WO2018221334A1 - Clothing manufacturing support system - Google Patents

Abstract

According to the present invention, a clothing management server 400 is provided with: a data storage unit 414 which retains information for guiding the manufacturing of clothing by a robot; a selection unit 430 which, according to a request input from a user, displays a screen for selecting the clothing that is to be manufactured; and a determination unit (an operation condition generating unit 432) which determines and outputs an operation condition of the robot on the basis of the selected clothing. The selection unit 430 may allow the user to select textiles that are used to manufacture the selected clothing. The determination unit may determine the operation condition of the robot on the basis of the selected clothing and textiles.

Description

Costume production support device

The present invention relates to an apparatus for supporting robot costume making.

Development of autonomous action type robots such as humanoid robots and pet robots that provide dialogue and healing with human beings is in progress (see, for example, Patent Document 1). It is expected that such robots will evolve their behavior by learning autonomously based on the surrounding situation, and will be closer to living beings. In the near future, it may give the user the healing that a pet feels.

JP 2000-323219 A

If a robot becomes close to a living being, it is expected that the robot will be dressed as a human being becomes a pet, and production and sales of the costume may be established as a business. Some users may not get tired of buying commercial costumes, and may be interested in making original costumes. Then, there may be a business in which only the cloth or pattern of the costume is sold and the costume production is entrusted to the user.

However, unlike human beings, robots are limited in driving force and movable range according to their performance. Wearing a costume is a factor that hinders the performance of the robot and shortens its life. The inventor has come to recognize that it is effective to support the production of a robot's costume in consideration of such points.

The present invention is an invention completed on the basis of the above problem recognition, and one of its objects is to provide a device suitable for supporting robot costume production.

The costume production supporting apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes a storage unit for holding information for guiding the production of a robot costume, and referring to the storage unit according to a user's request input to select a costume to be produced. A selection unit for displaying a screen, and a determination unit for determining and outputting an operating condition of the robot based on the selected costume.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an apparatus suitable for supporting robot costume production.

It is a figure showing the appearance of the robot concerning an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the structure of a robot. It is a front external view of a robot at the time of clothes wearing. It is a block diagram of a robot system. It is a hardware block diagram of a robot. It is a figure which shows typically the structure of a costume production assistance system. It is a functional block diagram of a costume production support system. It is a figure showing the costume production support screen which a costume management server provides to a user. It is a figure showing the costume production support screen which a costume management server provides to a user. It is a block diagram showing the function of a costume management server in detail. It is a figure which represents typically the data table which a data processing part hold | maintains. It is a figure which represents typically the data table which a data processing part hold | maintains. It is a figure which represents typically the data table which a data processing part hold | maintains. It is a sequence diagram showing the outline | summary of communication with a costume management server and a user terminal at the time of support service utilization start. It is a sequence diagram showing the outline of a procedure with an IC tag issuer, a textile vendor, and a user. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement correction process at the time of the clothes of a robot. It is a sequence diagram showing the outline of communication of a robot, a robot management server, and a costume management server. It is a figure which illustrates a hat as a functional costume.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, for convenience, the positional relationship of each structure may be expressed based on the illustrated state. Further, in the following embodiments and their modifications, substantially the same components will be denoted by the same reference symbols, and the description thereof may be omitted as appropriate.

FIG. 1 is a view showing the appearance of a robot 100 according to the embodiment. Fig.1 (a) is a front view, FIG.1 (b) is a side view.
The robot 100 is an autonomous behavior robot that determines an action or gesture (gesture) based on an external environment and an internal state. The external environment is recognized by various sensors such as a camera and a thermo sensor. The internal state is quantified as various parameters that express the emotion of the robot 100.

The robot 100 is premised on indoor action, and for example, takes the inside of the user's house as the action range. In the present embodiment, a human involved in the robot 100 is referred to as a “user”.

The body 104 of the robot 100 has an overall rounded shape and includes an outer skin 314 formed of a flexible and resilient material. By making the body 104 round and soft and have a good touch, the robot 100 provides the user with a sense of security and a pleasant touch. The robot 100 can be dressed. By putting on clothes according to the user's preference, it is possible to enjoy events such as seasonal feeling and birthday.

The robot 100 includes three wheels for traveling three wheels. As shown, a pair of front wheels 102 (left wheel 102a, right wheel 102b) and one rear wheel 103 are included. The front wheel 102 is a driving wheel, and the rear wheel 103 is a driven wheel. The front wheel 102 can individually control its rotational speed and rotational direction. The rear wheel 103 is rotatable to move the robot 100 back and forth and left and right.

The front wheel 102 and the rear wheel 103 can be completely housed in the body 104 by a drive mechanism (a rotation mechanism, a link mechanism) not shown. Even when traveling, most of the wheels are hidden by the body 104, but when the wheels are completely housed in the body 104, the robot 100 can not move. As the wheel retracts, the body 104 descends and seats on the floor surface F. In this sitting state, the seating surface 108 formed on the bottom of the body 104 abuts on the floor surface F.

The robot 100 has two hands 106. The hand 106 does not have the function of gripping an object. The hand 106 can perform simple operations such as raising, shaking and vibrating by pulling or loosening a built-in wire (not shown). The two hands 106 are also individually controllable.

Two eyes 110 are provided on the front of the head (face) of the robot 100. The eyes 110 are displayed with various expressions by liquid crystal elements or organic EL elements. The robot 100 has a built-in speaker and can emit a simple voice. A horn 112 is attached to the top of the head of the robot 100. The omnidirectional camera is incorporated in the horn 112, and it is possible to photograph all directions in the vertical and horizontal directions at once. In addition, a high resolution camera is provided in front of the head of the robot 100 (not shown).

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of the robot 100. As shown in FIG.
The body 104 of the robot 100 includes a base frame 308, a body frame 310, a pair of wheel covers 312 and an outer shell 314. The base frame 308 constitutes an axial center of the body 104 and supports an internal mechanism. The base frame 308 is configured by connecting the upper plate 332 and the lower plate 334 by a plurality of side plates 336. Inside the base frame 308, a battery 118, a control circuit 342, various actuators and the like are accommodated.

Body frame 310 includes a head frame 316 and a torso frame 318. The head frame 316 has a hollow hemispherical shape and forms a head skeleton of the robot 100. The body frame 318 has a stepped cylindrical shape and forms the body frame of the robot 100. The body frame 318 is fixed to the base frame 308. The head frame 316 is connected to the upper plate 332 via an internal mechanism, a joint 330 and the like, and can be displaced relative to the body frame 318.

The head frame 316 is provided with three axes of a yaw axis 321, a pitch axis 322, and a roll axis 323, and actuators 324, 325 for rotationally driving each axis. The actuator 324 includes a servomotor for driving the yaw axis 321. The actuator 325 includes a plurality of servomotors for driving the pitch axis 322 and the roll axis 323, respectively. The yaw shaft 321 is driven for the swinging operation, the pitch shaft 322 is driven for the peeping operation, the look-up operation and the look-down operation, and the roll shaft 323 is driven for the tilting operation. A plate 326 supported by the yaw axis 321 is fixed to the top of the head frame 316.

