JP4328136B2 - Interest level estimation device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a technique for detecting the line of sight of a passenger of a boarding type mobile body such as an electric wheelchair or an automobile and estimating the degree of interest of the passenger.
[0002]
[Prior art]
It is known that the movement of human gaze is closely related to human intention and attention. In recent years, research using the line of sight as an input device instead of a keyboard or a mouse has been advanced, and has attracted attention as a next-generation human interface. Compared with other devices, human eyes have advantages such as being able to input without using hands, being able to move quickly, and having less fatigue even when used for a long time.
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 07-96768
[Patent Document 2]
JP 11-139229 A
[Patent Document 3]
Japanese Patent No. 3027786
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, a passenger of a boarding type moving body such as an electric wheelchair is generally steered with a line of sight toward a place where he / she wants to move. Therefore, based on the line of sight, it is possible to estimate which object the passenger is currently interested in and move the electric wheelchair to the vicinity of the estimated object. Such a wheelchair is particularly useful for passengers who are handicapped.
[0005]
An object of the present invention is to provide a degree-of-interest estimation device that calculates a gaze degree indicating a degree of gaze of a passenger based on the line of sight of the passenger and estimates an object that the passenger is interested in. is there.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
  An interest level estimation apparatus according to the present invention is an interest level estimation apparatus that estimates which of the surrounding objects a passenger of a boarding type mobile body is interested in, wherein the boarding type mobile body moves Map storage means for storing a map of the space in which the object arranged in the space to be associated with the position of the object, and position detection means for detecting the current position of the boarding type mobile body in the space; A gaze direction detecting means for detecting a gaze direction of the passenger in the space, a current position of the boarding type moving body detected by the position detecting means, and a gaze direction detected by the gaze direction detecting means, Gaze degree calculating means for identifying a gaze point that is a position where the passenger is gaze based on the object in the gaze direction and calculating a gaze degree indicating the degree of gaze at the gaze point.The gaze degree calculation means calculates the gaze degree using a function that decreases the gaze degree value as time passes when the passenger gazes at the same location.It is characterized by that.
[0007]
  According to this configuration, the line of sight of the passenger of the boarding type mobile body and the current position in the space of the boarding type mobile body are detected, and the passenger pays attention based on the detected line of sight, the current position, and the map. Since the viewpoint is specified and the gazing degree of the occupant to the gazing point is calculated, it is possible to estimate which object around the boarding type moving body the occupant is interested in.
  Further, according to this configuration, when attention is paid to the same part, the degree of interest in the part is calculated taking into account the human characteristic that the degree of interest decreases with time. The held object can be estimated more accurately.
[0008]
It is preferable that the gaze degree calculation means calculates the gaze degree using a function that decreases a gaze degree value in each direction in the field of view from the center of the passenger's field of view toward the periphery of the field of view. According to this configuration, since the gaze degree is calculated in consideration of the human characteristic that the center of the visual field is more interested, the object that the passenger is interested in can be estimated more accurately.
[0010]
The function is preferably a function that decreases the value of gaze degree as the distance increases. According to this configuration, when the occupant looks at a distant object, since many objects are included in the field of view, the probability that the occupant is gazing at the specified gazing point is low. When looking at a nearby object, the gaze degree can be calculated in consideration of the characteristic that the probability that the occupant is gazing at the gazing point specified is high.
[0011]
It is preferable that the vehicle further includes a traveling control unit that moves the riding type moving body in the vicinity of the position of the object that the passenger gazes at. According to this configuration, the passenger can operate the boarding type moving body based on the line of sight.
[0012]
Operation It is preferable to further include voice notification means for notifying information related to the object that the passenger gazes by voice. According to this configuration, the boarding-type moving body moves in the vicinity of the object that the passenger is viewing, and information related to the object that is being viewed, such as a description of the object, is notified to the passenger by voice. Therefore, the boarding type mobile body can be used as a guide robot in a library or a museum.
