Sociable Robots Research Articles

Autonomous human–robot proxemics: socially aware navigation based on interaction potential

To enable situated human---robot interaction (HRI), an autonomous robot must both understand and control proxemics--the social use of space--to employ natural communication mechanisms analogous to those used by humans. This work presents a computational framework of proxemics based on data-driven probabilistic models of how social signals (speech and gesture) are produced (by a human) and perceived (by a robot). The framework and models were implemented as autonomous proxemic behavior systems for sociable robots, including: (1) a sampling-based method for robot proxemic goal state estimation with respect to human---robot distance and orientation parameters, (2) a reactive proxemic controller for goal state realization, and (3) a cost-based trajectory planner for maximizing automated robot speech and gesture recognition rates along a path to the goal state. Evaluation results indicate that the goal state estimation and realization significantly improve upon past work in human---robot proxemics with respect to "interaction potential"--predicted automated speech and gesture recognition rates as the robot enters into and engages in face-to-face social encounters with a human user--illustrating their efficacy to support richer robot perception and autonomy in HRI.

LASER-BASED SLAM WITH EFFICIENT OCCUPANCY LIKELIHOOD MAP LEARNING FOR DYNAMIC INDOOR SCENES

Location-Based Services (LBS) have attracted growing attention in recent years, especially in indoor environments. The fundamental technique of LBS is the map building for unknown environments, this technique also named as simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) in robotic society. In this paper, we propose a novel approach for SLAMin dynamic indoor scenes based on a 2D laser scanner mounted on a mobile Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) with the help of the grid-based occupancy likelihood map. Instead of applying scan matching in two adjacent scans, we propose to match current scan with the occupancy likelihood map learned from all previous scans in multiple scales to avoid the accumulation of matching errors. Due to that the acquisition of the points in a scan is sequential but not simultaneous, there unavoidably exists the scan distortion at different extents. To compensate the scan distortion caused by the motion of the UGV, we propose to integrate a velocity of a laser range finder (LRF) into the scan matching optimization framework. Besides, to reduce the effect of dynamic objects such as walking pedestrians often existed in indoor scenes as much as possible, we propose a new occupancy likelihood map learning strategy by increasing or decreasing the probability of each occupancy grid after each scan matching. Experimental results in several challenged indoor scenes demonstrate that our proposed approach is capable of providing high-precision SLAM results.

LASER-BASED SLAM WITH EFFICIENT OCCUPANCY LIKELIHOOD MAP LEARNING FOR DYNAMIC INDOOR SCENES

Abstract. Location-Based Services (LBS) have attracted growing attention in recent years, especially in indoor environments. The fundamental technique of LBS is the map building for unknown environments, this technique also named as simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) in robotic society. In this paper, we propose a novel approach for SLAMin dynamic indoor scenes based on a 2D laser scanner mounted on a mobile Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) with the help of the grid-based occupancy likelihood map. Instead of applying scan matching in two adjacent scans, we propose to match current scan with the occupancy likelihood map learned from all previous scans in multiple scales to avoid the accumulation of matching errors. Due to that the acquisition of the points in a scan is sequential but not simultaneous, there unavoidably exists the scan distortion at different extents. To compensate the scan distortion caused by the motion of the UGV, we propose to integrate a velocity of a laser range finder (LRF) into the scan matching optimization framework. Besides, to reduce the effect of dynamic objects such as walking pedestrians often existed in indoor scenes as much as possible, we propose a new occupancy likelihood map learning strategy by increasing or decreasing the probability of each occupancy grid after each scan matching. Experimental results in several challenged indoor scenes demonstrate that our proposed approach is capable of providing high-precision SLAM results.

Life or Death by Robot?

Although robots are becoming widely known as aids to human success, they are likewise gaining reputations as tools of death. This begs the question of whether robots can be morally programmed. We address this question through discussion of various conceptualizations of robots in society. Using case studies, we highlight the irony of robots functioning both as heroic and hazardous agents. We conclude by assessing whether morality can be designed in robots and present guidelines for designers to attempt such a feat.

Task-oriented hierarchical control architecture for swarm robotic system

An increasing number of robotic systems involving lots of robotic individuals are used to serve human, such as intelligent terminal, intelligent storage, intelligence factories, etc. It is a trend of robotics technology that robotics system will become huger with more individuals. In these systems, they form the robotic societies and need establish some computing rules and mechanisms to ensure the operation like all biological social systems. In this paper, a novel system architecture for swarm robotic system, including three layers: human–computer interaction layer, planning layer and execution layer, is put forward, which is effective for task-oriented swarm robotic system. Then, a hierarchical organizational model for the system is presented, which is used to establish management relationship between different layers and individuals. Because task-oriented characteristic is required, this paper elaborates task description knowledge to explain the relationship between tasks for task decomposition and task logic. In addition, a method of behavior generation based on proposition/transition Petri networks is designed, which would effectively assist the system to construct combined behavior using simple individual behavior to solve a variety of tasks. At last, Illustration is shown to prove effectiveness and an implementation of the method based on SociBuilder system is introduced.

