Studying People's Emotional Responses to Robot's Movements

With a deeper interaction between robots and humans, the emotional rapport between the two is becoming ever more important. The interpretation of emotion expressed by robots has been widely studied with humanoids and animal-like robots, which try to mimic biological beings similar to those people is used to interact with. Considering the uncanny valley issue and the practical and theoretical questions related to implement bio-inspired robots, it may be argued whether also object-like robots can express emotions so that people can satisfactorily interact with robots that can have functional shapes, not necessarily bio-insipired. This paper presents some study cases done to identify body features that allow emotion projection from an object-like robot body. The study was done in two phases: a pilot experiment, and a formal trial. The results show that is possible to project different emotions by exploiting angular and linear velocity of the robot

Development of Cognitive Capabilities in Humanoid Robots

Merged with duplicate record 10026.1/645 on 03.04.2017 by CS (TIS)Building intelligent systems with human level of competence is the ultimate grand challenge for science and technology in general, and especially for the computational intelligence community. Recent theories in autonomous cognitive systems have focused on the close integration (grounding) of communication with perception, categorisation and action. Cognitive systems are essential for integrated multi-platform systems that are capable of sensing and communicating. This thesis presents a cognitive system for a humanoid robot that integrates abilities such as object detection and recognition, which are merged with natural language understanding and refined motor controls. The work includes three studies; (1) the use of generic manipulation of objects using the NMFT algorithm, by successfully testing the extension of the NMFT to control robot behaviour; (2) a study of the development of a robotic simulator; (3) robotic simulation experiments showing that a humanoid robot is able to acquire complex behavioural, cognitive, and linguistic skills through individual and social learning. The robot is able to learn to handle and manipulate objects autonomously, to cooperate with human users, and to adapt its abilities to changes in internal and environmental conditions. The model and the experimental results reported in this thesis, emphasise the importance of embodied cognition, i.e. the humanoid robot's physical interaction between its body and the environment

Lovotics: Love + Robotics, Sentimental Robot With Affective Artificial Intelligence