[0013]
  Further, the interest level estimation device according to another invention is an interest level estimation device for estimating which of the surrounding objects a passenger of the boarding type mobile body is interested in, the boarding type movement Map storage means for storing a map of the space in which an object arranged in the space in which the body moves and the position of the object are associated with each other, and a position for detecting the current position of the boarding type moving body in the space Detecting means; face direction detecting means for detecting the face direction of the occupant in the space; current position of the riding type moving body detected by the position means; and face direction detected by the face direction detecting means And a gaze degree calculating means for identifying a gaze point that is a position where the passenger is gaze based on the object in the face direction and calculating a gaze degree indicating a degree of gaze at the gaze point WithThe gaze degree calculation means calculates the gaze degree by using a function that decreases the gaze degree value as time passes when the passenger gazes at the same location.It is characterized by that.
[0014]
  According to this configuration, the face direction of the passenger of the boarding type mobile body and the current position in the space of the boarding type mobile body are detected, and the passenger gazes based on the detected face direction, the current position, and the map. Since the gazing point to be identified is specified and the gazing degree of the passenger to the gazing point is calculated, it is possible to estimate which object around the boarding type moving body the passenger is interested in .
Further, according to this configuration, when attention is paid to the same part, the degree of interest in the part is calculated taking into account the human characteristic that the degree of interest decreases with time. The held object can be estimated more accurately.
[0015]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows an external view of a guide device when the interest degree estimation device according to the present invention and the electric wheelchair 1 are combined to provide a guide device for guiding a library room such as a school. This guide device is composed of an electric wheelchair (boarding-type moving body) 1 and an interest level estimation device that performs traveling control and the like of the electric wheelchair 1 based on an operation command from the passenger. Is a device that informs the passenger of information related to an object such as a book or a poster that is visually observed. The electric wheelchair 1 is disposed on a chair 11 on which the passenger of the electric wheelchair 1 sits, a drive unit 12 disposed below the chair 11, a table 13 disposed in front of the chair 11, and both left and right sides of the chair 11. And an armrest 14 provided. The drive unit 12 rotates based on an electric motor (not shown) as a power source of the electric wheelchair 1, a battery (not shown) that supplies power to various devices constituting the guide device, and a driving force of the electric motor. And a gear (not shown) that transmits the torque of the electric motor to the wheels 15. A handle 16 that is used when the electric wheelchair 1 is moved forward from behind is disposed above the back portion of the chair 11. Further, a pair of auxiliary wheels 17 for stabilizing the traveling of the electric wheelchair 1 are attached to the front side and the rear side of the wheel 15.
[0016]
A laser range finder 2 for detecting the current position of the electric wheelchair 1 is disposed below the chair 11 and in front of the drive unit 12. At the upper part of the table 13, a computer 3 for controlling the degree of interest estimation device and two cameras 4 for taking a face image of a passenger of the electric wheelchair 1 are arranged. The drive unit 12, the laser range finder 2, and the computer 3 constitute an interest level estimation device.
[0017]
A laser range finder (LRF) 2 is a kind of distance measuring device, and irradiates laser light in a radial manner at a predetermined angle, for example, in 0.5 degree increments within a range of 180 degrees forward. By measuring the intensity of the reflected light for each angle, the distance between the object (obstacle) located in front and the electric wheelchair 1 is measured. In the present embodiment, SIMS LMS200 is used, the measurable range is 80 m, and the measurement resolution is 10 mm.
[0018]
The computer 3 is a commercially available notebook personal computer, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory) for storing BIOS and the like, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) used as a work area for the CPU. A hard disk that stores programs such as an OS and various data, a keyboard and pointing device that receives a passenger's operation command and outputs it to the CPU, a liquid crystal display panel that displays various data as images based on the control of the CPU, and the like Is provided. The two cameras constituting the camera 4 are general cameras that capture color moving images.
[0019]
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the interest level estimation apparatus. The interest level estimation device includes a processing unit 100 and a storage unit 200. The storage unit 200 is composed of, for example, a hard disk, and includes a map storage unit 201 and an audio data storage unit 202.
[0020]
The map storage unit 201 stores a map indicating the positions of bookshelves, walls in the library room, objects such as posters attached to the walls, and passages where the guide device can travel. This map is a planar map of the library as seen from above. In addition, the map storage unit 201 stores genre information indicating, for each bookshelf, what kind of books the bookshelf mainly stores books.
[0021]
The audio data storage unit 202 stores audio data prepared for each genre information.
[0022]
The processing unit 100 is realized by the CPU executing a program for causing the computer 3 to function as a control unit of the interest level estimation device, and includes a gaze direction detection unit 101, a position detection unit 102, a gaze point identification unit 103, and a gaze degree. A calculation unit 104, a gaze object estimation unit 105, a travel control unit 106, and an audio output unit 107 are provided.