Back to School [Education

Reports on the guidelines and specifications for the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (RAS) Technical Education Program (TEP) for 2017.

Blurring Human–Machine Distinctions: Anthropomorphic Appearance in Social Robots as a Threat to Human Distinctiveness

The present research aims at gaining a better insight on the psychological barriers to the introduction of social robots in society at large. Based on social psychological research on intergroup distinctiveness, we suggested that concerns toward this technology are related to how we define and defend our human identity. A threat to distinctiveness hypothesis was advanced. We predicted that too much perceived similarity between social robots and humans triggers concerns about the negative impact of this technology on humans, as a group, and their identity more generally because similarity blurs category boundaries, undermining human uniqueness. Focusing on the appearance of robots, in two studies we tested the validity of this hypothesis. In both studies, participants were presented with pictures of three types of robots that differed in their anthropomorphic appearance varying from no resemblance to humans (mechanical robots), to some body shape resemblance (biped humanoids) to a perfect copy of human body (androids). Androids raised the highest concerns for the potential damage to humans, followed by humanoids and then mechanical robots. In Study 1, we further demonstrated that robot anthropomorphic appearance (and not the attribution of mind and human nature) was responsible for the perceived damage that the robot could cause. In Study 2, we gained a clearer insight in the processes underlying this effect by showing that androids were also judged as most threatening to the human–robot distinction and that this perception was responsible for the higher perceived damage to humans. Implications of these findings for social robotics are discussed.

False friends and false coinage

In this paper, an analogy that Aristotle drew between false friends and false coinage is leveraged to identify ethically important features of cases involving so-called sociable robots. The use of such robots to care for the elderly and disabled poses both benefits and costs. Although a uniform verdict on the ethical use of these robots is unlikely to be forthcoming, owing to the importance of context and wide array of variables that can influence assessment of a situation, progress can be made by using analogies from other domains. Such analogies can help identify relevant features of a given situation, in order to better evaluate the costs and benefits to patients, caregivers, and designers, thereby facilitating appropriately context-sensitive judgments.

Socializing robots: constructing robotic sociality in the design and use of the assistive robot PARO

The goal of introducing robots into everyday use has led to their reconceptualization as social technologies, for which interacting with people is a fundamental and necessary function. Robot sociality in this context is generally defined as a set of individual properties of the artifact, such as a human-like appearance or the ability to read social cues. In this paper, we propose an alternative view of robot sociality as an emergent relational property of the interactions between the robot and its social context, actively constructed by designers, users, and other actors affected by robots. We illustrate this perspective through the example of the robot PARO, a commercial social robot commonly used in eldercare, which we analyzed in a series of observational studies of the social processes of its design in the laboratory and its use in an eldercare facility. Our analysis shows how the robot as a social technology is constructed through the actions and sense making of various actors and the situated dynamics of interaction in particular institutional contexts. We first describe the social factors and rationale that influenced PARO's design in the laboratory, and then discuss how the robot is scaffolded by users in a nursing home in the midwestern United States. Our studies go beyond the typical focus on one-on-one interaction between people and robots as the unit of analysis of human---robot interaction, to incorporate the broader social context as a necessary component of the successful design and implementation of social robots in society.

Biorobotics with Hybrid and Multimodal Locomotion [TC Spotlight

The IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (RAS) Technical Committee (TC) on Biorobotics was formed with the goal of providing a forum and dissemination mechanism for the interaction between biological and artificial (autonomous or semiautonomous) systems and to present biology as a learning tool for novel engineering paradigms.

Integrating robot ethics and machine morality: the study and design of moral competence in robots

Robot ethics encompasses ethical questions about how humans should design, deploy, and treat robots; machine morality encompasses questions about what moral capacities a robot should have and how these capacities could be computationally implemented. Publications on both of these topics have doubled twice in the past 10 years but have often remained separate from one another. In an attempt to better integrate the two, I offer a framework for what a morally competent robot would look like (normally considered machine morality) and discuss a number of ethical questions about the design, use, and treatment of such moral robots in society (normally considered robot ethics). Instead of searching for a fixed set of criteria of a robot's moral competence I identify the multiple elements that make up human moral competence and probe the possibility of designing robots that have one or more of these human elements, which include: moral vocabulary; a system of norms; moral cognition and affect; moral decision making and action; moral communication. Juxtaposing empirical research, philosophical debates, and computational challenges, this article adopts an optimistic perspective: if robotic design truly commits to building morally competent robots, then those robots could be trustworthy and productive partners, caretakers, educators, and members of the human community. Moral competence does not resolve all ethical concerns over robots in society, but it may be a prerequisite to resolve at least some of them.

