Yoshihiko Matsukawa

Voice selection apparatus voice response apparatus, and game apparatus using word tables from which selected words are output as voice selections

A game apparatus of the invention includes: a voice input section for inputting at least one voice set including voice uttered by an operator, for converting the voice set into a first electric signal, and for outputting the first electric signal; a voice recognition section for recognizing the voice set on the basis of the first electric signal output from the voice input means; an image input section for optically detecting a movement of the lips of the operator, for converting the detected movement of lips into a second electric signal, and for outputting the second electric signal; a speech period detection section for receiving the second electric signal, and for obtaining a period in which the voice is uttered by the operator on the basis of the received second electric signal; an overall judgment section for extracting the voice uttered by the operator from the input voice set, on the basis of the voice set recognized by the voice recognition means and the period obtained by the speech period detection means; and a control means for controlling an object on the basis of the voice extracted by the overall judgment means.

A novel visible light communication system for enhanced control of autonomous delivery robots in a hospital

Control systems for Autonomous mobile delivery robots have been described before. However, the control they provide is limited, leaving potential for serious errors. The current mobile robot systems concentrate on position accuracy and operational function but leave open management of safety hazards such as entering the dangerous and not intended areas as stairway. In order to increase the safety of the robot, it is as important to work with sensors installed in the external environment as the sensors installed on the robot. For this purpose, visible light communication (VLC) is a promising device to be used with the robot system. VLC creates an in-house GPS system by installing special LED lights that can replace standard lighting in key locations in the hospital. We have developed an in-hospital transportation robot, called HOSPI in which the control system has been enhanced by combining the navigational sensors of the robot and a VLC using installed lighting in the building. By using VLC, robots can obtain more information about the environment. As the first step for the practical application of VLC to robot system, we use VLC to overcome problems in conventional localization approaches, and to provide an additional line of defense in the case of catastrophic failures. This paper also describes experimental and actual operational results in detail of robots equipped, in an actual hospital, with the described process.