WO2020044511A1

WO2020044511A1 - General purpose character-based robot

Info

Publication number: WO2020044511A1
Application number: PCT/JP2018/032210
Authority: WO
Inventors: 智太郎池
Original assignee: 株式会社日本ビジネスデータープロセシングセンター
Priority date: 2018-08-30
Filing date: 2018-08-30
Publication date: 2020-03-05
Also published as: TW202014281A

Abstract

Provided is a general purpose character-based robot 1 of which the size can be adjusted and the shape varied in accordance with various exterior parts 40, and which can be caused to perform desired movements corresponding to a character. This general purpose character-based robot is provided with a framework portion 20, a movement mechanism 11 for causing the framework portion to move, and a control portion 10 for controlling the movement mechanism in such a way that the framework portion is caused to perform movements of a desired movement pattern, wherein at least either size adjustment or shape modification of the framework portion is possible in accordance with the exterior parts attached to the framework portion.

Description

General-purpose character-based robot

The present invention relates to a general-purpose character-based robot that can function as a control skeleton of any character according to various exterior parts.

Conventionally, when local governments and others use character mascots, it is common for people to wear costumes and other costumes, but in consideration of severe labor and rising labor costs under scorching sun etc. There is an attempt to substitute a robot. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a technique in which a robot wears costumes to change behavior characteristics.
In recent years, the style of customer service itself has been diversified, and new services that meet the diverse needs of customers have been demanded.

WO2018 / 8323

However, since there are various types of character mascots, each character mascot user must develop a robot corresponding to each. That is, since the size and motion of the character mascot are individual for each character, it is not possible to apply the same robot to them as it is. Therefore, the robot must be developed individually, and the development cost of each robot increases.

In addition, in order to respond to the diversification of customer needs in recent years, there has been a demand for robotization of robots such as receptions at stores and the like, and exhibits such as mannequins, but since the size and required operation of these are also various. However, there is a problem similar to the above, and it is difficult to meet various needs of customers.

The present invention has been proposed in order to solve such a problem. The purpose of the present invention is to enable various size adjustments and shape changes according to exterior parts, and to perform desired actions according to a character. It is to provide a general-purpose character-based robot with high versatility.

In order to achieve the above object, a general-purpose character-based robot according to the present invention includes a skeleton, an operation mechanism for operating the skeleton, and a control for controlling the operation mechanism to cause the skeleton to perform a desired operation pattern. And a skeleton, wherein at least one of size adjustment and shape change is possible in accordance with exterior parts to be attached to the skeleton.

Since the general-purpose character-based robot of the present invention has the above-described configuration, it can be adjusted in size and shape in accordance with various exterior parts, and can perform desired motions that match the application, character, and the like. Because of its high versatility, it can meet various needs.

It is a figure showing an example of a general-purpose character-based robot concerning one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an internal basic configuration of a general-purpose character-based robot. It is a figure showing other examples of a general-purpose character base robot. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating still another example of the general-purpose character-based robot. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating still another example of the general-purpose character-based robot.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
First, a schematic basic configuration of the general-purpose character-based robot 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

The general-purpose character-based robot 1 includes a skeleton unit 20, an operation mechanism 11 for operating the skeleton unit 20, and a control unit 10 for controlling the operation mechanism 11 to cause the skeleton unit 20 to perform an operation of a desired operation pattern. I have. The skeleton 20 can be adjusted in size and / or changed in shape according to the exterior parts 40 to be attached to the skeleton 20.

The general-purpose character-based robot 1 is a model robot generally used for various purposes, and is adjusted in size and shape according to customer needs, exterior parts owned by the customer, applications, etc. By customizing the operation and the like and changing the exterior parts 40, the character robot 3 of various characters can be obtained. In the following embodiments, the operation pattern for each application can be selected as described later. Note that the general-purpose character-based robot 1 may be an intelligent robot. In this case, however, the motion pattern may not be a specific one according to the application, and may be based on knowledge and intelligence acquired at the time of operation. Good.