Toward the Robot Butler: The HUMABOT Challenge [Competitions

Presents information on the HUMABOT Challenge, the official robot competition for the 2014 IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (RAS) International Conference on Humanoid Robots (Humanoids 2014) that was held during the conference in Madrid, Spain, 18–20 November.

A signal pattern recognition approach for mobile devices and its application to braking state classification on robotic mobility devices

Personal Mobility Robots, such as the Seqway may be the remedy for the transportation related problems in the congested environment, especially for the last and first mile problems of the elderly people. However, the vehicle segmentation issues for the mobility robots, impede the use of these devices on the shared paths. The mobility reports can only be used in the designated areas and private facilities. The traffic regulatory institutions lack robot–society interaction database. In this study, we proposed methods and algorithms which can be employed on a widespread computing device, such as an Android tablet, to gather travel information and rider behavior making use of the motion and position sensors of the tablet PC. The methods we developed, first filter the noisy sensor readings using a complementary filter, then align the body coordinate system of the device to the Segway’s motion coordinate. A couple of state of the art classification methods are integrated to classify the braking states of the Segway. The classification algorithms are not limited to classification of the braking states, but they can be used for other motion related maneuvers on the road surfaces. The detected braking states and the other classified features related to the motion are reflected to the screen of the Android tablet to inform the rider about the riding and motion conditions. The developed Android application also gathers these travel information to build a National database for further statistical analysis of the robot–society interaction.

「第32回日本ロボット学会学術講演会論文特集号」特集について

「第32回日本ロボット学会学術講演会論文特集号」特集について

The Pransky interview: Dr Yoky Matsuoka, Vice President Technology, Nest Labs

Purpose – This article is a “Q&A interview” conducted by Joanne Pransky of Industrial Robot Journal as a method to impart the combined technological, business and personal experience of a prominent, robotic industry engineer-turned entrepreneur regarding the evolution, commercialization and challenges of bringing a technological invention to market. Design/methodology/approach – The interviewee is Dr Yoky Matsuoka, the Vice President of Nest Labs. Matsuoka describes her career journey that led her from a semi-professional tennis player who wanted to build a robot tennis buddy, to a pioneer of neurobotics who then applied her multidisciplinary research in academia to the development of a mass-produced intelligent home automation device. Findings – Dr Matsuoka received a BS degree from the University of California, Berkeley and an MS and PhD in electrical engineering and computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She was also a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT and in Mechanical Engineering at Harvard University. Dr Matsuoka was formerly the Torode Family Endowed Career Development Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington (UW), Director of the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering and Ana Loomis McCandless Professor of Robotics and Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. In 2010, she joined Google X as one of its three founding members. She then joined Nest as VP of Technology. Originality/value – Dr Matsuoka built advanced robotic prosthetic devices and designed complementary rehabilitation strategies that enhanced the mobility of people with manipulation disabilities. Her novel work has made significant scientific and engineering contributions in the combined fields of mechanical engineering, neuroscience, bioengineering, robotics and computer science. Dr Matsuoka was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship in which she used the Genius Award money to establish a nonprofit corporation, YokyWorks, to continue developing engineering solutions for humans with physical disabilities. Other awards include the Emerging Inventor of the Year, UW Medicine; IEEE Robotics and Automation Society Early Academic Career Award; Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers; and numerous others. She leads the development of the learning and control technology for the Nest smoke detector and Thermostat, which has saved the USA hundreds of billions of dollars in energy expenses. Nest was sold to Google in 2013 for a record $3.2 billion dollars in cash.