A base plate 328 is provided to support the head frame 316 and its internal features from below. The base plate 328 is connected to the upper plate 332 (base frame 308) through the joint 330. A support base 335 is provided on the base plate 328, and the actuators 324 and 325 and the cross link mechanism 329 (pantograph mechanism) are supported. The cross link mechanism 329 may connect the actuators 324 and 325 up and down, and change their distance.

By rotating the yaw axis 321, the plate 326 and the head frame 316 can be integrally rotated (yawed), and a swinging motion can be realized. By rotating the pitch axis 322, the cross link mechanism 329 and the head frame 316 can be integrally rotated (pitching), and a loosening operation and the like can be realized. By rotating the roll shaft 323, the actuator 325 and the head frame 316 can be integrally rotated (rolling), and an operation of tilting the neck can be realized. By expanding and contracting the cross link mechanism 329, an expansion and contraction operation of the neck can be realized.

Torso frame 318 houses base frame 308 and wheel drive mechanism 370. Wheel drive mechanism 370 includes a front wheel drive mechanism that drives front wheel 102, a rear wheel drive mechanism that drives rear wheel 103, and an actuator 379 that drives these drive mechanisms. The body frame 318 has a smooth curved upper half so that the outline of the body 104 is rounded. The lower half of the body frame 318 is narrowed to form a storage space S of the front wheel 102 with the wheel cover 312, and supports the pivot shaft 378 of the front wheel 102.

The pair of wheel covers 312 is provided to cover the lower half of the body frame 318 from the left and right. The wheel cover 312 forms a smooth outer surface (curved surface) continuous with the upper half of the trunk frame 318. The upper end of the wheel cover 312 is connected along the lower end of the upper half. Thus, a storage space S opened downward is formed between the side wall of the lower half and the wheel cover 312.

The front wheel drive mechanism includes a rotation drive mechanism for rotating the front wheel 102 and a storage operation mechanism for advancing and retracting the front wheel 102 from the storage space S. By driving the front wheel drive mechanism, the front wheel 102 can be driven to move forward and backward from the storage space S. By driving the rear wheel drive mechanism, the rear wheel 103 can be driven to move forward and backward from the storage space S.

The outer cover 314 covers the main body frame 310 from the outside. The outer cover 314 has a thickness that allows a person to feel elasticity, and is formed of a stretchable material such as a urethane sponge. As a result, when the user holds the robot 100, it feels appropriate softness, and it is possible to take a natural skinship to make a person pet. A capacitive touch sensor is provided between the main body frame 310 and the outer skin 314. The touch sensors are provided at a plurality of locations, and detect touch on substantially the entire area of the robot 100. Since the touch sensor is provided inside the outer skin 314, the deformation level of the outer skin 314 increases the detection level. In other words, it is possible to determine the contact state, such as whether a person is holding the robot 100 firmly or gently. The hand 106 is integrally formed with the skin 314. An opening 390 is provided at the upper end of the outer skin 314. The lower end of the horn 112 is connected to the head frame 316 through the opening 390.

The drive mechanism for driving the hand 106 includes a wire 134 embedded in the outer skin 314 and a drive circuit 340 (energization circuit) thereof. The wire 134 is formed of a shape memory alloy wire in the present embodiment, and shrinks and hardens when heated, and relaxes and elongates when heated. Leads drawn from both ends of the wire 134 are connected to the drive circuit 340. When the switch of the drive circuit 340 is turned on, the wire 134 (shape memory alloy wire) is energized.

The wire 134 is molded or braided to extend from the skin 314 to the hand 106. Leads are drawn from both ends of the wire 134 to the inside of the body frame 318. One wire 134 may be provided on each of the left and right of the outer covering 314, or a plurality of wires 134 may be provided in parallel. The arm (hand 106) can be raised by energizing the wire 134, and the arm (hand 106) can be lowered by interrupting the energization. In another mode, a wire is attached near the tip of the hand 106, and the body frame 318 is provided with a mechanism for winding the wire, and the length of the wire is adjusted by the insertion and removal of the winding mechanism. May be

In the present embodiment, the robot 100 does not wear clothes, and the movable range of the arm in a state in which only the outer skin 314 is mounted (hereinafter also referred to as “reference state”) is 75 degrees. It is 75 degrees upward from the state of being in contact with (hereinafter, described as a movable range “0 to 75 °”).

The head frame 316 is connected to the body frame 318 via the base plate 328 and the joints 330 and the like. As shown, since a sufficient distance in the vertical direction is secured between the head frame 316 and the body frame 318, the movable range (rotational range of the head frame 316 about the pitch axis 322) ) Can be taken large.

In the present embodiment, the upper and lower movable range of the head frame 316 in the reference state is 90 degrees, and 45 degrees in the vertical direction from the state where the line of sight is horizontal. That is, the limit value of the angle (look-up angle) in which the robot 100 goes up is 45 degrees, and the limit value of the down-angle (look down angle) is -45 degrees (hereinafter, the movable range "-45-45 °" Also written as

Further, the left and right movable range of the head frame 316 in the reference state is set to 150 degrees, and it is set to 75 degrees to the left and right from the state where the line of sight is the front. That is, the limit value of the angle of the robot 100 to the right with respect to the front is set to 75 degrees, and the limit value of the angle to the left is set to -75 degrees (hereinafter, the movable range "-75 to 75 degrees" As well).

Furthermore, the inclination movable range of the head frame 316 in the reference state is 60 degrees, and the inclination to the left and right is 30 degrees from the state in which the head is upright. That is, the limit value at which the robot 100 tilts to the right is 30 degrees, and the limit value at which the robot 100 tilts to the left is -30 degrees (hereinafter referred to as a movable range "-30 to 30 degrees"). When the robot 100 wears a costume, the robot 100 adjusts the movable parts according to the costume. Details will be described later.

FIG. 3 is a front external view of the robot 100 when wearing a costume.
The user can wear various types of costumes 180 on the robot 100. For example, various types of costumes 180 can be considered, such as a casual design polo shirt, a formal design suit, a winter coat or down jacket, a costume imitating a cartoon character. The robot 100 moves the movable part by an actuator such as a motor. There is a design upper limit to the driving power of each part, so when wearing a polo shirt designed to be light and easy to move, the load applied to the movable part is small, and when wearing a coat made of a heavy hard fabric such as a skin The load on the movable part is increased. Even if the robot 100 can be manufactured to fit the robot 100, the design shape of the costume 180 and the fabric used may hinder proper operation control by the robot 100 wearing it. In some cases, it is also assumed that the driving force preset for the robot 100 can not move the joint site. In addition, it is also assumed that a problem occurs in the recognition processing of the external environment in the robot 100 due to a change in detection sensitivity of a sensor such as a touch sensor. When people wear clothes, even if they do not fit in size or have a strange design, they do not have the feeling that they can not wear or move, although they have the feeling that they are hard to wear and hard to move. However, in the case of the robot 100, there is a clear limit to the driving force and the movable range, and if the limit is exceeded, the robot will not move at all or an actuator such as a motor will generate heat abnormally. For a human being, it may be a mere costume, but for the robot 100, it can be said to be one of the important elements that affect the normal operation.