[0023]
The gaze direction detection unit 101 applies the moving image of the occupant's face acquired by the camera 4, for example, a paper (thesis title “Development of Face / Gaze Measurement System and Application to Motion Recognition” Yoshio Matsumoto, AlexanderZelinsky, Ogasawara Tsukasa: By detecting the robotics symposia (2003), the sight line direction of the passenger with respect to the guide device is detected. Here, the line-of-sight direction with respect to the guide device is a line-of-sight direction with respect to the traveling direction of the guide device, and is a direction specified by an angle formed by the traveling direction of the guide device and the line-of-sight direction of the passenger.
[0024]
The position detection unit 102 performs, for example, a Weiss matching method (the paper title “Keeping Track of Position and Orientation of Moving Indoor Systems by Correlation of Range-Finder Scans”) on the measurement data of the laser range finder 2 and the library map. IROS '94, pp595-601 authors G. Weiss, C. Wetzler, and EVPuttkamer) to determine the current position and orientation of the guide device in the library, where the orientation of the guide device is The direction of travel of the guide device relative to a predetermined reference direction (for example, the north direction) of the library, and is a direction specified by an angle formed by the reference direction and the travel direction of the guide device. May detect the current position of the guide device using a GPS (global positioning system).
[0025]
The gazing point specifying unit 103 specifies the gaze direction (absolute gaze direction) based on the reference direction identified by the gaze direction detected by the gaze direction detection unit 101 and the direction of the guide device, and the current position The point of intersection on the map between the straight line drawn in the absolute line-of-sight direction (line-of-sight line) and the object located on the line of sight and closest to the current position is determined and specified as the point of sight. In addition, the gazing point specifying unit 103 draws a plurality of straight lines (field straight lines) radially from the current position in the fan-shaped field area centered on the line-of-sight direction. The intersection point on the map with the object located at the closest location is obtained, and these intersection points are also specified as the gazing point. Note that the gazing point is specified every predetermined period Δt (for example, 1/30 seconds).
[0026]
The gaze degree calculation unit 104 calculates the gaze degree of each gaze point by applying any one of formulas (1) to (3) to each gaze point.
Wi (t) = αWi (t−Δt) + 1 / L (| θ | ≦ 5 °) Expression (1)
Wi (t) = αWi (t−Δt) + 0.5 / L (5 ° <| θ | ≦ 10 °) (2)
Wi (t) = αWi (t−Δt) (| θ |> 10 °) Expression (3)
Wi (t): gaze degree of gaze point i at time t
L: Distance between the gazing point i and the current position
α: Gaze attenuation rate
θ: Angle of the visual line relative to the line of sight
Δt: Period for calculating the gaze degree
[0027]
Wi (t−Δt) indicates the gaze degree before Δt time at the gazing point i, and Wi (t−Δt) is multiplied by the attenuation rate α (0 <α <1), so that time has elapsed. As it goes on, the gaze degree at the gaze point i decreases. As a result, when attention is paid to the same location, the above formulas (1) to (3) take into account the characteristic that the degree of interest at that location decreases with time.
[0028]
The gaze object estimation unit 105 identifies a gaze point with the largest gaze degree value, and when the gaze degree at the identified gaze point is greater than a predetermined threshold, the occupant is interested in the object located at the gaze point. As a moving object.
[0029]
The travel control unit 106 performs travel control of the guide device so that the guide device travels from the current position of the guide device to a position near the object estimated by the gaze object estimation unit 105. For example, the travel control of the guide device is performed such that the speed is decreased as the position near the object is approached, and the vehicle is stopped at the position near the object.
[0030]
When the object estimated by the gaze object estimation unit 105 is a bookshelf, the audio output unit 107 is a genre information of the bookshelf when the guide device arrives at a position near the bookshelf or approaches a predetermined distance range. Is read from the audio data storage unit 202, and the read audio data is converted into an audio signal and output to the speaker 5.
[0031]
In this embodiment, the camera 4 and the line-of-sight direction detection unit 101 correspond to an example of a line-of-sight direction detection unit, the laser range finder 2 and the position detection unit 102 correspond to an example of a position detection unit, and the map storage unit 201 The gaze point specifying unit 103 and the gaze degree calculating unit 104 correspond to the gaze degree calculating unit.