The general-purpose character-based robot 1 is, for example, a character mascot robot (for example, a mascot character of a local government, a costume character of an animated character, a theme park, or the like), a reception staff type robot that accepts, responds, and guides a visitor, for display. It is used as a robot (for example, a mannequin or a show model), a stationary robot (for example, a desktop robot), or the like.

Next, details of the general-purpose character-based robot 1 and the character robot 3 shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG.

The skeletal portion 20 may be the outer portion and the base portion of the robot, and may have at least one of the head 21, the torso 22, the leg 23, and the arm 24. As a matter of course, as shown in FIG. 1A, the head 21, the body 22, the legs 23, and the arms 24 may be provided. An image sensor 21 a and a microphone sensor 21 b are mounted on the head 21, and an upper joint 21 c and a lower joint 21 d formed of a biaxial joint are provided between the head 21 and the torso 22. Have. The upper joint 21c is an axis for performing an operation of bending the head 21 left and right, and the lower joint 21d is an axis for performing an operation of looking up, looking down, and nodding the head 21.

Although the robot shown in FIG. 1 is a bipedal walking type robot 3, it can also be used as a stationary type, and can be detachably supported so that it can be installed stably when used as a stationary type. , And can be fixed to the installation table 27.

As shown by a plurality of arrows in FIG. 1A, the general-purpose character-based robot 1 can adjust the size of the head 21, the body 22, the legs 23, and the arms 24, and can change the shape. And can be changed. For example, the leg 23 expands and contracts (see FIG. 1B), the shape changes from a state in which the arm 24 is hung to a banzai state, a shape changes from a tall character to a short character, and a mobile character robot. Can be changed to a stationary character robot.

The control unit 10 cooperates with each unit and each unit, controls the operation mechanism 11 so that the skeleton unit 20 can operate, and includes a CPU, various programs, and the like. Further, the control unit 10 may be configured to collect information via the image sensor 21 a mounted on the head 21 and various sensors 31. For example, the video image captured by the image sensor 21a may be transmitted to the control unit 10 and stored in the storage unit 35, or may be analyzed by the control unit 10 captured by the image sensor 21a and transmitted to another The operation may be sent to a communication terminal at a location. In this case, the operation of the character robot 3 may be controlled by remote control from another location. With the image sensor 21a as described above, the character robot 3 can be used as a patrol monitoring robot. Further, the microphone sensor 21b may collect sound, and in this case, for example, when a sound louder than a set value is caught, the microphone sensor 21b may be linked with an operating program such as waving a hand. Further, the image sensor 21a and the microphone sensor 21b mounted on the head 21 and the sensor 31 may be a human speaker. In this case, when an object such as a person or an object is detected, it may be linked with a program for playing music or speaking.

The operation mechanism 11 mainly includes a drive mechanism such as an actuator or a motor for operating each part of the skeleton 20, and further includes a movement mechanism 12 for walking and a mechanism constituting a conversation means 33 to be described later. The control unit 10 and the operation mechanism 11 may be provided inside or outside the skeleton unit 20.

Further, the skeleton unit 20 includes, for example, a distance measurement sensor 31a, a microphone sensor 21b, various other sensors 31, a safety control unit 32, a conversation unit 33, an operation selection unit 34, and a storage unit 35 (internal or external). ) Has been.

The distance measuring sensor 31a is a sensor that detects a distance from another object such as a person or an object when the general-purpose character-based robot 1 walks. The safety control unit 32 is a component that adjusts the moving speed based on the detection result of the distance measurement sensor 31a, and is configured to operate in cooperation with the control unit 10 and the operation mechanism 11.

The conversation means 33 is configured to input a voice of a user or the like through a sound collecting microphone (not shown), generate a voice based on the input voice, and output the voice through a speaker (not illustrated).

The operation selecting unit 34 includes a changeover switch for selecting a desired operation pattern from a plurality of operation patterns. If an operation pattern is associated with a use, a switch that can be switched for each use may be provided as the operation selection unit 34. Further, such a changeover switch is not limited to a switch operated by a person, and may be an identification ID tag such as an RFID tag associated with a use (various types of exterior parts 40). The operation pattern suitable for the exterior part 40 may be automatically selected when the exterior part 40 is worn by attaching it to the inner surface of the part 40 or the like.

