (not shown) provided on the right side surface.

  In addition, in FIG. 5, the left cheek lower joint piece 519a on the outer skin side is joined to the left cheek lower joint piece 519b (see FIG. 12) on the support side via magnetic force. The left cheek lower joint piece 519b is integrally formed with an extension portion 519c having a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the extension portion 519c is inserted into a guide piece 519d having a guide hole having a quadrangular cross section at the center thereof. The extension portion 519c is connected to a wire 519e at its end via a predetermined fastener, and the wire 519e is fixed to the support 50 and covered with a guide pipe 519f having a predetermined shape holding force, while the actuator 519g It is connected to the output unit. Although not shown, the lower right cheek has a similar configuration in a symmetrical manner.

  The lower lip center coupling piece 525a, the lower lip right lower coupling piece 522a, and the lower lip lower left coupling piece 523a are configured to be interlocked with the jaw coupling piece 506b. Therefore, when the jaw coupling piece 506b is actuated by the actuator and is displaced downward to open the mouth, the lower lip center coupling piece 525a, the lower lip right lower coupling piece 522a, and the lower lip left lower lower coupling piece 523a all move downward. Will be.

<1.2 Fixing method and attaching / detaching method of outer skin>
Next, a method for fixing the outer skin 10 to the support 50 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram relating to the bonding surface of the support 50 when the outer skin 10 is bonded to the support 50. As is apparent from the figure, each of the coupling pieces 508a to 509a, 514a to 525a on the outer skin 10 side, and the forehead side coupling piece 505a and the jaw part coupling piece 506a are each of the coupling pieces 508b to 509b on the support side, Corresponding to 514b to 525b, the forehead coupling piece 505b and the jaw coupling piece 506b on the support side, these are coupled to each other via magnetic force in the initial state.

  Each of the coupling pieces 508a to 509a, 514a to 525a on the outer skin 10 side, and the outer side surfaces of the forehead side coupling portion 505a and the jaw portion coupling piece 506a, that is, the contact surface side with the outer skin 10 (in the same figure Apply adhesive to the hatched or hatched areas. The adhesive used at this time is not of a nature that solidifies instantaneously, but preferably has a solidification time that allows alignment with the outer skin 10. Various known adhesives can be used as the adhesive. For example, if the outer skin 10 is a silicon-based material, it is preferable to use a silicon-based adhesive.

  Thereafter, the adhesive applied to the outer side surfaces of the outer skin side coupling pieces 508a to 509a, 514a to 525a, and the outer skin side forehead coupling piece 505a and jaw part coupling piece 506a are still in a dry state. Inside, the outer skin 10 made of an elastic material is placed on the support 50. At this time, since the adhesive has a solidification time enough to enable alignment with the outer skin 10, each adhesive surface is appropriately positioned with respect to the outer skin 10 by sliding both appropriately. In other words, the adhesive surface around the cheek is properly positioned around the cheek, the adhesive surface around the mouth is properly positioned around the mouth, and the adhesive surface around the eye is appropriately positioned around the eye. can do. Each adhesive surface is placed at an appropriate position on the outer skin 10 and then left for a predetermined time, whereby the adhesive is dried and solidified, and the space between each adhesive surface and the outer skin 10 is fixed.

  According to such a fixing method, since the support body 50 and the outer skin 10 are coupled via a pair of detachable coupling pieces, even if the outer skin deteriorates with age, one coupling piece Only the outer skin provided with can be discarded and replaced with a new outer skin. Thereby, even when a problem such as aging of the outer skin occurs, it is possible to provide a robot that can easily replace the outer skin and can withstand practical use.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, modes of the outer skin 10 and the support body 50 when the outer skin 10 fixed to the support body 50 by the above-described process is temporarily removed will be described.

  FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the robot head 1 showing a state in which the outer skin 10 fixed to the support 50 with the above-described configuration is removed from the support 50. In the figure, an auxiliary support member 30 that is detachably coupled to a part of the support 50 but is not bonded to the outer skin 10 is disposed between the outer skin 10 and the support 50. As is apparent from the figure, when the robot head 1 is disassembled, the coupling pieces 508a to 509a and 514a to 525a on the outer skin 10 side, and the forehead side coupling piece 505a and the jaw portion coupling piece 506a on the outer skin side are supported. 50 is released from the magnetic force and attached to the back surface of the outer skin 10. On the other hand, the coupling pieces 508b to 509b and 514b to 525b on the support 50 side, and the forehead coupling piece 505b and the jaw coupling piece 506b on the support 50 side remain on the support 50 side.

  FIG. 8 is an explanatory view of the back surface of the outer skin 10 in a state where the outer skin side coupling pieces 508a to 509a and 514a to 525a, and the outer skin side forehead coupling piece 505a and the jaw part coupling piece 506a are attached. As is apparent from the figure, a skin-side forehead joint piece 505a is provided at the forehead portion of the back surface of the skin 10, a skin-side jaw joint piece 506a is provided at the jaw portion, and a right eyebrow is provided around the position corresponding to the eyebrows. Peripheral joint piece 508a and left eyebrow peripheral joint piece 509a are right and left right eye position joint piece 514a and left eye direct position joint piece 515a around the lower position of the eye, and right cheek right and left around the upper cheek. Upper joint piece 516a and left cheek upper joint piece 517a, right cheek lower joint piece 518a and left cheek lower joint piece 519a around the lower cheek, upper lip upper right joint joint 520a and upper lip left upper part around the mouth The joining piece 521a, the lower lip right lower joining piece 522a, the lower lip left lower joining piece 523a, the upper lip center portion joining piece 524a, and the lower lip center portion joining piece 525a are bonded and fixed. In addition, as above-mentioned, each coupling piece is comprised so that coupling | bonding is possible via magnetic force, positioning using the fitting structure of a boss | hub and a boss hole mutually. Further, as is clear from the figure, cuts are provided in the eyes and mouth of the outer skin 10, and the cuts are configured to be openable and closable by being elastically deformed by the operation portions around them.

  According to such a configuration, since each pair of coupling pieces is coupled via the positioning structure, the outer skin 10 can always be covered at a fixed position, and for example, maintenance and the like are facilitated. In addition, since the fitting structure of the boss and the boss hole is adopted between the coupling pieces, when the outer skin 10 is coated on the support body 50, even if the coupling piece pair is not directly visible, it is sensory. In addition, the outer skin 10 can be easily disposed at an appropriate position.

<2. Operation of each part>
Next, the configuration and operation of each unit will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

<2.1 Operation using arm member>
The robot head 1 according to the present embodiment operates in various ways. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a driving method of the left cheek upper operation unit 517, and particularly shows an example in which the arm member driving piece 517b is displaced by the actuator 517c.

  As is apparent from the figure, the output portion of the actuator (servo motor) 517c is connected to one end of the connecting piece 517b with the arm member, and the other end of the connecting piece 517b with the arm member is bonded to the outer skin side. The upper coupling piece 517a and the boss are used to couple by a magnetic force through a positioning structure.