Therefore, the costume production support apparatus of the present embodiment supports the production of the costume of the robot and information for adjusting the robot so as to perform proper operation control when the costume is worn (hereinafter referred to as "operation setting file") I will provide a. Based on the operation setting file, the robot 100 adjusts the operation conditions of each movable unit according to the costume. The operating conditions include information that can be used to cancel the influence that occurs on the robot 100 by wearing the costume 180, such as the driving force of the movable part, the movable range, and the sensitivity correction of the sensor such as a touch sensor. In other words, information for controlling the robot 100 is included so that the robot 100 is not adversely affected by the change in the characteristics of the robot 100 caused by the clothes 180 being worn. By reading the “tag ID” of the IC tag 182 attached to the costume 180, the robot 100 can acquire the operating condition (correction information) suitable for the costume being worn. The tag ID functions as "identification information" for acquiring an operation setting file defining operation conditions for each actuator.

That is, the IC tag 182 is sewn on a specific position of the costume 180. The IC tag 182 is an RFID (Radio Frequency Identifier) tag. The IC tag 182 transmits the tag ID at a close distance. By reading the tag ID from the IC tag 182, the robot 100 can acquire correction information for each actuator that conforms to the costume 180.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the robot system 300. As shown in FIG.
The robot system 300 includes a robot 100, a robot management server 200, and a plurality of external sensors 114. A plurality of external sensors 114 ( external sensors 114a, 114b, ..., 114n) are installed in advance in the house. The external sensor 114 may be fixed to the wall of the house or may be mounted on the floor. In the robot management server 200, position coordinates of the external sensor 114 are registered. The position coordinates are defined as x, y coordinates in a house assumed as the action range of the robot 100.

The robot management server 200 determines the basic behavior of the robot 100 based on the information obtained from the sensors contained in the robot 100 and the plurality of external sensors 114.

The external sensor 114 periodically transmits a wireless signal (hereinafter referred to as a “robot search signal”) including the ID of the external sensor 114 (hereinafter referred to as “beacon ID”). When the robot 100 receives the robot search signal, the robot 100 sends back a radio signal (hereinafter referred to as a “robot reply signal”) including a beacon ID. The robot management server 200 measures the time from when the external sensor 114 transmits the robot search signal to when the robot reply signal is received, and measures the distance from the external sensor 114 to the robot 100. By measuring the distances between the plurality of external sensors 114 and the robot 100, the position coordinates of the robot 100 are specified.

FIG. 5 is a hardware configuration diagram of the robot 100. As shown in FIG.
The robot 100 includes an internal sensor 128, a communicator 126, a storage device 124, a processor 122, a drive mechanism 120 and a battery 118. The drive mechanism 120 includes the wheel drive mechanism 370 described above. Processor 122 and storage 124 are included in control circuit 342. The units are connected to each other by a power supply line 130 and a signal line 132. The battery 118 supplies power to each unit via the power supply line 130. Each unit transmits and receives control signals through a signal line 132. The battery 118 is a lithium ion secondary battery and is a power source of the robot 100.

The internal sensor 128 is an assembly of various sensors incorporated in the robot 100. Specifically, it is a camera (all-sky camera), a microphone array, a distance measurement sensor (infrared sensor), a thermo sensor, a touch sensor, an acceleration sensor, an odor sensor, and the like. The touch sensor is disposed between the outer cover 314 and the body frame 310, and detects a user's touch based on a change in capacitance. The odor sensor is a known sensor to which the principle that the electric resistance is changed by the adsorption of the molecule that is the source of the odor is applied.

The communication device 126 is a communication module that performs wireless communication with various external devices such as the robot management server 200, the external sensor 114, and a portable device owned by a user. The storage device 124 is configured by a non-volatile memory and a volatile memory, and stores a computer program and various setting information. The processor 122 is an execution means of a computer program. The drive mechanism 120 is an actuator that controls an internal mechanism. In addition to this, indicators and speakers will also be installed.

The processor 122 performs action selection of the robot 100 while communicating with the robot management server 200 and the external sensor 114 via the communication device 126. Various external information obtained by the internal sensor 128 also affects behavior selection. The drive mechanism 120 mainly controls the wheel (front wheel 102) and the head (head frame 316). The drive mechanism 120 changes the rotational direction and the rotational direction of the two front wheels 102 to change the moving direction and the moving speed of the robot 100. The drive mechanism 120 can also raise and lower the wheels (the front wheel 102 and the rear wheel 103). When the wheel ascends, the wheel is completely housed in the body 104, and the robot 100 abuts on the floor surface F at the seating surface 108 to be in the seating state. The drive mechanism 120 also controls the hand 106 via the wire 134.

FIG. 6 is a view schematically showing the configuration of the costume production support system 500. As shown in FIG.
The costume production support system 500 provides a support service for producing an original costume of the robot 100 in response to a request from the user. This service sells the cloth or pattern of the costume to the user, and leaves it to the user to produce the costume such as cutting the cloth or sewing the cloth according to the pattern. In the costume production support system 500, the robot management server 200 and the user terminal 250 are connected to the costume management server 400 via the Internet 510.

The costume management server 400 is installed in the costume service company 402, and functions as a "clothing production support device". The costume management server 400 holds a support program for executing a support service and support data for producing various clothes for each type of robot. The support data includes image data for each costume, pattern data (design information), fabric data, correction data for the robot (operation conditions), and the like.

The user terminal 250 may be a general purpose computer such as a laptop PC or a smart phone. The user terminal 250 and the Internet 510 are connected by wire or wirelessly.

The outline of the support service is as follows. The costume management server 400 identifies the costume of the robot 100 and its fabric based on the request from the user terminal 250, transmits the pattern data of the costume to the user, and executes the fabric delivery process. At the same time, the tag ID of the costume is issued and the shipping process is executed. The costume management server 400 holds an operation setting file in which operation conditions (such as a driving force and a movable range of the movable portion) of the robot 100 at the time of wearing a costume are recorded in association with a tag ID. The fabric is mailed to the user's home 252 from an outside vendor (a fabric vendor). The tag ID is written to the IC tag 182 by an external vendor (IC tag issuer) and mailed to the user home 252. That is, the tag ID is written to the IC tag 182, and provided in a state where the user can not refer directly.

When the cloth and the IC tag 182 reach the user home 252, the user cuts the cloth on the basis of the pattern and produces the costume 180. Then, the IC tag 182 is sewn to a designated position in the costume 180, and the costume 180 is worn on the robot 100. When detecting the wearing of the costume 180, the robot 100 transmits the tag ID recorded in the IC tag 182 to the robot management server 200. The robot management server 200 accesses the costume management server 400, acquires an operation setting file corresponding to the tag ID, and transmits the operation setting file to the robot 100. The robot 100 can perform an unreasonable operation suitable for the costume by reflecting the operation conditions recorded in the operation setting file in the control command value. That is, in the case of the costume 180 manufactured by using the costume management server 400, the robot 100 can perform appropriate adjustment according to the costume 180 being worn, and can perform appropriate operation.

FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram of the costume production support system 500. As shown in FIG.
As described above, the costume production support system 500 includes the robot system 300 and the costume management server 400. The robot system 300 includes a robot 100, a robot management server 200, and a plurality of external sensors 114. Each component of the robot 100, the robot management server 200, and the costume management server 400 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and computing units such as various co-processors, storage devices such as memories and storages, and wired or wireless communication lines connecting them. And software that is stored in the storage device and supplies processing instructions to the computing unit. The computer program may be configured by a device driver, an operating system, various application programs located in the upper layer of them, and a library that provides common functions to these programs. Each block described below indicates not a hardware unit configuration but a function unit block. A part of the functions of the robot 100 may be realized by the robot management server 200, or a part or all of the functions of the robot management server 200 may be realized by the robot 100.

(Robot management server 200)
The robot management server 200 includes a communication unit 204, a data processing unit 202, and a data storage unit 206. The communication unit 204 takes charge of communication processing with the external sensor 114 and the robot 100. The data storage unit 206 stores various data. The data processing unit 202 executes various processes based on the data acquired by the communication unit 204 and the data stored in the data storage unit 206. The data processing unit 202 also functions as an interface of the communication unit 204 and the data storage unit 206.

The data storage unit 206 includes a motion storage unit 232, a map storage unit 216, a personal data storage unit 218, and a correction information storage unit 219. The robot 100 has a plurality of motion patterns (motions). Various motions are defined such as shaking the hand 106, approaching the user while meandering, staring at the user with the head held down, and the like.

The motion storage unit 232 stores a "motion file" that defines control content of motion. Each motion is identified by a motion ID. The motion file is also downloaded to the motion storage unit 160 of the robot 100. Which motion is to be executed may be determined by the robot management server 200 or may be determined by the robot 100. Many of the motions of the robot 100 are configured as complex motions including a plurality of unit motions.

The map storage unit 216 stores, in addition to the action map defining the action of the robot according to the situation, a map indicating the arrangement situation of obstacles such as a chair and a table. The personal data storage unit 218 stores user information. Specifically, master information indicating the closeness to the user and the physical and behavioral characteristics of the user is stored. Other attribute information such as age and gender may be stored.

The robot 100 has an internal parameter called familiarity for each user. When the robot 100 recognizes an action indicating favor with itself, such as raising itself or giving a voice, familiarity with the user is increased. The closeness to the user who is not involved in the robot 100, the user who is violent, and the user who is infrequently encountered is low.

The correction information storage unit 219 stores the operation condition of the robot 100 acquired from the costume management server 400 as correction information of the movable unit (actuator). The correction information includes an operation correction value (correction value for driving force) and a movable range (setting value for driving amount) of each actuator of the robot 100.

The data processing unit 202 includes a position management unit 208, a recognition unit 212, an operation control unit 222, and a closeness management unit 220. The position management unit 208 specifies the position coordinates of the robot 100 by the method described using FIG. 4. The position management unit 208 may also track the user's position coordinates in real time.

The recognition unit 212 recognizes the external environment. The recognition of the external environment includes various recognitions such as recognition of weather and season based on temperature and humidity, recognition of an object shade (safety area) based on light quantity and temperature. The recognition unit 150 of the robot 100 acquires various types of environment information by the internal sensor 128, performs primary processing on the acquired information, and transfers the information to the recognition unit 212 of the robot management server 200.

The recognition unit 212 further includes a person recognition unit 214 and a response recognition unit 228. The human recognition unit 214 compares the feature vector extracted from the image captured by the built-in camera of the robot 100 with the feature vector of the user (cluster) registered in advance in the personal data storage unit 218, thereby capturing the user It is determined which person corresponds to (user identification processing). The person recognition unit 214 includes an expression recognition unit 230. The facial expression recognition unit 230 estimates the user's emotion by performing image recognition on the user's facial expression.

The response recognition unit 228 recognizes various response actions made to the robot 100 and classifies them as pleasant and unpleasant actions. The response recognition unit 228 also classifies into a positive / negative response by recognizing the user's response to the behavior of the robot 100. The pleasant and unpleasant behavior is determined depending on whether the user's response behavior is comfortable or unpleasant as a living thing.

The motion control unit 222 cooperates with the motion control unit 152 of the robot 100 to determine the motion of the robot 100. The motion control unit 222 creates a movement target point of the robot 100 and a movement route for it. The operation control unit 222 may create a plurality of movement routes, and then select one of the movement routes. The motion control unit 222 selects the motion of the robot 100 from the plurality of motions of the motion storage unit 232.

The closeness management unit 220 manages closeness for each user. The closeness is registered in the personal data storage unit 218 as part of personal data. When a pleasant act is detected, the intimacy management unit 220 increases the intimacy with the user. The intimacy is down when an offensive act is detected. In addition, the intimacy degree of the user who has not viewed for a long time gradually decreases.

(Robot 100)
The robot 100 includes a communication unit 142, a data processing unit 136, a data storage unit 148, an internal sensor 128, and a drive mechanism 120. The communication unit 142 corresponds to the communication device 126 (see FIG. 5), and takes charge of communication processing with the external sensor 114, the robot management server 200, and the other robots 100. The data storage unit 148 stores various data. The data storage unit 148 corresponds to the storage device 124 (see FIG. 5). The data processing unit 136 executes various processes based on the data acquired by the communication unit 142 and the data stored in the data storage unit 148. The data processing unit 136 corresponds to a processor 122 and a computer program executed by the processor 122. The data processing unit 136 also functions as an interface of the communication unit 142, the internal sensor 128, the drive mechanism 120, and the data storage unit 148.

The data storage unit 148 includes a motion storage unit 160 and a correction information storage unit 162. The motion storage unit 160 stores motion files that define various motions of the robot 100. The motion storage unit 160 downloads various motion files from the motion storage unit 232 of the robot management server 200. Motion is identified by motion ID. In order to express various motions, operation timings, operation times, operation directions, etc. of various actuators (drive mechanism 120) are defined in time series in the motion file.

The correction information storage unit 162 stores the operation conditions of the robot 100 acquired from the costume management server 400 via the robot management server 200. A correction value file is downloaded from the correction information storage unit 219 of the robot management server 200 to the correction information storage unit 162.

Various data may also be downloaded to the data storage unit 148 from the map storage unit 216 and the personal data storage unit 218.

The data processing unit 136 includes a recognition unit 150, an operation control unit 152, an equipment detection unit 154, and a correction processing unit 156. The recognition unit 150 interprets external information obtained from the internal sensor 128. The recognition unit 150 can perform visual recognition (vision unit), odor recognition (olfactory unit), sound recognition (hearing unit), and tactile recognition (tactile unit).

The recognition unit 150 periodically captures the outside world with the built-in omnidirectional camera, and detects a moving object such as a person or a pet. The recognition unit 150 extracts a feature vector from the captured image of the moving object. As described above, the feature vector is a set of parameters (features) indicating physical features and behavioral features of the moving object. When a moving object is detected, physical features and behavioral features are also extracted from an odor sensor, a built-in sound collection microphone, a temperature sensor, and the like. These features are also quantified and become feature vector components.

In response to the response action recognized by the recognition unit 150, the closeness degree management unit 220 of the robot management server 200 changes the closeness degree to the user. In principle, the intimacy with the user who has performed pleasure is increased, and the intimacy with the user who has performed offensive activity decreases.