When the general-purpose character-based robot 1 is an intelligent robot, the motion pattern does not have to be a specific motion pattern as described above. Therefore, an area of knowledge data in which motion elements are multiplied by learning is linked to the motion pattern. What is necessary is just to be able to operate based on the knowledge stored in the area for each application.

The storage unit 35 is a storage area for storing various constant data, variable data, video data, and the like used in the above-described units and units, and is formed of various media. For example, the operation elements constituting the operation pattern may be stored in the storage unit 35. The knowledge data may be defined in the storage unit 35. The motion pattern and the knowledge data may be stored in a server or a cloud that manages a plurality of general-purpose character-based robots 1. In addition, the movement patterns mentioned here include waving, bowing, shaking the head, blinking, and when a person is detected, approach and ask for a handshake, talk, operate the touch panel And any other operation patterns.

構成 As described above, the configuration of the skeleton 20 is not limited to the above. Therefore, for example, some exterior parts 40 of the general-purpose character-based robot 1 include an exhaust mechanism that sends air from an intake fan for waste heat to a cooling location using an air tube or the like and simultaneously releases heat from the air tube to an exhaust fan. Is also good.

外装 Exterior parts 40 having various exterior designs can be attached to the skeleton 20 of the general-purpose character-based robot 1. As the exterior part 40, various parts depending on the use are assumed. For example, a so-called costume such as a character or a mascot may be used as the exterior part 40 or an exterior part 40 such as an exhibition robot.

Since these various exterior parts 40 are supposed to have various sizes and shapes, the body 22, the legs 23, the arms 24, and the like are changed according to the size and shape of the exterior parts 40, for example, as shown in FIG. As shown in ()), for example, the size may be adjusted (expanded or contracted) by the joint 25 or the shape may be changed.

The method and mechanism of size adjustment and shape change are not particularly limited, and a method of mechanically expanding and contracting each part as shown in FIG. Moreover, you may use an expansion-contraction rod, a flexible tube, etc. For example, it may be one that slides to adjust the height of the chair and is screwed at a predetermined position, and further, for example, the leg 23 and the like may be partially or all parts replaceable. Is also good. Further, a method in which the above-described elastic structure can be electrically operated to be changed may be used. For example, when an operation pattern is selected by the operation selection unit 34, the size may be adjusted or the shape may be changed together with the selection.

As described above, according to the general-purpose character-based robot 1, the skeleton portion 20 can be matched with various exterior parts 40, and the exterior parts 40 can be worn, and the desired appearance and character suitable for the exterior parts 40 can be used. The movement can be performed by the general-purpose character-based robot 1.

In this way, if it is prepared to add a program so that the control unit 10, the operation mechanism 11, and the like operate so as to operate the operation pattern according to the use and the character of the exterior part 40, the skeleton unit 20 is prepared. Can be easily changed (setting change according to the use) simply by changing the setting (size adjustment, shape change) and selecting the operation pattern by the operation selection unit 34.

The operation pattern corresponding to the application may be prepared each time the necessity of the application occurs, and the application may be changed by adding or changing a program without depending on the operation selection unit 34. In this way, the general-purpose character-based robot 1 only needs to be able to at least adjust its size, change its shape, and the like in accordance with at least the exterior parts 40 attached to the skeleton 20.

FIG. 1 shows the general-purpose character-based robot 1 wearing the exterior parts 40 of the bipedal walking robot for exhibition, but as described above, the size of the skeleton 20 is adjusted, the shape is changed, and the exterior parts are changed. By using the general-purpose character-based robot 1 shown in FIG. 1, a character robot 3 for a bipedal walking type character / mascot having different sizes of hands, feet, and torso as shown in FIG. Can be transformed. Although FIG. 3 simply shows the shape of the skeletal portion 20 of FIG. 1, the mechanism of the base is the same as that of FIG.