[0032]
Next, the process of this interest level estimation apparatus is demonstrated. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing processing of the interest level estimation apparatus. In step S <b> 1, the line-of-sight direction detection unit 101 detects the line-of-sight direction of the passenger from the face image of the passenger acquired by the camera 4.
[0033]
In step S <b> 2, the position detection unit 102 detects the current position of the guide device in the library room from the measurement data of the laser range finder 2.
[0034]
In step S3, the gazing point identification unit 103 determines a gazing point with respect to the sight line and a gazing point with respect to the visual field line from the sight line direction of the passenger detected in step S1 and the current position of the guide device detected in step S2. Identify. FIG. 4A is a diagram schematically showing a state in which the passenger is gazing at the wall WL from the current position PP in the library, where FIG. 4A shows a three-dimensional view and FIG. 4B shows a plan view. (Map) is shown. In (a), the XY plane represents the ground, and the Z axis represents the height direction.
[0035]
The gaze point identifying unit 103 first identifies the absolute line-of-sight direction SD, which is the passenger's line-of-sight direction with respect to the reference direction of the library, from the line-of-sight direction detected in step S1, and in the library detected in step S2. The current position PP of the guide device on the map is specified from the current position of the guide device. Next, an intersection point on the map of the line of sight SL1 drawn in the absolute line-of-sight direction SD from the specified current position PP and the wall WL is obtained, and this intersection point is specified as the gazing point CP.
[0036]
Furthermore, the gazing point specifying unit 103 draws a plurality of visual field lines SL2 around the line of sight from the current position PP, and obtains intersection points on the map of the visual line lines SL2 and the walls WL. As specified.
[0037]
In step S4, the gaze degree calculation unit 104 applies the gaze degree of each gaze point CP by applying any of the above formulas (1) to (3) to each gaze point CP specified in step S3. calculate. In the present embodiment, when the angle between the line of sight SL1 and the line of sight SL2 is θ, Equation (1) is applied to the gazing point CP corresponding to the line of sight SL2 within the range of | θ | ≦ 5 °. Is used to calculate the gaze degree, and for the gazing point CP corresponding to the visual line SL2 within the range of 5 ° <| θ | ≦ 10 °, the gaze degree is calculated using Equation (2), and | θ For the visual field straight line SL2 within the range of |> 10 °, the gaze degree is calculated using Expression (3). Therefore, as shown by the block-shaped figure in FIG. 4, the gaze degree of each gazing point CP increases toward the center of the passenger's field of view, and decreases as the distance from the center of the field of view increases. Become. As a result, the gaze degree can be calculated in consideration of the characteristic that the degree of interest of the passenger is higher at the center of the visual field. Further, since the denominator of the second term of the expressions (1) and (2) is L, the closer the distance between the gazing point CP and the current position PP is, the larger the gazing degree of the gazing point is.
[0038]
In step S5, when the gazing degree of the gazing point CP having the largest gazing degree is larger than the threshold value (YES in step S5), the gazing object estimation unit 105 is interested in the object located at the gazing point CP. Estimated as a moving object. On the other hand, when the gaze degree of the gazing point CP having the maximum gaze degree is smaller than the threshold (NO in step S5), the process returns to step S1.
[0039]
FIG. 5A is a diagram showing the degree of gazing when the passenger is gazing at the poster GP stuck on the wall, and FIG. 5B is the gazing when the occupant is not gazing at the poster GP. It is the figure which showed the degree. 5 (a) and 5 (b), each line segment indicates the wall WL in the library room, the square indicates the current position PP of the guide device, the short arrow indicates the front direction FD of the guide device, and the long arrow indicates The aggregate of mountain-shaped points indicating the line-of-sight direction ED is the magnitude of the gaze degree of the gazing point, and the magnitude of the gaze degree at that position depending on the height of the aggregate in the direction perpendicular to the wall WL Represents.
[0040]
In FIG. 5A, since the passenger is gazing at the poster GP, it can be seen that the degree of gazing around the poster GP is increased. On the other hand, in FIG. 5B, since the passenger is not gazing at the poster GP, it can be seen that gazing points with small gaze degrees exist in a dispersed manner.