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH

Arquitectura de Agente Emocional para Aplicaciones de Control en Tiempo Real

Tesis por compendioArtificial agents are a technology suitable for solving problems. Agents can perform tasks that their users cannot and/or do not want to accomplish. Agents are systems with a significant degree of autonomy. Even being autonomous in their behavior, they assume the users' goals as their own goals, because there is an agreement between the agent and the user. It is a powerful technology, and the research on this field is very active. As agents are complex systems, it is necessary to define development frameworks that facilitate their conception, design and construction. We name these frameworks, artificial agent architectures. Each architecture is characterized by a few key ideas related to the way the agent represents its knowledge about the world, and how it organizes its behavior. We call these key ideas a paradigm. In this work, an artificial agent's architecture is proposed. In this architecture the organization of the behavior is emotionally driven. It is a bio-inspired architecture. The emotion in this case, however, is a very simplified version of the emotional process in the natural emotional agents. Although other agent architectures based on emotions have been proposed, they have been usually focused on the social skills of the agents, normally to interact with people. This situation could have been caused due to the knowledge we had about the importance of the emotion in the social relations between human beings, when people recognize the internal state of the others, or show their own internal states, and the emotional communication influences their behavior. However, the fundamental role of the emotion in a wide range of cognitive processes is being recognized because of the recent research in psychology and neuroscience. Emotions seem to make an essential contribution in processes such as perception, learning, memory, decision-making and problem solving. Deliberative rational thoughts themselves would be directed by emotions. Given this new view about the emotion, in this thesis, we have investigated the role of the emotions in the cognitive processes of an artificial agent, related them to the general decision making problem, not just the social interaction problem. As an example, in the application considered as a case study in this project, the emotional agent controls a mobile robot platform, in which there is not an important behavior layer of social interaction, and the emotional processes primarily motivate behaviors related to problems in a physical environment, with objects, parts, or areas of operation and navigation. In this thesis, we have defined a specification for the proposed emotional agent architecture, and have discussed the implementation aspects of it.Los agentes artificiales constituyen una tecnología de apoyo para la resolución de problemas. Un agente es un sistema con un grado significativo de autonomía, lo que le permite descargar a su usuario de tareas que éste no puede o no quiere realizar. Aun siendo autónomo en sus comportamientos, el agente asume los objetivos de su usuario como propios, ya que existe un contrato entre el agente y su representado. Se trata de una tecnología potente y que interesa desarrollar, con lo que el área de investigación en agentes está abierta y hay un esfuerzo continuo para construir agentes con cada vez mejores prestaciones. Siendo los agentes sistemas complejos, resulta necesario definir marcos de desarrollo que permitan concebirlos, diseñarlos y construirlos. Conocemos a estos marcos como arquitecturas de agentes artificiales. Cada una de estas arquitecturas se caracteriza por ciertas ideas clave, relacionadas con la forma en que el agente representa su conocimiento y organiza su comportamiento, en lo que se denomina un paradigma. Sin duda, queda mucho recorrido en este campo - ampliando por ejemplo las áreas de aplicación, o permitiendo funcionalidades adicionales, o aumentando la eficiencia de los procesos implicados, tanto en lo relativo al comportamiento del agente cuando éste está en explotación, como durante el propio proceso de construcción y validación del sistema. En este trabajo se propone una arquitectura de agente artificial en el que la organización del comportamiento está dirigida por un proceso emocional. Se trata de una arquitectura bio-inspirada. La emoción en este caso, sin embargo, es una versión muy simplificada del proceso emocional en los agentes emocionales naturales. Aunque se han definido otras arquitecturas de agentes artificiales basadas en emociones, han sido enfocadas, sobre todo, a construir agentes con habilidades sociales; normalmente para interactuar con las personas. Posiblemente esto ha sido debido a que ya hace mucho que se aceptaba la importancia de la emoción en las relaciones sociales entre los seres humanos; cuando éstos interpretan el estado interno de los demás o expresan su propio estado, alterando con ello sus comportamientos. Sin embargo, el papel fundamental de la emoción en un amplio espectro de procesos cognitivos está siendo reconocido a raíz de la investigación en psicología y neurología. Las emociones parecen contribuir de forma esencial en procesos como la percepción, el aprendizaje, la memoria, la toma de decisiones o la resolución de problemas. El propio pensamiento deliberativo racional estaría dirigido por las emociones. Teniendo en cuenta esta nueva visión de las emociones, en este trabajo se ha investigado el rol de la emoción en los procesos cognitivos de un agente artificial relacionados con la toma de decisiones en general, no sólo en lo relativo a los procesos de interrelación social. Así por ejemplo, en la aplicación considerada como caso de estudio de este trabajo, el agente emocional controla una plataforma de robot móvil de servicio, en la que no hay una capa de comportamiento social importante, y donde los procesos emocionales motivan fundamentalmente los comportamientos relacionados con problemas surgidos en un entorno físico, con objetos, piezas, o espacios de operación y navegación. En esta tesis se define una especificación para la arquitectura de agente emocional artificial propuesta y se discute aspectos de implementación de dicha arquitectura.Els agents artificials constitueixen una tecnologia de suport per a la resolució de problemes. Un agent és un sistema amb un grau significatiu d'autonomia, el que li permet descarregar al seu usuari de tasques que aquest no pot o no vol fer. Fins i tot sent autònom en els seus comportaments, l'agent assumeix els objectius del seu usuari com a propis, ja que hi ha un contracte entre l'agent i el seu representat. Es tracta d'una tecnologia potent i que interessa desenvolupar, de manera que l'àrea de recerca en agents està oberta i hi ha un esforç continu per construir agents amb cada vegada millors prestacions. Sent els agents sistemes complexos, resulta necessari definir marcs de desenvolupament que puguen permetre concebre'ls, dissenyar-los i construir-los. Coneixem a aquests marcs com arquitectures d'agents artificials. Cadascuna d'aquestes arquitectures es caracteritza per certes idees clau, relacionades amb la forma en què l'agent representa el seu coneixement i organitza el seu comportament, en el que s'anomena un paradigma. Sens dubte, queda molt de recorregut en aquest camp - ampliant les àrees d'aplicació, o permetent funcionalitats addicionals, o augmentant l'eficiència dels processos implicats, tant pel que fa al comportament de l'agent quan aquest està en explotació, com durant el mateix procés de construcció i validació del sistema. En aquest treball es proposa una arquitectura d'agent artificial en què l'organització del comportament està dirigida per un procés emocional. Es tracta d'una arquitectura bio-inspirada. L'emoció en aquest cas, però, és una versió molt simplificada del procés emocional en els agents emocionals naturals. Tot i que s'han definit altres arquitectures d'agents artificials basades en emocions, han estat enfocades, sobretot, a construir agents amb habilitats socials; normalment per interactuar amb les persones. Possiblement això ha segut perquè ja fa molt que s'acceptava la importància de l'emoció en les relacions socials entre els éssers humans; quan aquests interpreten l'estat intern dels altres o expressen el seu propi estat, alterant amb això els seus comportaments. No obstant això, el paper fonamental de l'emoció en un ampli espectre de processos cognitius està sent reconegut arran de la investigació en psicologia i neurologia. Les emocions semblen contribuir de forma essencial en processos com la percepció, l'aprenentatge, la memòria, la presa de decisions o la resolució de problemes. El mateix pensament deliberatiu racional estaria dirigit per les emocions. Tenint en compte aquesta nova visió de les emocions, en aquest treball s'ha investigat el paper de l'emoció en els processos cognitius d'un agent artificial relacionats amb la presa de decisions en general, no només pel que fa als processos d'interrelació social. Així per exemple, en l'aplicació considerada com a cas d'estudi d'aquest treball, l'agent emocional controla una plataforma de robot mòbil de servei, en què no hi ha una capa de comportament social important, i on els processos emocionals motiven fonamentalment els comportaments relacionats amb problemes sorgits en un entorn físic, amb objectes, peces, o espais d'operació i navegació. En aquesta tesi es defineix una especificació per a l'arquitectura d'agent emocional artificial proposta i es discuteixen aspectes d'implementació de la arquitectura.Domínguez Montagud, CP. (2017). Arquitectura de Agente Emocional para Aplicaciones de Control en Tiempo Real [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/86223TESISCompendi

