Toshiaki Maki

Multi-cue 3D object recognition in knowledge-based vision-guided humanoid robot system

A vision based object recognition subsystem on knowledge-based humanoid robot system is presented. Humanoid robot system for real world service application must integrate an object recognition subsystem and a motion planning subsystem in both mobility and manipulation tasks. These requirements involve the vision system capable of self-localization for navigation tasks and object recognition for manipulation tasks, while communicating with the motion planning subsystem. In this paper, we describe a design and implementation of knowledge based visual 3D object recognition system with multi-cue integration using particle filter technique. The particle filter provides very robust object recognition performance and knowledge based approach enables robot to perform both object localization and self localization with movable/fixed information. Since this object recognition subsystem share knowledge with a motion planning subsystem, we are able to generate vision-guided humanoid behaviors without considering visual processing functions. Finally, in order to demonstrate the generality of the system, we demonstrated several vision-based humanoid behavior experiments in a daily life environment.

Task guided attention control and visual verification in tea serving by the daily assistive humanoid HRP2JSK

This paper describes daily assistive task experiments that conducting on the HRP2JSK humanoid robot. We present overall action and recognition integrated system design to realize daily assistive behaviors autonomously and robustly, along with the demonstration that the HRP2JSK pours tea from a bottle to a cup and wash it after human drink it. To obtain autonomy and robustness, visual recognition and behavior control through perception information are important.

System integration of a daily assistive robot and its application to tidying and cleaning rooms

This paper describes a software system integration of daily assistive robots. Several tasks related to cleaning and tidying up rooms are focused on. Recognition and motion generation functions needed to perform daily assistance are developed, and these functions are used to design various behaviors involved in daily assistance. In our approach, the robot behaviours are divided into simple units which consist of 3 functions as check/plan/do, it provides us with high reusable and flexible development environment. Because sequential task execution can be achieved only after functions about failure detection and recovery, we also try to implement such functions in keeping with this approach. In addition to using simple behavior unit, multilayer error handling is effective. Experiments doing several daily tasks with handling daily tools showed the effectiveness of our system.

Wheelchair support by a humanoid through integrating environment recognition, whole-body control and human-interface behind the user

In this paper, we treat with wheelchair support by a life-sized humanoid robot. It is quite essential to integrate whole-body motion, recognition of environment and human-interface behind the user in order to achieve this task. Contributions of this paper is whole-body control including pushing motion using the offset of the ZMP and observation of the attitude outlier, recognition of the wheelchair using particle filter and human-interface behind the person using face detection and recognition of gesture.

Tidying and cleaning rooms using a daily assistive robot

This paper describes a system integration of daily assistive robots. Several tasks related to cleaning and tidying up rooms are focused on. Recognition and motion generation functions were integrated onto the robot, and these provided failure detection and in some cases, its recovery. Experiments of several daily tasks handling daily tools showed the effectiveness of our system.

Enhanced Mother Environment with Humanoid Specialization in IRT Robot Systems

In the research to realize high standard task-oriented assistant robots, a general and strategic way of development is essential. Otherwise high functionality and potential for evolution of those robots cannot be achieved. Robotic systems are socially expected to assist our daily life in many situations. As a result, projects related to those robots are becoming large, involving many researchers and engineers of universities and companies. This motivated us a new strategy to construct robotic systems based on mother environment and humanoid specialization to keep developing and refining functional elements of robots in an evolutionary way. The mother environment is an entity that creates brains of humanoid robots, where various robotics function elements, libraries, middle-wares and other research tools are integrated. Then the brain of each robot is developed utilizing the functional elements in the mother. We call this process specialization of a humanoid. To enhance this specialization process, we introduce a generator, which realizes conversion of functions in the mother environment for the real-time layer. After the research of these specific robots, enhanced robotics functions are incorporated into the mother again. We call this process feedback. In this chapter, we present these ideas using concrete implementation examples in IRT projects[1], where several robots to assist our daily life are developed.