Tomotaka Ito

Mobile Robot with Eyeball Expression as the Preliminary-Announcement and Display of the Robot’s Following Motion

This paper explains the PMR-2R (prototype mobile robot –2 revised), the mobile robot with the eyeball expression as the preliminary-announcement and display of the robot’s following motion. Firstly, we indicate the importance of the preliminary-announcement and display function of the mobile robot’s following motion for the informational affinity between human being and a robot, with explaining the conventional methods and the related works. We show the proposed four methods which are categorized into two types: one type which indicates a state just after the moment and the other type which displays from the present to some future time continuously. Then we introduce the PMR-2R, which has the omni-directional display, the magicball, on which the eyeball expresses the robot’s following direction of motion and the speed of motion at the same time. From the evaluation experiment, we confirmed the efficiency of the eyeball expression to transfer the information. We also obtained the announcement at around one or two second before the actual motion may be appropriate. And finally we compare the four types of eyeball expression: the one-eyeball type, the two-eyeball type, the will-o’-the-wisp type, and the armor-helmet type. From the evaluation experiment, we have declared the importance to make the robot’s front more intelligible especially to announce the robot’s direction of motion.

Examination by software simulation on preliminary-announcement and display of mobile robot's following action by lamp or blowouts

This paper discusses the preliminary-announcement and display function of the robots following action and intention, especially about the direction of motion and the speed of motion for mobile robot which moves on a 2-dimensional plane. We started with a software simulation about the announcement method indicating a state just after the moment, with lighting lamps and with using blowouts (elastic arrow) on translation and rotation separately. As a result, the following three remarks have been obtained: not only the direction of motion but also the speed of motion is effective to estimate the following translation. Not the rotation speed but the rotation angle (the target direction) is efficient to understand the following revolution. Around 1-second before the actual motion is the optimal timing to recognize the robots following motion both on translation and rotation. Moreover we have verified the validity of the preliminary-announcement and display also for the general movement on a plane.

Brain machine interface using portable Near-InfraRed spectroscopy — Improvement of classification performance based on ICA analysis and self-proliferating LVQ

Recently, the Brain-Machine Interface (BMI) has been expected to be applied to robotics and medical science field as a new intuitive interface. BMI measures human cerebral activities and uses them directly as an input signal to various instruments. The future goal of our research is to design a practical BMI system that can be used reliably in daily lives. In this paper, we will discuss a design method of a BMI system using a portable Near-InfraRed Spectroscopy (NIRS) device and then we will consider improving the performance of the learning vector quantization (LVQ) classifier by using the independent component analysis (ICA) and the self-proliferating function of neurons. The effectiveness of the proposed method is investigated in human imagery classification experiments.

Simulation of preliminary-announcement and display of mobile robot's following action by lamp, party-blowouts, or beam-light

This paper examines the preliminary-announcement and display function of the robots following action and intention, especially about the direction of motion and the speed of motion for mobile robot which moves on a 2D plane. Based on the result of the fundamental examination, the validity of the preliminary-announcement and display at around 1 second before the actual motion has been verified on a 2D plane. Moreover we have found that human being tends to understand the change of speed of the mobile robot more with some transforming object than with some changing-color object. Comparing two types of the proposed methods, the efficiency of the preliminary-announcement and display by indicating the continuous information as drawing with beam-light more than by displaying a state as lighting lamp or using blowouts have been declared. Moreover, we have found that the scheduled path needs some amount of length for a person to understand the mobile robots following action.

Design of brain machine interface using portable Near-InfraRed Spectroscopy

In recent years, robotics and medical sciences have focused on a new input interface, “the Brain-Machine Interface (BMI).” This measures human cerebral activities and uses them directly as an input signal to instruments, machines, robots, etc. In this research, we aim to design a practical BMI system using a portable Near-InfraRed Spectroscopy (NIRS) device that can be used reliably in the living environment. In this paper, we will discuss a method to improve the classification performance of human cerebral activities in the living environment. The influence of daily living activities and the effect of the image evoking training and the additional learning are investigated experimentally.

Human-machine Collaboration System for Fine Assembly Process

The assembly process of some fine parts such as semiconductor and MEMS (micro electro mechanical systems), is very difficult to conduct based on the operation of an automated system or a human, since the size of the fine parts are very small and fragile. This paper proposes the concept of conducting advanced assembly process and highly precise positioning operation based on a collaboration of human and machine, such that a high productivity can be achieved. An experimental system to realize and to confirm the effectiveness of the concept is constructed using tele-manipulation and augmented reality (AR) technologies. The experimental system is composed of a haptic device, an augmented reality monitor, a robot manipulator with hand in the end-effector for handling the fine part, a force sensor, some cameras, and a work jig. The effectiveness of the assembly process of fine parts using tele-manipulation and augmented reality is confirmed by some experiments. In the experiments, by adjusting the workspace in the operator side and the assembly area side using scaling factor in the motion command from haptic device to robot manipulator, and also reaction force occurred in the assembly area to haptic device, the assembly process can be conducted effectively. In addition, it is also confirmed that by putting some vector representations of motion command and force in the augmented reality monitor, it can assist human to conduct the assembly process. This paper describes the concept and the experimental system to realize the concept in more detail

Synchronization of mobile robot's movement and preliminary announcement using omni-directional display

Human-friendly robot which supports and assists human being directly beside human being is expected as it has become an aging and decrease-in-the-birthrate society. In addition to the safety function to avoid dangers for human being, we think the informational affinity function is important such as to announce surrounding people the robots following motion before beginning to move. A person can anticipate and guess others motion considering human bodys functional features and behavioral pattern as common sense. This paper discusses the preliminary announcement and display function of mobile robots following motion , the direction of motion and the speed of motion, by using a omni-directional display, magicball (R). We have been developing the mobile robot PMR-2 which tells its following action with eyeball expressions.

Development of MR fluid-based gait assist cane for elderly people

Recently, the population ratio of elderly people is increasing rapidly and so, to improve the QOL of elderly people is a todays important social issue. An urgent problem is the decrease of the walking ability. Elderly persons who have the difficulty in walking are increasing today and thus, there are many elderly persons who need special support for walking. In this research, we aim to develop a new multi-legs gait assist cane which can improve the stability of the walk on the uneven terrain and can prevent fall with robot technologies. In this paper, we developed a prototype of a gait assist cane which has the expansion and contraction mechanism with variable compliance in each leg. It is controlled mainly by using MR fluid and passive springs. In this paper, we realized the absorption function for the ununiformity of terrain surface by controlling the compliance of each leg. We also discussed the external force estimation algorithm, i.e. users force estimation algorithm. The experimental results show the validity of the proposed approach.

Incorporation of autonomous control elements in combination control of remote operation and autonomous control

This paper examined the combination control in which remote operation is combined with autonomous behaviours with the aim to realize the remote operation of mobile robot which moves in human-coexisting environment. In revolution, following, and slowdown which we had proposed as combination control the autonomous action element in consideration of the distance and direction to an obstacle and the speed of motion of the mobile robot at that time has been examined. Fuzzy reasoning and vector component are used to achieve this consideration. Although there was no big difference in following, mileage becomes short in revolution, and transit time was shortened in slowdown. Furthermore in order to avoid a near miss with an obstacle completely, slowdown is incorporated with revolution or following. Verification experiment in software simulation has been carried out with the same subject persons. Although it takes a little longer transit time, other special bad influence did not appear.