S.M. Park

Emotion Interaction System for a Service Robot

This paper introduces an emotion interaction system for a service robot. The purpose of emotion interaction systems in service robots is to make people feel that the robot is not a mere machine, but reliable living assistant in the home. The emotion interaction system is composed of the emotion recognition, generation, and expression systems. A users emotion is recognized by multi-modality, such as voice, dialogue, and touch. The robots emotion is generated according to a psychological theory about emotion: OCC (Ortony, Clore, and Collins) model, which focuses on the users emotional state and the information about environment and the robot itself. The generated emotion is expressed by facial expression, gesture, and the musical sound of the robot. Because the proposed system is composed of all the three components that are necessary for a full emotional interaction cycle, it can be implemented in the real robot system and be tested. Even though the multi- modality in emotion recognition and expression is still in its rudimentary stages, the proposed system is shown to be extremely useful in service robot applications. Furthermore, the proposed framework can be a cornerstone for the design of emotion interaction and generation systems for robots.

Physical barrier effect of geopolymeric waste form on diffusivity of cesium and strontium

The present study investigates the physical barrier effect of geopolymeric waste form on leaching behavior of cesium and strontium. Fly ash-based geopolymers and slag-blended geopolymers were used as solidification agents. The leaching behavior of cesium and strontium from geopolymers was evaluated in accordance with ANSI/ANS-16.1. The diffusivity of cesium and strontium in a fly ash-based geopolymer was lower than that in Portland cement by a factor of 10(3) and 10(4), respectively, showing significantly improved immobilization performance. The leaching resistance of fly ash-based geopolymer was relatively constant regardless of the type of fly ash. The diffusivity of water-soluble cesium and strontium ions were highly correlated with the critical pore diameter of the binder. The critical pore diameter of the fly ash-based geopolymer was remarkably smaller than those of Portland cement and slag-blended geopolymer; consequently, its ability physically to retard the diffusion of nuclides (physical barrier effect) was superior.

Composition of musical sound to express robot's emotion with intensity and synchronized expression with robot's behavior

In human-robot interaction, emotion expression of robot is one of the important issue for interacting with human more dynamically. In this paper, we consider two issues in view of real robot implementation. One is emotional intensity expression and the other is synchronized expression with behavior of robot. To express emotional intensity, we regulate tempo, pitch, and volume of base emotion sound which are controllable parameters by computer system of robot. We also suggest musical structure which has repeatable section to synchronize with robots behavior.

Unlocking the role of MgO in the carbonation of alkali-activated slag cement

The present study investigates the role of MgO in local structural changes occurring during the accelerated carbonation of alkali-activated slag (AAS) using synchrotron X-ray diffraction, mercury intrusion porosimetry, thermogravimetry, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The obtained results provide new insight showing that MgO incorporation into AAS reduced Al substitution in C-S-H and led to the formation of secondary phases, which significantly altered the route of carbonation. In particular, the carbonation of secondary phases (i.e., layered double hydroxide) occurred and reduced the extent of carbonation in C-A-S-H. Consequently, a buffer-like system is provided, showing similar behavior but different principles involved in comparison with those in Portland cement. This effect was found to dramatically reduce the degrees of decalcification, dehydration and polymerization of C-A-S-H under accelerated carbonation conditions.

Synthesis of geopolymer-supported zeolites via robust one-step method and their adsorption potential

The present study proposes a robust one-step hydrothermal treatment method for synthesis of high strength geopolymer-supported zeolites utilizing industrial by-products (fly ash and blast furnace slag), which can be potentially used as bulk-type solid adsorbents. The results revealed that the geopolymer-supported zeolites, possessing distinct strengths, zeolite phases (Na-P1, Na-chabazite, and analcime) and pore features depending on the mix design and synthesis conditions, can be easily synthesized employing the proposed one-step method. The geopolymer-supported zeolites exhibited the characteristics of mesoporous materials which are typically desired for commercial adsorbents. The maximum adsorption capacity for Pb2+ was found to be about 37.9 mg/g which is relatively higher than the other bulk-type adsorbents reported for Pb2+ to date. Since industrial by-products are used for synthesis of these materials, it will help in reducing the environmental hazards associated with the permanent disposal of such by-products, with an added advantage that these bulk-type solid adsorbents can be easily retrieved after use unlike granular adsorbents.