The motion control unit 152 determines the moving direction of the robot 100 together with the motion control unit 222 of the robot management server 200. The robot management server 200 may determine the movement based on the action map, and the robot 100 may determine an immediate movement such as turning off an obstacle. The drive mechanism 120 drives the front wheel 102 in accordance with the instruction of the operation control unit 152 to direct the robot 100 to the movement target point.

The motion control unit 152 determines the motion of the robot 100 in cooperation with the motion control unit 222 of the robot management server 200. Some motions may be determined by the robot management server 200, and other motions may be determined by the robot 100. Also, although the robot 100 determines the motion, when the processing load of the robot 100 is high, the robot management server 200 may determine the motion. The base motion may be determined in the robot management server 200, and additional motion may be determined in the robot 100. How to share the motion determination process in the robot management server 200 and the robot 100 may be designed according to the specification of the robot system 300.

The operation control unit 152 instructs the drive mechanism 120 to execute the selected motion. The drive mechanism 120 controls each actuator according to the motion file.

The motion control unit 152 can also execute a motion that lifts both hands 106 as a gesture that encourages "hug" when a user with high intimacy is nearby, and when the "hug" is tired, the left and right front wheels 102 By alternately repeating reverse rotation and stop while being accommodated, it is also possible to express a motion that annoys you. The drive mechanism 120 causes the robot 100 to express various motions by driving the front wheel 102, the hand 106, and the neck (head frame 316) according to an instruction of the operation control unit 152.

When the equipment detection unit 154 reads the tag ID from the IC tag 182 sewed on the clothes 180, the equipment detection unit 154 determines that the clothes 180 are worn. The tag ID is readable when in close proximity. When a plurality of tag IDs are read, it is determined that the layering is performed. When the correction information corresponding to the tag ID is already present in the correction information storage unit 162, the operation control unit 152 changes the operation setting in accordance with the correction information by a method described later.

The equipment detection unit 154 may detect wearing of clothes by various methods other than the IC tag 182. For example, it may be determined that the costume has been worn when the internal temperature of the robot 100 rises. The image of the clothes worn may be recognized by the camera. A capacitance sensor may be installed in a wide area of the outer skin 314, and when this capacitance sensor detects a wide range of contact, it may be determined that the costume has been worn. Hereinafter, detection of wearing of clothes based on physical information such as image information, temperature information, contact information and the like in addition to the IC tag 182 is referred to as “physical recognition”.

Hereinafter, a costume in which the tag ID is registered by the IC tag 182 will be referred to as a “official costume”, and a costume in which the tag ID is not registered by the IC tag 182 will be referred to as a “non-official costume”. When it does not distinguish in particular, it simply calls "the costume".

When the costume 180 is detected, the correction processing unit 156 performs motion correction of the robot 100 so as to conform to the costume 180. That is, the control command value for each actuator is corrected based on the correction information corresponding to the tag ID. When the correction information corresponding to the tag ID is not in the correction information storage unit 162, the correction processing unit 156 transmits the tag ID to the robot management server 200, and downloads the corresponding correction information (the operation correction value and the operation range). When the correction information is not present in the robot management server 200, the robot management server 200 downloads the correction information from the costume management server 400.

When it is detected that the robot 100 is wearing a costume but no tag ID is detected, the costume is either a certified costume but no IC tag 182 is worn, or it is a non-certified costume . For this reason, the operation control unit 152 selects a motion (approval costume wearing request motion) which annoy the state in which the costume is not formally dressed.

The official costume wear request motion may be, for example, a rejection operation such as the robot 100 shaking its body violently or not moving at all. The robot 100 may be initialized in advance as a “typical motion (in particular, when something is annoyed among motions informing something”) specific to the robot 100. As a result, if the user notices that the IC tag 182 has not been attached and performs sewing on the official costume, the correction processing unit 156 can execute the above-mentioned correction processing.

On the other hand, when the IC tag 182 can not be attached because it is a non-official costume, correction information can not be acquired. For this reason, when the tag ID is not detected even after the predetermined period has elapsed after execution of the official costume request motion, the correction processing unit 156 executes an autonomous correction process not relying on the correction information. That is, the operation control unit 152 selects a predetermined correction motion, measures the output given to each actuator at the time of the execution, and records the amount of operation thereof as operation data. The correction processing unit 156 calculates an appropriate correction value based on the operation data, and corrects the control command value for each actuator.

(Costume management server 400)
The costume management server 400 includes a communication unit 410, a data processing unit 412, and a data storage unit 414. The communication unit 410 takes charge of communication processing with the robot management server 200 and the user terminal 250. The data storage unit 414 stores various data for guiding the production of the costume of the robot 100 as a support service. The data processing unit 412 executes various processes based on the data acquired by the communication unit 410 and the data stored in the data storage unit 414. The data processing unit 412 also functions as an interface between the communication unit 410 and the data storage unit 414.

FIGS. 8 and 9 are diagrams showing costume production support screens provided by the costume management server 400 to the user. FIGS. 8 (a) to 8 (c) are diagrams showing screen transition for selecting a costume and selecting a fabric for each part. FIGS. 9 (a) and 9 (b) show the purchase screen displayed after the selection of clothes and fabrics. When the costume management server 400 is accessed from the user terminal 250, a costume category selection screen shown in FIG. 8A is displayed. On this screen, selection buttons for each category of clothes are displayed, such as "suit / coat", "jacket / jersey", and so on.

When the user selects a costume category, a costume selection screen shown in FIG. 8B is displayed. In the illustrated example, since the user selects "jacket / jersey", the jacket on the left side of the screen belongs to the category (Costume ID: J001), Jersey (Costume ID: J002), Vest (Costume ID: J003) ... There is a selection button for each costume. On the right side of the screen, an image of the robot 100 to which a costume is to be attached is displayed.

When the user selects a costume, the fabric selection screen shown in FIG. 8C is displayed. In the illustrated example, since the user has selected "jacket (J001)", the left side of the screen displays fabrics that can be selected for making the jacket. The selection of the fabric is performed stepwise for each part corresponding to the pattern. In the example shown in the figure, for the "collar" part, a selection button for each type of fabric is displayed like fabric A (red) (dough ID: A001), fabric A (blue) (dough ID: A002), ... Ru. As described above, even in the case of the same type of fabric, the fabric ID differs depending on the pattern and color arrangement. The user can select any material (each pattern) for each part of the costume.

On the right side of the screen, an image of the robot 100 wearing a costume is displayed. At this time, when fabric A (red) is selected, the corresponding image file is read, and a jacket having a red collar is previewed. When the selection of the collar is finished, a fabric selection screen is sequentially displayed for each part, such as sleeves, front and back.

Thus, when the selection of the dough is completed, as shown in FIG. 9A, the purchase screen of the dough and the paper pattern is displayed. In the illustrated example, ¥ 1,000 is displayed as the fee for the fabric and pattern of the jacket (J001), and the buttons “Purchase”, “Cancel”, and “Return to previous screen” are displayed. When the user selects the purchase button, billing processing is performed. When the cancel button is selected, it is canceled including the previous selection procedure. When "Return to previous screen" is selected, the screen returns to the fabric selection screen. The user can reselect the fabric.