[0041]
FIG. 6 is a graph in which the position with the highest gaze degree is plotted at each time (every 1/30 seconds), (a) shows the case where the passenger is watching the poster GP, (b) is the boarding This shows a case where the person is not watching the poster GP. In both graphs (a) and (b), the vertical axis indicates the X value and Y coordinate value of the position where the gaze degree is maximum and the gaze degree corresponding to the gaze point, the horizontal axis indicates time, and the solid line Indicates a graph of X coordinate, a broken line indicates a graph of Y coordinate, and a dashed line indicates a graph of gaze degree. As shown in FIG. 6A, when the passenger is gazing at the poster GP, the values of the X and Y coordinates at the position where the gazing degree is maximum may be substantially constant as time elapses. I understand. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6B, when the occupant is not gazing at the poster GP, the X and Y coordinate values at the position where the gazing degree is maximum change greatly with time, and the gazing is performed. It can be seen that the degree value is low. As shown in this result, the size of the gaze degree and the way the gaze points are distributed differ significantly between when the passenger is gazing at an object and when it is not gazing. Based on the line of sight, it is possible to estimate which object the passenger is currently interested in.
[0042]
In step S6, the traveling control unit 106 moves the guide device to a position in the vicinity of the object that the passenger identified in step S5 is gazing at. When the object watched by the passenger is a bookshelf (YES in step S7), the audio output unit 107 responds to the genre information of the book shelf when the guide device arrives at a position near the object watched by the passenger. Audio data is read from the audio data storage unit 202 and output to the speaker 5 to notify the passenger of the genre of the bookshelf.
[0043]
In step S9, for example, when the main power of the guide device is turned off (YES in step S9), the process is terminated. If the main power is not turned off (NO in step S9), the process returns to step S1 and the process is performed. continue.
[0044]
As described above, according to the degree-of-interest estimation apparatus according to the present embodiment, since the gaze degree of the passenger is calculated based on the line of sight, it is possible to determine which object around the passenger is interested. I can know.
[0045]
In addition, this invention can take the following aspects.
[0046]
(1) In the above-described embodiment, the mode in which the guide device is caused to travel in the vicinity of the object being watched by the occupant is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the occupant directly steers the guide device. In this case, only voice notification may be performed based on the gaze degree. Moreover, although the aspect which announces the genre of a bookshelf with a voice was shown, it is not limited to this, for example, when a poster is watched, the passenger pays attention, such as notifying the voice explaining the contents of the poster, etc. A sound corresponding to the object to be performed may be notified. In this case, audio data corresponding to the type of the object is stored in the audio data storage unit 202 in advance, and the audio output unit 107 reads out audio data corresponding to the object when the passenger gazes at the object, An audio signal obtained from the audio data may be output to the speaker 5.
[0047]
(2) In the above embodiment, the guide device moves in the library room, but is not limited to this, and may move in, for example, an art museum or a museum. In this case, audio data for each exhibit is stored in the audio data storage unit 202 in advance, and the audio output unit 107 reads audio data corresponding to the exhibit when the passenger gazes at the exhibit, An audio signal obtained from the audio data may be output to the speaker 5.
[0048]
(3) The interest level estimation device is applied to an advertising degree survey system that measures how much a car driver is paying attention to a signboard in the city based on the above gaze degree and investigates the advertising effect of the signboard. Also good. In this case, information on the position of the signboard is stored in advance as data. Then, the degree of attention to the signboard can be measured by combining the position information of the vehicle such as GPS and the result of external environment measurement using the camera with the driver's face and line-of-sight measurement results. When the measurement result is transmitted to the advertiser via the in-vehicle network or the like, the advertiser can immediately grasp the advertising effect of the signboard. Furthermore, in this configuration, instead of or in addition to the mode of investigating the advertising effect of the signboard, measure how much the driver of the car is paying attention to the signals and road signs, and depending on the result, warning Or control the vehicle (decelerate if the speed is exceeded).
[0049]
(4) The interest level estimation apparatus according to the present invention is linked with a car navigation system, a driver sets a destination (for example, a restaurant) using the car navigation system, and the car is around the destination (a visible distance). If the driver is looking at the destination when approaching (within range), and if he / she is not looking at the destination, he / she can make an approach to the destination by making a voice announcement. Good. In addition, assistance may be provided by running control to the automobile (such as overspeeding or decelerating when approaching the entrance) so as not to pass the destination.