  10 (a) and 10 (b) are exploded perspective views when the left cheek upper joint piece 517a and the arm member-attached joint piece 517b are observed from two different angles. The left cheek upper coupling piece 517a is provided on the coupling piece main body 5171a, two neodymium magnets 5172a embedded and fixed in two holes provided on one surface of the coupling piece main body 5171a, and the other surface of the coupling piece main body 5171a. And two bosses 5173a formed. On the other hand, a coupling portion main body portion 5171b having a substantially oval shape is provided at a position where the coupling piece with arm member 517b is coupled to the left cheek upper coupling piece 517a, and the coupling piece main body portion 5171b is coupled to the left cheek upper coupling piece 517a. Two boss holes 5173b corresponding to the positions of the two bosses 5173a are embedded on the surface side, and the other surface is embedded in two holes disposed at positions corresponding to the positions of the two neodymium magnets 5172a described above. Two neodymium magnets 5172b are fixed. Further, the coupling piece main body portion 5171b is formed integrally with an arm portion 5174b bent at an obtuse angle, and the arm portion 5174b forms an annular shape at the other end side of the coupling piece main body portion 5171b and outputs the actuator 517c. Combined with the department.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a driving method of the left cheek upper operation unit 517b. First, when the actuator 517c connected to a predetermined control unit is driven, the output unit of the actuator 517c rotates clockwise as indicated by an arrow in the center of the drawing. The connecting piece 517b with an arm member connected to the output portion of the actuator 517c rotates clockwise around the output shaft of the output portion, and rotates the left cheek upper connecting piece 517a clockwise (the center left of the drawing). Thus, the outer skin 10 is pulled up substantially upward.

  At this time, the longer the arm length, the larger the radius of curvature of the track drawn by the coupling piece at the tip of the arm, and the displacement movement of the coupling piece approximates a more vertical movement. Further, when the actuator 517c is rotated in the reverse direction, a rotation process in the direction opposite to the above-described rotation is performed.

  As described above, according to the operation method using the arm, the location where the displacement is actually performed and the actuator serving as the operation source can be separated via the arm, so that the location where a large number of the displacement operation units are concentrated (for example, Even when there is a place where a delicate expression is required, etc., each component can be arranged without difficulty in the head space.

  Although the left cheek upper joint piece 517a is illustrated here as an example, in the present embodiment, the right cheek upper operation unit 516, the operation units 514 and 515 in the lower periphery of the eye, and the position around the position corresponding to the eyebrows. The operation units 508 and 509 also employ an operation method using the same type of arm.

<2.2 Operation using guide pipe and wire>
Next, the operation of the left cheek lower joint piece 519a using the guide pipe and the wire will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 12 is a left side view of the support body 50 and is an explanatory diagram regarding the operation of the left cheek lower joint piece 519a.

  First, when the actuator 519g operates, the output part of the actuator 519g rotates in the clockwise direction. Along with this rotation, the wire 519e connected to the output portion of the actuator 519g via a predetermined fastener slides in the guide pipe 519f fixed to the support 10 and having a predetermined shape holding force. The other end of the wire 519e is connected to the extension 519c via a predetermined fastener, and the wire 519e slides in the guide pipe 519f perpendicularly to the guide hole of the guide piece 519d, whereby the left cheek lower joint piece 519a and 519b are displaced substantially rearward. On the contrary, when the actuator rotates counterclockwise, the left cheek lower joint pieces 519a and 519b are displaced substantially forward.

  As described above, according to the operation method using the wire, the location where the displacement is actually performed and the actuator serving as the operation source can be separated via the wire. Even when there is a place where a delicate expression is required, etc., each component can be arranged without difficulty in the head space.

  In addition, since the path of the wire is guided by a guide pipe having a predetermined shape holding force, for example, even when the wire is drawn or sent out by the actuator, the path connecting the displacement operation unit and the actuator. Is always constant, so that the amount of wire drawn or delivered by the actuator can be directly converted into a displacement operation amount.

  In addition, although not necessarily clear from the same figure, the same structure is employ | adopted symmetrically also about the right cheek lower part coupling piece 518a. Further, in the present embodiment, the driving method using the wire and the guide pipe is based on the operation units around the mouth, that is, the upper lip upper right operation unit 520, the upper lip upper left operation unit 521, the lower lip right lower operation unit 522, The lower lip lower left operation unit 523, the upper lip center operation unit 524, and the lower lip center operation unit 525 are also employed.

<2.2 Upper lip center movement>
Next, the operation of the upper lip center operation unit 524 will be described with reference to FIGS. The structure of the upper lip central portion operating unit 524 is basically driven using a guide pipe and a wire, but is particularly characterized in the shape and operation of the upper lip central coupling piece 524b on the support 50 side.

  FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the upper lip center operation unit 524. The upper lip center coupling piece 524a on the outer skin 10 side has an engagement portion with an engagement portion 5241b to be described later on one surface, and has an embedding hole for embedding a neodymium magnet 5242a on the other surface, and is bonded to the outer skin 10 at the tip. The coupling piece body 5241a has a substantially key shape having a surface 5243a, and a neodymium magnet 5242a that is buried and fixed in a buried hole of the coupling piece body 5241a. On the other hand, the upper lip center coupling piece 524b on the support 50 side includes an engaging portion 5241b that engages with the engaging portion described above by fitting, a neodymium magnet 5242b that is embedded and fixed on the back side of the fitting surface, and a V-shape. A V-shaped power transmission portion 5243b having a shape and having a V-shaped apex horizontally supported at one end of the central structural member 501, with the tip of one end of the V-shape connected to the wire 524c and the other tip connected to the engaging portion 5241b. And have.

  FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the upper lip center operation unit 524. When the wire 524c is pulled upward in the drawing by the actuator 524e (not shown), the V-shaped power transmission portion 5243b rotates around the vertex of the V-shape and the engaging portion 5241b extending to one end thereof and the upper lip engaged with the engaging portion 5241b The central coupling piece 524a is rotated in the clockwise direction as indicated by the arrow in the figure. By rotating in this way, the bonding surface 5243a with the outer skin 10 at the end rotates, that is, the central part of the upper lip of the robot head 1 provided with the outer skin 10 protrudes forward as it is pulled upward. Will be displaced.

  According to such a configuration, it is possible to realistically or naturally express an action of protruding or constricting the mouth forward. This is particularly noticeable when trying to reproduce, for example, a facial expression when pronounced “U” or “O”.

  In addition, with respect to the central portion of the mouth having a relatively large amount of displacement in this manner, the displacement operation from the drive side can be transmitted more reliably by adopting not only the magnetic force but also engagement by fitting.

<2.3 Operation at the center of the lower lip>
Next, the configuration and operation of the lower lip center operation unit 525 will be described with reference to FIGS. 15 and 16.

  FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the assembled state and disassembled state of the lower lip center part operating unit 525. The lower lip center coupling piece 525a on the outer skin 10 side includes an adhesive surface 5251a and an engaging portion 5252a that extends from the back surface of the adhesive surface 5251a and engages with an engaging portion 525b described later by fitting. On the other hand, the lower lip center coupling piece 525b on the support side has an engagement portion 525b that is driven by an actuator 525f and connected to the end of a wire 525e that extends upward using a predetermined fastener. In order to assure vertical movement of the wire 525e in a substantially vertical direction, the wire 525e is provided with a guide portion 525c immediately below the center of the lower lip. The wire 525e is covered in the middle thereof by a guide pipe 525d (not shown).

  FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the lower lip center portion operation unit 525. When the wire 525e connected to the output portion of the actuator 525f (see FIG. 5) slides in the guide pipe 525d, the lower lip center coupling pieces 525a and 525b move up and down as indicated by the arrows in the figure. Thereby, the center part of the lower lip of the outer skin 10 is displaced substantially vertically.

  In this way, the center portion of the mouth having a relatively large amount of displacement can transmit displacement operation from the drive side more reliably by adopting engagement by fitting instead of magnetic force.

<2.4 Operation on both sides of upper lip>
Next, the configuration and operation of the upper lip upper right portion operation unit 520 and the upper lip upper left operation unit 521 will be described with reference to FIG.