Design e Ergonomia per la Human-Robot Interaction

This book investigates the relationship between design (specifically, the Human-Centred Design, Interaction Design and User Experience approaches) and the complex area of Human-Robot Interaction (specifically, social robotics for care). The research begins by framing the scientific problem of demographic aging and the increasing diffusion of wearable and robotic technologies for assisting and supporting the well-being and independence of the elderly and frail. Then, the research examines the role, contributions, and challenges of design in relation to the issue of acceptability in robotics, both from a theoretical-epistemological as well as from a practical-applicative viewpoint. The book, therefore, investigates methods and tools for implementing cross-disciplinary collaboration and for designing acceptability and interaction with new technologies in order to improve the quality of life and psychophysical health of human beings. The overall goal of the of the research presented in this volume is to bridge the gap between the two scientific areas of design and robotics, and let them converge in order to design assistive and social robots that can be effectively accepted as well as appropriate for people's specific needs. This is made possible through the development of a connection between the methodological approaches and tools of both disciplines in order to structure a framework for: cross-disciplinary collaboration and management of development processes in robotics research projects and design; and the application of the iterative process peculiar of HCD to robotics. On this basis, the research output was developed, namely the operational tool “Robotics & Design: the tool to design Human-Centered Assistive Robotics” which can be found at the link: www.roboticsdesign.org

Design e Ergonomia per la Human-Robot Interaction

This book investigates the relationship between design (specifically, the Human-Centred Design, Interaction Design and User Experience approaches) and the complex area of Human-Robot Interaction (specifically, social robotics for care). The research begins by framing the scientific problem of demographic aging and the increasing diffusion of wearable and robotic technologies for assisting and supporting the well-being and independence of the elderly and frail. Then, the research examines the role, contributions, and challenges of design in relation to the issue of acceptability in robotics, both from a theoretical-epistemological as well as from a practical-applicative viewpoint. The book, therefore, investigates methods and tools for implementing cross-disciplinary collaboration and for designing acceptability and interaction with new technologies in order to improve the quality of life and psychophysical health of human beings. The overall goal of the of the research presented in this volume is to bridge the gap between the two scientific areas of design and robotics, and let them converge in order to design assistive and social robots that can be effectively accepted as well as appropriate for people's specific needs. This is made possible through the development of a connection between the methodological approaches and tools of both disciplines in order to structure a framework for: cross-disciplinary collaboration and management of development processes in robotics research projects and design; and the application of the iterative process peculiar of HCD to robotics. On this basis, the research output was developed, namely the operational tool “Robotics & Design: the tool to design Human-Centered Assistive Robotics” which can be found at the link: www.roboticsdesign.org

On TAMEing Robots

This paper presents a framework for affective robotic behavior (TAME) and describes an exploratory experimental study to identify relevant affective phenomena to include into the framework in order to increase ease and pleasantness of human-robot interaction