The exterior parts 40 are not limited to soft ones such as clothes worn by people and the above-mentioned costumes, but may be hard ones, that is, materials such as aluminum or other metal or hard resin. In this way, by attaching the exterior part 40 for the outer shell of the robot according to the application to the general-purpose character-based robot 1, the robot can be used in such a manner that it is transformed into a new robot in appearance.

Further, an exterior part 40 such as a silicon android, for example, which reproduces a person faithfully to the general-purpose character-based robot 1 may be worn, or as a reception / guide robot imitating a humanoid as shown in FIG. It can be used, for example, as a reception and guidance robot for department stores, hospitals, city halls, companies, airports, stations, museums, libraries, museums, exhibitions, restaurants, retail stores, and the like.

If the character robot 3 wearing the exterior part 40 on the general-purpose character base robot 1 is used for the mascot character, the general-purpose character base robot 1 wears the exterior part 40 instead of the human, so that a long-time show under the scorching sun For example, it can be effectively used for a character show in which a harsh working environment is created if a person does. Of course, using the general-purpose character-based robot 1 in place of a human in this way also contributes to eliminating shortage of labor and reducing labor costs.

Furthermore, by attaching exterior parts 40 of dinosaurs and animals to the general-purpose character-based robot 1, the robot can be used as a four-legged living character robot 3 for display as shown in FIG. Further, for example, it can be used for a mannequin in a department store, and can also be used for a doll to be displayed in a wax museum or the like. In such a case, the movement may be limited to eye movement, movement of the arm 24, conversation, etc., without walking. Still further, the general-purpose character-based robot 1 stores the unique motion of the fashion model, and wears human clothes on the human-shaped exterior part 40 such as a mannequin, and can be used in a fashion show or an apparel shop show window. You may do so.

The general-purpose character-based robot 1 may be of a walking type, or may be of a non-walking type only for head rotation, arm movement, and conversation. It should be noted that a movable type using a roller may be used.

Also, it can be used for robots of a type that is installed on a desktop or the like. It can be placed in a living room or the like like a pet and used as a healing robot that can enjoy conversation and the like. Various types of animal exterior parts 40 may be worn according to personal preference.

As described above, if the general-purpose character-based robot 1 is used, the robot can be transformed into a character robot 3 for various uses, and as a result, a user who needs the character robot 3 can be newly used. This saves time and effort in developing a robot and reduces development costs. In addition, the character robot 3 is used in service robots for customer service and directing, healing service robots for hospitalized patients and residents living in nursing care facilities, childcare facilities such as child and nursery schools, and educational facilities in schools and cram schools. It can respond to various needs of customers.

In the above-described embodiment, the configuration, size adjustment, and shape change method of the skeleton 20 of the general-purpose character-based robot 1 are not limited to the illustrated examples and the above description. The configurations of the various sensors 31 and programs are not limited to those described above, and those that meet diversified needs can be applied.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 General-purpose character base robot 3 Character robot 10 Control part 11 Operating mechanism 12 Moving mechanism 20 Skeletal part 21 Head 22 Trunk part 23 Leg part 24 Arm part 25 Joint 26 Support leg part 31 Sensor 31a Distance measuring sensor 32 Safety control part 33 Conversation Means 34 Storage unit 35 Operation selection unit 40 Exterior parts

Claims

The skeleton,
An operating mechanism for operating the skeleton,
A control unit that controls the operation mechanism so that the operation of a desired operation pattern is performed by the skeleton unit,
The general-purpose character-based robot according to claim 1, wherein the skeletal portion is capable of at least one of size adjustment and shape change according to exterior parts worn on the skeletal portion.
In claim 1,
The skeleton includes at least one of a head, a torso, a leg, and an arm,
A general-purpose character-based robot characterized in that at least one of them can be changed in shape, adjusted in size, or replaced to change the shape and size of the skeleton. .
In claim 1 or claim 2,
The skeleton includes a distance measuring sensor for detecting a distance to another object and a safety control unit for adjusting a moving speed based on a detection result of the distance measuring sensor. Character-based robot.
In any one of claims 1 to 3,
A general-purpose character-based robot, wherein a conversation means is mounted on the skeleton.