When the user selects the purchase button and the charging process is completed, a purchase completion screen is displayed as shown in FIG. 9B. The template is previewed on the right side of the screen, and a button for downloading the template is displayed on the left side of the screen. The user can download the template file by selecting this button. In addition, on this screen, it is displayed that the fabric and the IC tag are separately mailed (delivered).

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the function of the costume management server 400 of FIG. 7 in detail. The data processing unit 412 includes a selection unit 430, an operation condition generation unit 432, an ID generation unit 434, a management unit 436, an operation condition provision unit 438, a charge processing unit 440, an IC tag delivery request unit 442, a fabric delivery request unit 444 and a design. An information providing unit 446 is included. The data storage unit 414 includes a design information storage unit 420, a fabric characteristic storage unit 422, an operation condition storage unit 424, and a charge information storage unit 426.

In response to a request from the user terminal 250, the selection unit 430 provides a selection screen of a costume to be manufactured described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. The design information storage unit 420 holds various information on costume design, and the selection unit 430 configures a selection screen with reference to the design information storage unit 420. The design information storage unit 420 records various information necessary for forming a costume selection screen such as a finished image of a costume, a fabric usable for production, an image of a fabric, pattern data of a costume, and a production procedure. Holds information used to produce costumes, such as manuals.

FIG. 11A shows an example of the data structure of the costume information table stored in the design information storage unit 420. As shown in FIG. The costume information table is a table for designating the part of the pattern and the material of the usable cloth for each costume. The costume is identified by "Costlet ID", and pattern data is assigned to each costume ID. Moreover, the material of the material which can be utilized is matched with every site | part of a pattern. For example, the pattern file "C001.zip" is associated with the costume ID "C001", and the material A (e.g., leather) is designated at the portion of the pattern collar. In addition, material B (for example, fabric) is also specified for the part of the collar. This means that materials of material A and material B can be selected for the collar. Similarly, it is specified that the material of material A and material B can be selected for the sleeve part.

FIG. 11B shows an example of the data structure of the dough information table. The material information table stores information of the material in association with each material. The dough is identified by "Dough ID". The fabric ID differs depending on the color and pattern even if the material of the fabric is the same. For example, even if the material A is the same type, different fabric IDs such as “A001” are set if it is a red fabric, and “A003” if it is a fabric having a polka dot pattern. Even if it is the same red, different material IDs are set such as "A001" for material A and "B001" for material B. The design information storage unit 420 functions as a “storage unit” that holds information for guiding the production of a costume. The selection unit 430 of FIG. 10 refers to the costume information table and the fabric information table, and presents the costume selected by the user and the fabric options that can be used for producing the costume while the costume the user desires Determine the combination of fabrics to make.

The charging processing unit 440 transmits a charging process screen when the selection by the user is completed, and executes the charging process in response to the user's purchase request. The design information providing unit 446 acquires the template file from the design information storage unit 420 on the condition that the charging process is completed, and transmits the template file to the user terminal 250. The design information providing unit 446 functions as a “providing unit” that outputs a template file as “design information”.

The charging information storage unit 426 stores information for charging processing which is executed when providing the cloth and pattern file of the costume. This information includes information on the amount of money to be charged for each costume ID, purchase history information of each user, and the like.

The operating condition generation unit 432 receives information on the clothes selected by the user from the selection unit 430 and the material of each pattern part when the charging process is completed in the charge processing unit 440, and the clothes are worn The operating conditions of the robot 100 are determined. Then, the operation condition generation unit 432 generates an operation setting file based on the determined operation condition. The operating condition generation unit 432 functions as a "determination unit" that determines and outputs an operation condition of the robot, and also functions as a "generation unit" that generates an operation setting file based on the operation condition.

The fabric characteristic storage unit 422 stores correction information for each fabric for each costume and part used. The correction information is provided as a correction value for correcting the control amount (control command value) of each actuator so that proper operation control can be performed when the robot 100 wears the costume 180. The correction value is set based on the control amount of the reference state in which the robot 100 is mounted only on the outer skin 314, and includes the correction coefficient for the driving force of the actuator and the movable range of the driving target by the actuator.

FIG. 12 shows an example of the data structure of the material characteristic storage unit 422. The fabric characteristic storage unit 422 is a part of the costume (a part of the pattern), a material of the fabric adopted for the part, an actuator (movable part) whose part affects the operation, and a driving force of the actuator. The correction factor to be set to and the movable range of the actuator are associated and stored.

For example, in the case of the coat of the costume ID “C001”, when the material A (for example, skin) is used for the collar portion, the working resistance of the head becomes relatively large. Therefore, 1.5 is set as the correction coefficient of the actuator for driving the head left and right, and the left and right movable range of the head is set to -30 to 30 °. As described above, since the movable range in the reference state is −75 to 75 °, the control amount is greatly restricted. On the other hand, when the material B (for example, fabric) is used for the collar, the working resistance of the head is relatively small. Therefore, 1.2 is set as the correction coefficient of the actuator for driving the head left and right, and the left and right movable range of the head is set to -50 to 50 °.

If the costume is a jacket (J001), the structure is more flexible than the coat (C001). Therefore, the correction value of the actuator for driving the head tends to be relaxed. The same applies to the actuator that drives the arm. If the costume is a tank top (T001), no correction is made on the actuators that drive the head and arms, as they do not affect the operation of the head and arms. Alternatively, the correction range is set to 1.0, and the movable range is made to coincide with the reference state. Even if it is a tank top, when material C is selected as the material of the front, the weight has a slight influence on the advancing and retracting control of the wheel. For this reason, the correction coefficient is 1.1.

The operating condition generation unit 432 of FIG. 10 refers to the fabric characteristic storage unit 422 to determine the operating condition according to the combination of the costume and the fabric. Generally, costumes are manufactured by cutting the cloth according to the pattern and sewing the cut cloths together. By preparing in advance correction information obtained in consideration of the influence of the part on the actuator of the robot 100 for each part of the template, the operation condition generation unit 432 is manufactured with a combination of materials arbitrarily selected by the user. Can determine the appropriate operating conditions required when wearing a dress.

The management unit 436 receives the operation setting file from the operation condition generation unit 432. Thereafter, the management unit 436 instructs the ID generation unit 434 to generate a tag ID. The ID generation unit 434 receives the instruction from the management unit 436 and generates a tag ID. The tag ID is identification information generated for each costume, and does not overlap even if the combination of the same costume or the same cloth is used. That is, the information is generated for each costume manufactured using the costume management server 400 and is information that can uniquely identify the costume. The management unit 436 associates the tag ID generated by the ID generation unit 434 with the operation setting file generated by the operation condition generation unit 432, and stores the association in the operation condition storage unit 424.

FIG. 13 is a view showing an example of the data structure of the operating condition storage unit 424. As shown in FIG. The operating condition storage unit 424 holds a table in which a tag ID and a correction coefficient for each actuator and a movable range are associated as an operation setting file. In this figure, the information held in the operation setting file is described as a table for the sake of explanation, but the operation condition storage unit 424 stores data so that the corresponding operation setting file can be extracted using the tag ID as a key. do it.

