Chang-Su Kim

User-centered approach to path planning of cleaning robots: analyzing user's cleaning behavior

Current research on robot navigation is focused on clear recognition of the map and optimal path planning. The human cleaning path is, however, not optimal regarding time but optimal to the cleaning purpose. We have analyzed in this paper the cleaning behaviors in home environments and understood the users path planning behaviors through usage tests of various vacuuming robots. We discovered that the actual user cleans with methods unique to specific areas of the house rather than following an optimal cleaning path. We not only suggest a path planning method for the vacuuming robot by using a layered map, but also a cleaning area designating method reflecting each areas characteristics. Based on these, we have designed a vacuuming robots actions.

Autonomous behavior design for robotic appliance

We consider robotic appliances, mobile and intelligent robots that perform household tasks, and study design method for autonomous behaviors of robotic appliances, a key component in human-robot and robot-environment interactions. Specifically, we develop robot behavior diagram, a visualized, robot-centric, chart-based behavior design method that is useful in describing robotic behaviors and transitions among them. This tool enables systematic construction of exhaustive set of autonomous behaviors, within the context of given set of robotic functionalities. First, the set of functionalities for a given robot is defined. Then, employing the defined functionalities, a diagram is constructed with behavioral states and events that can trigger transitions to other behaviors. For any given behavioral state, all plausible events are considered, and this is repeated until the diagram is complete with all the possible behaviors and events. We demonstrate that, via this method, a complete and robust behavioral scenario design is indeed attainable, by applying robot behavior diagram approach to an example household cleaning robot platform.

Display button: a marriage of GUI and PUI

GUI (graphical user interface) output and PUI (physical user interface) input are two major concepts of user interface design for commercial products. GUIs and PUIs have been normally implemented on individual devices such as a screen and sets of buttons, respectively. However, recent researches show several cases of combining GUI and PUI into one user interface module, which can display visual information and collect user inputs simultaneously. With this combination, the expressiveness and flexibility of GUI can compensate impassive face of physical buttons, and the straightforward and intuitive way of using PUI, like pushing a button, can remedy old tradition of GUIs learnability and memorability issues. This study presents Display Button, a modular component combining GUI and PUI with least production cost increase, and surveys its characteristics and merits in several contexts of consumer appliances. Display Button modules were applied in forms of additional components of conventional display and independent components. In order to design user interfaces of mobile phone and digital camera with Display Button modules, pattern-oriented approach is used to ensure smoother migration from traditional user interface to novel use of Display Button. Display Button can be applied to various kinds of consumer electronics with many possible alternative combinations, and hence increase their market competency with both of better end-user experience and less production cost.