[0050]
(5) In the above embodiment, the interest level is calculated based on the line-of-sight direction detected by the line-of-sight direction detection unit 101, but the present invention is not limited to this. Based on this, the gaze degree may be calculated. In this case, instead of the gaze direction detection unit 101, a face direction detection unit that detects the face direction in the passenger's space is provided, and the gaze point specification unit 103, the gaze degree calculation unit 104, the gaze object estimation unit 105, etc. The processing may be executed based on the “face direction” detected by the face direction detection unit instead of the “line-of-sight direction”. The face direction may be detected by detecting the face direction of the occupant using a technique for detecting the face direction shown in the paper adopted by the line-of-sight direction detection unit 101.
[0051]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the line of sight of the passenger of the boarding type mobile body and the current position in the space of the boarding type mobile body are detected, and based on the detected line of sight, the current position and the map, Knowing what object the passenger is interested in around the boarding type mobile object because the gaze point that the passenger gazes at is specified and the gaze degree of the passenger at the gaze point is calculated be able to.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an external view of a guide device when an interest level estimation device according to the present invention is applied to a guide device in a library such as a school.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the interest level estimation device.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing processing of an interest level estimation device.
FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining processing of a gazing point specifying unit;
FIG. 5 (a) is a diagram showing the degree of gaze when the passenger is gazing at the poster GP stuck on the wall, and FIG. 5 (b) is the figure when the occupant is gazing at the poster GP. It is the figure which showed the gaze degree when there is not.
FIG. 6 is a graph plotting the position with the highest gaze degree at each time (every 1/30 seconds), where (a) shows the case where the passenger is watching the poster GP, and (b) is the boarding This shows a case where the person is not watching the poster GP.
[Explanation of symbols]
100 processor
101 Gaze direction detection unit
102 Position detection unit
103 Gaze point identification part
104 Gaze degree calculator
105 Gaze object estimation unit
106 Travel controller
107 Audio output unit
200 storage unit
201 Map storage
202 Voice data storage unit
CP attention point
ED Gaze direction
SL1 Line of sight line
SL2 line of sight

Claims (6)

A degree-of-interest estimation device that estimates which of the surrounding objects a passenger of a boarding type mobile object is interested in,
Map storage means for storing a map of the space in which an object arranged in a space in which the boarding type moving body moves and a position of the object are associated;
Position detecting means for detecting a current position of the boarding type moving body in the space;
Gaze direction detection means for detecting the gaze direction of the passenger in the space;
The position where the passenger is gazing based on the current position of the riding type mobile body detected by the position detection means, the line-of-sight direction detected by the line-of-sight direction detection means, and the object in the line-of-sight direction And a gaze degree calculating means for calculating a gaze degree indicating a degree of gaze at the gaze point .
The gaze degree calculating means calculates the gaze degree using a function that decreases the value of the gaze degree as time passes when the passenger gazes at the same location .   The gaze degree calculating means calculates the gaze degree using a function that decreases a gaze degree value with respect to a gaze point in each direction in the field of view from the center of the passenger's field of view toward the periphery of the field of view. The degree-of-interest estimation apparatus according to claim 1. 3. The interest level estimation apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the function is a function that decreases a gaze degree value as the distance increases. The interest level estimation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , further comprising travel control means for moving the riding type moving body in the vicinity of the position of the object that the passenger gazes at. Operation The rider interest level estimation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a voice informing means for informing a voice information related to an object to gaze. A degree-of-interest estimation device that estimates which of the surrounding objects a passenger of a boarding type mobile object is interested in,
Map storage means for storing a map of the space in which an object arranged in a space in which the boarding type moving body moves and a position of the object are associated;
Position detecting means for detecting a current position of the boarding type moving body in the space;
Face direction detecting means for detecting the face direction of the passenger in the space;
The position where the passenger is gazing based on the current position of the riding type mobile body detected by the position means, the face direction detected by the face direction detection means, and the object on the face direction. And a gaze degree calculating means for calculating a gaze degree indicating a degree of gaze at the gaze point .
The gaze degree calculating means calculates the gaze degree using a function that decreases the value of the gaze degree as time passes when the passenger gazes at the same location .

Images