  As is apparent from the figure, the upper lip upper right portion coupling piece 520a has a bonding surface with the outer skin 10 on one surface and two bosses 5203a on the other surface, and a space containing a neodymium magnet 5202a inside. It has a main body 5201a and a neodymium magnet 5202a. Also, the upper lip upper right part coupling piece 520b includes a coupling piece main body 5202b having two boss holes on the coupling surface with the upper lip upper right part coupling piece 520a and having a space for enclosing the neodymium magnet 5203b therein, and a coupling piece main body The arm portion 5204b is connected to the back surface of 5202b, and the gear portion 5205b is connected to the arm portion 5204b and a part of the circumference has a gear shape.

  On the other hand, the upper lip left upper joint piece 521a is formed of a joint piece main body 5211a having a space for enclosing the neodymium magnet 5212a in the inside having two bosses 5213a on one surface and an adhesive surface with the outer skin 10 on the other surface, and neodymium. And a magnet 5212a. The upper lip left upper joint piece 521b includes a joint piece main body 5212b having two boss holes 5211b on the joint surface with the upper lip left upper joint piece 521a and a space for enclosing the neodymium magnet 5213b therein, The arm portion 5214b is connected to the back surface of the main body 5212b, and a gear portion 5215b that is connected to the arm portion 5214b and has a gear shape in a part on the circumference.

  The gear portion 5205b of the upper lip upper right joint piece 520b and the gear portion 5215b of the upper lip upper left joint piece 521b are spaced apart from each other so that the gears are properly meshed with each other (for example, the pitch circle of the gear is in contact). Are arranged. Further, a part of the gear portion 5215b of the upper lip left upper coupling piece 521b is connected to the wire 521e.

  The fitting depths of the boss 5203a and boss 5213a and the boss holes 5201b and 5211b described above are the other operating parts (the left eyebrow peripheral part operating part 509, the right eyebrow peripheral part operating part 508, and the position immediately below the left eye operating part). 515, right eye position operation unit 514, left cheek upper operation unit 517, right cheek upper operation unit 516, left cheek lower operation unit 519, right cheek lower operation unit 518) deeper than the fitting depth of the boss and the boss hole. It is configured as follows.

  According to such a configuration, it is possible that the pair of coupling pieces that couple the moving portion around the mouth with a relatively large amount of displacement and the outer skin cannot withstand the magnitude of the amount of displacement of the moving portion. Can be prevented.

  Next, the operation will be described. When the actuator 521f (see FIG. 5) is actuated, the wire 521e is drawn or drawn out. As the wire 521e slides in the guide pipe 521f, the gear portion 5215b rotates at the same time. Since the upper lip upper right coupling part 520b and the upper lip upper left coupling piece 521b are configured to be linked via a gear portion, the upper lip upper right coupling part 520a and the upper lip upper left coupling piece 521a are separated from each other or from each other. Displaces in a substantially horizontal direction in the approaching direction.

  As described above, the upper lip upper right joint piece 520a and the upper lip upper left joint piece 521a are configured to be interlocked, so that the mouth movement is usually left-right symmetric, so that the mouth movement can be expressed efficiently and sufficiently. can do.

<2.5 Action on both sides of lower lip>
Next, the configuration and operation of the lower lip right lower operation unit 522 and the lower lip left lower operation unit 523 will be described with reference to FIG.

  As is clear from the figure, the lower lip right lower coupling piece 522a has a bonding surface with the outer skin 10 on one surface, two bosses 5223a on the other surface, and a space containing a neodymium magnet 5222a inside. It has a piece body 5221a and a neodymium magnet 5222a. Further, the lower lip right lower joint piece 522b has two boss holes 5221b on the joint surface with the lower lip right lower joint piece 522a, and a joint piece main body 5222b having a space for containing the neodymium magnet 5223b inside. The arm portion 5224b is connected to the back surface of the coupling piece main body 5222b, and the gear portion 5225b is connected to the arm portion 5224b and a part of the circumference thereof has a gear shape.