The operation condition providing unit 438 in FIG. 10 receives the tag ID from the robot management server 200, and reads the operation setting file associated with the received tag ID from the operation condition storage unit 424. Then, the operation condition providing unit 438 transmits the operation setting file to the robot management server 200. The operating condition providing unit 438 can obtain the correction coefficient and the movable range for each actuator of the robot by referring to the operating condition storage unit 424 using the tag ID as a key.

The IC tag shipping request unit 442 requests the IC tag issuer to record the tag ID processed by the management unit 436 in the IC tag 182 and mail it to the user. The fabric delivery request unit 444 requests the fabric supplier to mail the fabric selected by the selection unit 430 to the user. These request information may be automatically transmitted to the terminal of each vendor.

FIG. 14 is a sequence diagram showing an outline of communication between the costume management server and the user terminal at the start of using the support service.
When there is an access request from the user terminal 250 (S10), the costume management server 400 sequentially transmits the above-described selection screen (S12). The user terminal 250 selects information (such as costume information) such as costumes and fabrics according to the user's input (S14), and transmits the selected information to the costume management server 400 (S16). When the selection by the user is completed, the costume management server 400 registers the selected information (S18), and transmits the purchase screen (S20).

When the user selects a purchase button (S22), the user terminal 250 transmits a purchase request (S24). The costume management server 400 executes charging processing in response to the purchase request (S26), and when it is completed, transmits a charging completion notification to the user terminal 250 (S28), and reads a paper pattern file corresponding to the costume information (S30).

When a request for a form is made from the user terminal 250 (S32), the form file is transmitted (S34). The user terminal 250 downloads the template file according to the user's operation (S40), and prints the template (S42).

On the other hand, the costume management server 400 issues a tag ID corresponding to the costume information (S44), and creates an operation condition (operation setting file) (S46). Then, the created operation condition is registered in association with the tag ID (S48). Thereafter, the tag ID shipping process described above is executed (S50), and the fabric shipping process is executed (S52).

FIG. 15 is a sequence diagram showing an outline of the procedure between the IC tag issuer and fabric supplier and the user.
After receiving the shipping instruction and the tag ID in S50 of FIG. 14, the IC tag issuing vendor writes the tag ID in the IC tag 182 (S60) and delivers the tag ID to the user home 252 (S62). On the other hand, after receiving the shipping instruction of S52 of FIG. 14, the fabric provider prepares the corresponding fabric (S64), and sends it to the user home 252. When the user receives these, the user cuts the cloth according to the already downloaded pattern (S68), sews the costume 180 (S70), and sews the IC tag 182 on the costume 180 (S72).

FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing a process of correcting the movement of the robot 100 when wearing a costume.
First, the equipment detection unit 154 physically recognizes the wearing of the clothes based on physical information such as image information, temperature information, and contact information (S100). When it is not possible to physically recognize wearing of the costume (N in S100), the subsequent processing is not performed. When it is possible to physically recognize the wearing of the costume (Y in S100) and when the equipment detection unit 154 can also detect the tag ID (Y in S102), that is, when wearing the official costume, the correction processing unit 156 The following correction processing is executed for the control amount.

If the corrected flag indicating that correction has already been made is OFF (N in S104), the correction processing unit 156 first executes operating condition acquisition processing for acquiring an operating condition via the robot management server 200 (N in S104) S106). Accordingly, when the operating condition is acquired (Y in S108), the correction processing is performed to reflect the correction coefficient and the operating range included in the operating condition in the control amount (S110). After the operation correction, the operation control unit 152 actually moves each actuator to measure an output value and an operation amount. The operation data indicating the relationship between the output value and the operation amount is referred to, and it is determined whether or not the desired operation amount is realized after the operation correction (S116).

On the other hand, when the equipment detection unit 154 can not detect the tag ID (N in S102), that is, when wearing a non-official costume, the operation control unit 152 executes the above-mentioned official costume wear request motion (S112). At this time, when the tag ID is not detected even after the predetermined time has elapsed (Y in S114), that is, when it is determined that the user does not intend to wear the official costume on the robot 100, the process proceeds to S116 to execute operation check. .

If the operation amount is appropriate (Y at S118), the operation control unit 152 turns on the correction completion flag (S120), and updates the correction information (S124). If the operation amount is not appropriate (N in S118), the operation control unit 152 autonomously executes the correction process (S122). That is, the operation control unit 152 records the output value and the operation amount of the actuator as operation data, and performs operation correction (correction of the driving force and correction of the movable range) without any trouble as the output value of each actuator. Then, the correction information is updated (S124).

FIG. 17 is a sequence diagram showing an outline of communication of the robot, the robot management server, and the costume management server in relation to the operation condition acquiring process of S106 in FIG.
When the tag ID is transmitted from the robot 100 and the transmission request of the operation condition is received (S80), the robot management server 200 accesses the costume management server 400, transmits the tag ID, and requests the transmission of the operation condition. .

The costume management server 400 refers to the data table based on the received tag ID, reads the corresponding operation setting file (S84), and transmits the file to the robot management server 200. The robot management server 200 stores the operation condition defined in the operation setting file in the correction information storage unit 219 (S88) and transmits it to the robot 100 (S90). The robot 100 stores the operating condition in the operating condition storage unit 424 (S92).

The costume production support system 500 has been described above based on the embodiment. According to the present embodiment, by sequentially providing the screens for guiding the production of the costume 180, it is possible to support the production of the costume of the robot 100 by the user. In particular, with regard to the costume 180 manufactured based on the support, the operating condition (correction information) when the robot 100 wears it is output. The robot 100 can perform an operation that is not unreasonable according to the costume 180 by reflecting the operation condition in the control, and can appropriately exhibit its performance. Since the appropriate operating conditions are set based on the type of the costume and the fabric thereof, it is possible to prevent or suppress the occurrence of a problem in the actuator of the robot 100. Thereby, the user can put on various clothes 180 on the robot 100 with peace of mind, and can enjoy living with the robot 100.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and modification, and the components can be modified and embodied without departing from the scope of the invention. Various inventions may be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of components disclosed in the above-described embodiment and modifications. Moreover, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the above-mentioned embodiment and modification.

In the above embodiment, an example has been shown in which pattern data is provided via a network as “design information” that designates a method of producing a costume. In a variant, a manual or other design information may be provided to indicate the production procedure. When the costume is produced by a 3D printer, control information of the 3D printer may be provided as design information. In addition, design information (pattern etc.) may be delivered.

In the above embodiment, the costume management server 400 has provided an example in which the fabric and pattern of the selected costume are provided to the user. In a modification, it may be made not to offer about cloth, or it can be made to be selectable by the user side. As a result, the user can purchase a cloth made of the same material through another route, and can make a costume with a cloth having a color or pattern more suited to his or her preference. As a result, the user can create a more original costume. The costume service company 402 can charge the user for the provision of the pattern and operating conditions. As a result, the degree of freedom of support services is also enhanced.