Collaborative Environment and Agile Development

Over time, information and communications technology development has made a direct impact on human activity in the individual context as well as familial, economic and social. This has laid the premise for adoption of new and modern paradigms in individual and organizational activity management. The evolutionary climax of the social universe is called nowadays knowledge society. The knowledge society succeeds the information society, emphasizing the development of the opportunities brought by collaborative work environment and agile approach. In this paper we will highlight the use of collaborative environment in agile software development, as an instrument for managing organizations in knowledge society. Thus, we will emphasize the paradigms of agile testing, validation and verification in collaborative environment.Keywords: Collaborative Environment, Knowledge Society, Agile Development, Testing, Validation, Verification, Management, Information and Communication Technology1 General ContextF rom historic perspective, the human society has evolved from agrarian society to craftsman, industrial, capitalist and information society, reaching today the stage of knowledge society. If we were to say what comes next, it would probably be a society of artificial intelligence, limited natural resources consumption or a robot society. We cannot know for sure, but theoretical speculations have been proposed. On the other hand, we can invoke the current context of the knowledge society as a foundation of organizational development on three pillars: collaborative environment, agile approach and modern management based on information and communications technology (ICT).Unlike the old society, today we work and live in a particular technological context, characterized by the global internet network as support for any kind of activity. We can see changes in the nature of work, from traditional office work to telework in virtual offices or telecommuting. These aspects are premises for increasing the exploitation of individual skills and abilities in organizational context and transferring them with the purpose of achieving the business goals. The modern business moves to the sphere of electronic business, strongly relying on technology and internet.Still, the management activity or the management as an activity does not change in the same radical way. Traditional concepts, methods and techniques are re- wrapped, terminologically beautified and launched on the market in a process specific to marketing. Thus, while Phillip Kotler speaks about marketing management in information society [9] (as the Bible of business men), why can't we speak about management marketing in knowledge society? The so called modern paradigms of contemporary management can be identified terminologically in expressions like fractal model, anthropocentric model, holonic model, cloud model, chaotic model etc. Let's not forget that the term fractal was introduced by Benoit Mandelbrot in 1975, the term holon (as organizational structure) was introduced by Arthur Koestler in 1967 and so on.What is new in modern management is the way these fundamental concepts from various sciences (mathematics, philosophy, psychology, structuralism, semiotics, cybernetics etc.) are adopted and adapted the management practice. In this sense of exposure, characterized by ICT and internet and modern management paradigms we invoke the general context of collaborative environment and agile software development (see also the collaborative paradigm of intelligence). The link between the two subjects of current cognitive development is the fact that both collaborative environment and agile development involve the shared participation of several factors of human nature as well as material, financial and temporal. Economic organizations in current society market must be able to adapt quickly to changes on the market. They must have the ability to exploit any new opportunity in their field or related fields. …

On robots as genetically modified invasive species

Purpose– This paper aims to explore similarities and differences between robots, invasive biological species, and genetically modified organisms. These comparisons are designed to better understand the potential effects of robots on human society.Design/methodology/approach– This paper applies established ideas in one discipline – biology – to issues that are less well understood, but actively being studied in another discipline – science and technology studies.Findings– Robots entering human society in large numbers share many of the characteristics of an invasive species entering a new ecosystem. The authors also find that robots have several characteristics that are similar to a genetically modified organism. Taken together, these similarities suggest that society should be cautious about the introduction of large numbers of robots in a short period of time.Originality/value– The approach taken here to assess robots in society by these analogies to ecological processes is, to the authors' knowledge, novel. Applying ideas from a better-known area to a less well-known area is routine in philosophy, but these particular analogies have not yet been carefully articulated in the literature.

Willow Garage Retrospective [ROS Topics

During its seven-year history, Willow Garage assembled a remarkable community of scientists and engineers to address some of the most pressing challenges in realizing the effective use of robotics in society. Cognizant of the need to accelerate robotics research in the United States, the Willow Garage team made substantial contributions to the global robotics community by conducting fundamental research, training the next generation of robotics researchers, developing open software and hardware platforms for the research community, and creating both for profit and nonprofit organizations. These contributions allowed researchers, developers, and commercial organizations to advance their robotics initiatives both in the United States and across the globe. Because of its philanthropic culture and fairly unrestricted research environment, the Willow Garage community was able to address fundamental research issues and enable a broader range of universities, research organizations, and commercial firms to accelerate their own research and development agenda.

Preserving the Legacy of RAS [History

Robotics and automation are transforming the world. The IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (RAS) is now celebrating the 30th anniversary of its birth as the IEEE Robotics and Automation Council (www.ieeeghn.org/wiki/index.php/IEEE_Robotics_%26_Automation_Society_History). It is RAS whose members?through lively conferences and demos, pioneering publications, and long hours in labs and test beds at universities, institutes, and corporations around the world? have been blazing the trail of pioneering breakthroughs and innovations in the field. Now is the time to start telling your stories and honoring your achievements with the help of the IEEE History Center. The professional staff at the Center work to preserve and make known the proud heritage of the IEEE, its members and their professions, and related technologies. They also assist IEEE organizational units (OUs) in recording and disseminating their own history.

Cute and Monstrous Furbys in Online Fan Production

Cute and Monstrous Furbys in Online Fan Production