  On the other hand, the lower left lip coupling piece 523a has a bonding piece main body 5231a having a space for enclosing the neodymium magnet 5232a inside with two bosses 5233a on one surface and an adhesive surface with the outer skin 10 on the other surface, A neodymium magnet 5232a. The lower lip left lower joint piece 523b is coupled to a joint piece body 5232b having two boss holes 5231b on the joint surface with the upper lip left upper joint piece 523a and having a space for containing the neodymium magnet 5233b inside. The arm portion 5234b connected to the back surface of the piece main body 5232b, and a gear portion 5235b connected to the arm portion 5234b and having a gear shape in a part on the circumference.

  The gear portion 5225b of the lower lip right lower coupling piece 522b and the gear portion 5235b of the lower lip left lower coupling piece 523b are centered so that the gears are properly meshed with each other (for example, the pitch circle of the gear is in contact). They are spaced apart. Further, a part of the gear portion 5225b of the lower lip lower left coupling piece 522b is connected to the wire 522e.

  Next, the operation will be described. When the actuator 522f is operated, the wire 522e is drawn or drawn out. As the wire 522e slides in the guide pipe 522f, the gear portion 5225b rotates. Since the lower lip right lower joint piece 522b and the lower lip left lower joint piece 522b are configured to be linked via a gear portion, the lower lip right lower joint piece 522a and the lower lip left lower lower joint piece 523a are mutually connected. Displacement in a substantially horizontal direction in a direction away from each other or a direction approaching each other.

  As described above, since the lower lip right lower joint piece 522a and the lower lip lower left joint piece 523a are interlocked with each other, the movement of the mouth is usually symmetrical, so that the movement of the mouth can be efficiently and sufficiently performed. Can be expressed.

  Further, the periphery of the lips is from the back surface of the outer skin 10 to the upper lip upper right part operation part 520, the upper lip center part operation part 524, the upper lip left upper part action part 521, the lower lip right lower part action part 522, the lower lip center part action part 525, It is supported by 6 points of the lower lip lower left operation part 523. Therefore, with proper control, the central part is elastically deformed in a substantially vertical direction, both side parts are elastically deformed in a horizontal and horizontal direction, and these elastic deformations are combined to reproduce realistic movements of the mouth like humans. Can be made.

  Furthermore, in accordance with the movements of the six points around the lips described above, the movements of the right cheek lower part operation unit 518 and the left cheek lower part operation part 519 along the front and rear directions are combined, so that not only the mouth but also the movement of the cheeks can be achieved. The realistic mouth movements can be reproduced.

<3. Example of operation>
Next, referring to FIG. 19, an example of mouth operation when the operation units around the mouth are operated in cooperation will be described.

  FIG. 19 (a) is a diagram showing the shape of the mouth when uttering the Japanese vowel “a”, that is, how to move each motion part when reproducing the mouth shape that opens the mouth up and down using arrows. It is shown. When speaking “A”, the jaw joint component 506 is displaced downward. Therefore, the lower lip right lower operation unit 522, the lower lip lower left operation unit 523, and the lower lip center operation unit 525 are displaced downward together with the jaw joint component 506 as a whole.

  FIG. 19 (b) shows the movement of each action part when reproducing the shape of the mouth when uttering the Japanese vowel “I”, that is, the shape of the mouth that attracts the mouth to the left and right using arrows. It is shown. When saying “I”, the right cheek lower part operation unit 518, the upper lip upper right part operation part 520, and the lower lip right lower part operation part 522 are moved to the right (outward direction) by a predetermined amount, the left cheek lower part operation unit 519, and the upper lip upper left part The part operation unit 521 and the lower lip lower left operation unit 523 are displaced leftward (outward direction) by a predetermined amount.

  FIG. 19 (c) shows the shape of the mouth when uttering the Japanese vowel “U”, that is, how to move each action part when reproducing the mouth protruding or constricted shape using arrows. It is shown. When “U” is uttered, the upper lip upper right motion unit 520 and the lower lip right lower motion unit 522 move leftward (inward) by a predetermined amount, and the upper lip upper left motion unit 521 and lower lip lower left motion unit 523 The upper lip central part operating unit 524 and the lower lip central part operating unit 525 are displaced upward by a predetermined amount in the right direction (inward direction) by a fixed amount.