Alternatively, the costume service company may sell materials (fabrics and patterns) necessary for producing costumes on another route, and the costume management server may provide only the operating conditions of the robot. For example, the user may purchase the robot's costume on the Internet (online) or at a store (offline), and obtain the correction ID upon the purchase. The “correction ID” is identification information for acquiring the operating condition (correction information) of the robot wearing the costume. The correction ID may be used to request the costume management server to provide an operating condition. In that case, the user may have an IC tag and a writer that writes the correction ID to the IC tag. By mounting the IC tag in which the correction ID is written to the robot, the operating condition of the robot can be acquired as in the above embodiment.

The correction ID may be provided directly recognizable by the user, such as provided as a character string. In that case, the user terminal accesses the costume management server to request an operating condition. The information acquired by the user terminal can be transferred to the robot or robot management server. Alternatively, it may be provided in a state that the user can not directly recognize, such as being provided as a tag ID as in the above embodiment. In that case, the robot or robot management server accesses the costume management server to request an operating condition.

Although not described in the above embodiment, information for specifying the attachment position of the IC tag in the costume may be included in the design information (pattern data etc.). If the IC tag is not attached to the designated position, the robot may not be able to read the tag information.

In the said embodiment, the example which makes the user terminal 250 and the robot management server 200 another structure was shown. In a modification, the user terminal 250 and the robot management server 200 may be integrally configured. For example, the user terminal 250 may be a general-purpose computer such as a laptop PC, and the robot management server 200 may be realized by a part of its functions.

In the said embodiment, when the user terminal 250 connects with the costume management server 400 via the internet 510, the structure which receives a support service was shown. In a modification, the user may directly access the costume management server 400 using a terminal installed in the costume service company 402.

In the above-described embodiment, the robot has a soft shell having a specific shape, and a configuration is shown in which the costume is worn from above the shell. In a modification, the above-mentioned support device may be used for producing a costume of a robot having a shell different from the above-described shape or material or a robot not having a shell.

In the above-described embodiment and modification, one aspect of the robot is shown as a target for wearing a costume, but the support device is also applicable to other humanoid robots and pet robots.

Although the correction of the actuator has been mainly described in the above embodiment, the operation condition generation unit 432 of FIG. 10 is a value for correcting a sensor or the like whose characteristics change when the costume is worn, such as sensitivity correction of the touch sensor. May also be included in the operation configuration file.

As a modification of the above embodiment, the IC tag shipping request unit 442 in FIG. 10 may transmit the encrypted tag ID to the vendor and request writing to the IC tag. By configuring so that only the robot 100 can decrypt the encrypted tag ID, it is possible to prevent the tag ID from being used illegally and the common tag ID being used for a plurality of costumes.

Although not described in the above embodiment, a unique motion (also referred to as a "costal-specific motion") may be set for each costume to be produced. "Costume-specific motion" is a specific action unique to a costume associated with the costume. Furthermore, the triggering condition may be set for each costume-specific motion. For example, when the costume corresponding to the tag ID is a dance costume, a motion that causes the robot to dance as the costume-specific motion may be set, and dance music may be set as the trigger condition. Alternatively, if the costume corresponding to the tag ID imitates a specific idol or actor costume, set a motion that causes the robot to imitate the idol etc. as the costume-specific motion, and the user sets the motion condition as the motion condition. It may be set that a call such as an idol is detected. Then, in addition to the operation condition (correction information) described above, the tag unique ID may be associated with the costume unique motion and its activation condition to generate the operation setting file. The operation setting file includes a costume unique motion file in which the control content of the costume unique motion is defined.

The robot can download the operation setting file corresponding to the worn costume by transmitting the tag ID to the robot management server or the costume management server. The costume management server provides costume-specific motion files. When the operation condition corresponding to the tag ID is established, the robot executes the costume unique motion corresponding to the tag ID. As described above, by associating the costume unique motion with the operation setting file, it is possible to further enhance the service relating to the production of the costume of the robot.

In addition to the above, various modes can be set for the costume unique motion and its activation condition. For example, for the tag ID of a thick costume, a motion representing a hot gesture as a costume unique motion may be set, and the trigger condition may be that the temperature is 20 degrees or more.

Although not described in the above embodiment, a costume for protecting the robot from the functional aspect may be a production target. FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating a hat as a functional costume.
A hole is provided coaxially with the opening 390 of the outer skin 314 at the top of the head frame 316 of the robot 100, and the tongue 112 is inserted (see FIG. 2). A gap between the hole and the tongue 112 is a ventilation passage, and outside air can be introduced into the head frame 316. The outside air cools functional components (heat generating components such as a circuit board) in the head frame 316. For this reason, when producing a hat as a costume, it is preferable not to impair this cooling function.

The hat 520 shown in FIG. 18A has an insertion hole 522 at the top, through which the tongue 112 of the robot 100 is inserted. A mesh 524 is provided around the insertion hole 522 in the hat 520 to partially enhance air permeability. The hat 530 shown in FIG. 18 (b) has a mesh 526 at the rear in addition to the mesh 524 at the top. For example, in the case where an exhaust port is provided in the back of the head frame 316, air permeability can be further improved by providing the mesh 526 in accordance with the position of the exhaust port. In addition, cloth, leather and synthetic resin (plastic) can be selected as the material of the cloth of each hat.

In this modification, an example in which the ventilation structure is provided in the hat is shown in accordance with the structure of the robot 100, but the same ventilation structure may be adopted for clothes other than the hat. For example, in the case where a venting passage is formed at the connection portion of the tail in the pet-type robot, the clothes may be provided with holes for inserting the tail in the clothes, and the periphery may be meshed around the holes. .

That is, in the clothes worn by the robot, the ventilation improvement region may be provided in a portion covering the ventilation passage in the robot or in the vicinity of the ventilation passage. The "air flow improving region" may be realized by a porous structure such as a mesh, or may be realized by making the fabric relatively thin. It is preferable that the “ventilation improvement region” be provided at a position corresponding to the air supply port for introducing the outside air in the robot and a position corresponding to the exhaust port for discharging the inside air.

Claims (9)

1. A storage unit that holds information to guide the production of the robot's costume;
   A selection unit for displaying a selection screen of a costume to be produced according to a user's request input;
   A determination unit that determines and outputs an operating condition of the robot based on the selected costume;
   The costume production support device characterized by having.
2. The selection unit allows the user to select the fabric to be used for producing the selected costume,
   The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines an operating condition of the robot based on the selected clothes and fabric.
3. The costume production assisting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operating condition includes a correction value related to a driving force of an actuator of the robot.
4. The costume production assisting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the operating condition includes a set value regarding a drive amount of an actuator of the robot.
5. A generation unit that generates an operation setting file based on the determined operation condition;
   A management unit that outputs identification information for acquiring the operation setting file;
   The costume production supporting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising:
6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the identification information is provided in a state where the user can not directly refer to the identification information.
7. 7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the identification information is written to an IC tag and provided to a user.
8. The system further comprises a providing unit that outputs design information specifying a method of producing the selected costume,
   The robot has a function of acquiring, via a network, an operation setting file corresponding to the identification information written to the IC tag,
   8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the design information includes information for specifying a mounting position of the IC tag in the robot.
9. It further comprises a charge processing unit that executes charge processing,
   9. The costume production support apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the providing unit provides the design information on the condition that charging processing by the charging processing unit is completed.

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