  FIG. 19D shows the shape of the mouth when the Japanese vowel “e” is uttered, that is, the shape of the mouth when the mouth is opened up and down and the cheek is gently pulled to the left and right. The way of movement is shown using arrows. When uttering “e”, the jaw coupling component 506 is downward, the right cheek lower motion part 518 is rightward (outward direction) by a predetermined amount, and the left cheek lower motion part 519 is leftward (outward direction) by a predetermined amount. ).

  FIG. 19 (e) shows an arrow about how to move each motion part when reproducing the shape of the mouth when uttering the Japanese vowel “o”, that is, when the mouth is narrowed and opened up and down. It is shown using. When “O” is uttered, the upper lip upper right motion unit 520 and the lower lip right lower motion unit 522 move leftward (inward) by a predetermined amount, while the upper lip upper left motion unit 521 and lower lip lower left motion unit 523 The upper lip center portion operating unit 524 is displaced upward by a predetermined amount, and the lower lip center portion operating portion 525 is displaced downward by a predetermined amount by a predetermined amount to the right (inward direction).

  As described above, with appropriate control, the central portion is elastically deformed in a substantially vertical direction and the both side portions are substantially horizontally deformed in the horizontal and horizontal directions, and these elastic deformations are combined. The movement can be reproduced. Furthermore, in accordance with the movements of the six points around the lips described above, the movements of the right cheek lower part operation unit 518 and the left cheek lower part operation part 519 along the front and rear directions are combined, so that not only the mouth but also the movement of the cheeks can be achieved. The realistic mouth movements can be reproduced.

<4. Modification>
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. Therefore, various modifications are possible.

  In the above-described embodiment, the lower lip lower right operation unit 520 and the lower lip lower left operation unit 521 are configured to interlock with each other through meshing of gears. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. FIG. 20 is a left side view of a support 50 according to a modification. As is apparent from the figure, the wire 530g extending from the lower left lip lower coupling piece 530a, 530b coupled via magnetic force connects the first guide pipe support piece 530c and the second guide pipe support piece 530f. The guide pipe is inserted into the guide pipe 530d, and the end thereof is connected to the output portion of the actuator 530h through a predetermined fastener. As is clear from the enlarged view in the figure, both ends of the guide pipe 530d are connected to a predetermined surface inside the first guide pipe support piece 530c and a predetermined surface inside the second guide pipe support piece 530f. Abutted and fixed. That is, according to such a configuration, the lower lip left lower joint pieces 530a and 530b can be displaced in the substantially horizontal left-right direction by operating the actuator 530h and feeding or drawing the wire. By disposing such a configuration on the left and right, the lower lip right lower operation unit 520 and the lower lip left lower operation unit 521 can be operated independently. This also applies to both sides of the upper lip.

  Moreover, in the above-mentioned embodiment, it was set as the structure which couple | bonds each coupling piece via the magnetic force of the magnet provided in each coupling piece. However, when performing coupling by magnetic force, it is not always necessary to provide magnets on both coupling pieces. Therefore, for example, a magnet may be provided on one of the coupling pieces and the other may be a magnetic body made of a predetermined metal or the like to realize coupling by magnetic force.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a neodymium magnet is employed as the magnet. The neodymium magnet is adopted from the viewpoint of its strong binding force, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to such a configuration. Therefore, for example, other rare earth magnets such as a samarium cobalt magnet, a braseodymium magnet, and a samarium iron nitrogen magnet can be employed.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used in industries that manufacture robots, in particular, robots in which a predetermined support is covered with an elastic material skin.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Robot head 10 Outer skin 50 Support body 501 Central structural member 502 Base part 503 Left structural member 504 Right structural member 505 Forehead joint part 506 Jaw part joint part 508 Right eyebrow peripheral action part 509 Left eyebrow peripheral action part 510 Left Eyelid movement section 511 Right eyelid movement section 512 Right eyeball section 513 Left eyeball section 514 Right eye position operation section 515 Left eye position operation section 516 Right cheek upper operation section 517 Left cheek upper operation section 518 Right cheek lower operation section 519 Left Lower cheek operation unit 520 Upper lip upper right operation unit 521 Upper lip upper left operation unit 522 Lower lip lower right operation unit 523 Lower lip lower left operation unit 524 Upper lip center operation unit 525 Lower lip center operation unit 530 Lower lip lower left operation unit (Modification)

Claims (8)

A robot comprising a support having a plurality of operating parts for performing a displacement operation and an outer skin made of an elastic material and covering the support, and elastically deforming a part or the whole of the outer skin in accordance with the displacement operation of the operating part In
The outer skin has a region corresponding to the upper lip and the lower lip,
The region corresponding to the upper lip of the outer skin is a first operation provided on the support at three locations on the back surface, around the central region of the upper lip and around each side region of the upper lip. Unit, the second operation unit, and the third operation unit,
The area corresponding to the lower lip of the outer skin is provided on the support at three locations, on the back surface thereof, around the center area of the lower lip and around each side area of the lower lip. 4 operating parts, a fifth operating part and a sixth operating part,
The first operating portion and the fourth operating portion corresponding to the periphery of the central region of the upper lip and the lower lip are displaced in a substantially vertical direction, respectively, so that the periphery of the central region of the upper lip and the lower lip Elastically deform around the center area in a substantially vertical direction,
The second and third action portions and the fifth and sixth action portions corresponding to the periphery of each side region of the upper lip and the lower lip are displaced in a substantially horizontal direction, respectively. A robot that elastically deforms the vicinity of both sides of the upper lip and the vicinity of both sides of the lower lip in a substantially horizontal direction. In the robot,
The outer skin further has left and right cheek regions arranged on both sides of the upper lip and the lower lip,
The left and right cheek regions are combined with a seventh operation unit and an eighth operation unit provided on the support, respectively, around the right cheek region and the left cheek region on the back surface,
2. The robot according to claim 1, wherein the seventh operation unit and the eighth operation unit are displaced substantially in the front-rear direction along the outer skin, thereby elastically deforming the left and right cheek regions.   The second and third action parts or the fifth and sixth action parts are interlocked with each other, and narrow the area corresponding to the upper lip or the lower lip of the outer skin, or The robot according to claim 1, wherein the robot is elastically deformed so as to spread on both sides.   The first operating portion is displaced so as to push the outer skin forward when displaced in a substantially vertical direction, and thereby elastically deforms so as to protrude around the central region of the upper lip. The robot described in 1. The regions around the sides of the upper lip are respectively coupled to the second operating portion and the third operating portion of the support through detachable second and third coupling piece pairs. And
The regions on both sides of the lower lip are respectively coupled to the fifth and sixth operating portions of the support through detachable fifth and sixth coupling piece pairs,
The second and third coupling piece pairs, and the fifth and sixth coupling piece pairs each have a positioning structure on their coupling surfaces, and are coupled to each other via magnetic force. The robot according to claim 1.   The periphery of the central region of the upper lip and the periphery of the central region of the lower lip are coupled to the first operating portion and the fourth operating portion, respectively, via a locking structure by fitting. The robot described in 1. The robot further includes:
An actuator fixed to the support;
A guide pipe fixed to the support;
A wire inserted into the guide pipe, one end of which is the actuator and the other end is coupled to the operating portion;
The robot according to claim 1, wherein the first operation unit to the sixth operation unit perform a displacement operation when the wire is driven by the actuator to be sent out or pulled in. The support comprises a jaw part that is displaceable to open and close;
The robot according to claim 1, wherein the fourth operation unit, the fifth operation unit, and the sixth operation unit are provided on a jaw part of the support.

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