iGrace – Emotional Computational Model for EmI Companion Robot.

Chapitre 4We will discuss in this chapter the research in the field of emotional interaction, to maintain a non-verbal interaction with children from 4 to 8 years. This work fits into the EmotiRob project, whose goal is to comfort the children vulnerable and / or in hospitalization with an emotional robot companion. The use of robots in hospitals is still limited; we decided to put forward simple robot architecture and therefore, the emotional expression. In this context, a robot too complex and too voluminous must be avoided. After a study of advanced research on perception and emotional synthesis, it was important to determine the most appropriate way to express emotions in order to have a recognition rate acceptable to our target. Following an experiment on this subject, we were able to determine the degrees of freedom needed for the robot to express the six primary emotions. The second step was the definition and description of our emotional model. In order to have a wide range of expressions, while respecting the number of degrees of freedom, we use the concepts of emotional experiences. They provide us with almost two hundred different behaviors for the model. However we decide as a first step to limit ourselves to only fifty behaviors. This diversification is possible thanks to a mix of emotions linked to the dynamics of emotions. This theoretical model now established, we have started various experiments on a variety of audiences in order to validate the first time in its relevance and the rate of recognition of emotions. The first experiment was performed using a simulator for the capture of speech and the emotional and behavioral synthesis of the robot. This, validates the model assumptions that will be integrated EMI - Emotional Model of Interaction. Future phases of the project will evaluate the robot, both in its expression than in providing comfort to children. We describe the protocols used and present the results for EMI. These experiments will allow us to adjust and adapt the model. We will finish this chapter with a brief description of the robot's architecture, and the improvements to be made for the second version of EMI

Emotirob : from understanding to cognitive interaction

International audienceThe ANR project EmotiRob aims at conceiving and carrying out a soft toy robot which can interact emotionally and cognitively with handicapped and fragile children. However the project MAPH (Active Media For the Handicap) which is an extension of EmotiRob extends the cognitive abilities of the robot so as to implement linguistic interaction with the child. This article presents our work for both projects: speech understanding, emotional interaction, cognitive interaction

Conception et réalisation d'un robot compagnon expressif basé sur un modèle calculatoire des émotions

Robotherapy, which incorporates rules of social robotics, has to improve psychological and physiological state of people sick, marginalized or suffering from physical or mental disabilities. It appears that robots can be used for accompaniment and awakening. This requires providing them with communications capabilities. The new challenge in the field of companion robots is to provide enrichment of behavior by their interaction with humans. Some studies already exist in the field of RAA : "Robot Assisted Activity" and specifically in the field RAT : The "Robot Assisted Therapy. The first experiments in the field of robotics have proven that robots can give some moral and psychological comfort for frail people. In this context, MAPH (Active Media For Handicap) project has aims to provide psychological comfort to vulnerable children (eg, prolonged hospitalization or difficulties of social integration) using the robot companion. The aim of my research work tends to the realization of a robot with a pleasant contact and capacity of body language, perception and natural language understanding so that it can establish a representation of the emotional state of his interlocutor. We have to define and develop a computational model of emotional states of the robot and its evolution, so that his reactions seem more natural as possible. This manuscript will present the methods using to achieve the objective. We present definitions used for modeling the emotional process, implementation of the computational model of emotions to generate emotional state and the construction of an expressive robot companion.Les robots à vocation sociale ou robotique sociale, au départ très limités dans leur mécanique et leurs capacités intellectuelles, avaient la plupart du temps pour buts la distraction et l'amusement de personnes. De nos jours, les scientifiques s'intéressent aux relations psychologiques qu'il est possible d'entretenir avec ce type de nouveau média de communication. La Robothérapie, qui reprend les règles de la robotique sociale, a pour but d'améliorer l'état psychologique et physiologique de personnes malades, marginalisées ou atteintes de handicaps physiques ou mentaux. Il apparait que les robots peuvent jouer un rôle d'accompagnement et d'éveil. Il faut pour cela les doter de capacités de communications. Le nouveau défi du domaine des robots compagnons consiste à offrir un enrichissement du comportement par leur interaction avec les humains. Quelques études existent déjà dans le domaine de la RAA : " Robot Assisted Activity " et, plus précisément, dans le domaine du RAT : Le " Robot Assisted Therapy ". Les premières expérimentations dans ce domaine de la robotique ont prouvé que les robots compagnons peuvent donner un certain confort moral et psychologique aux personnes fragiles. Dans ce contexte, le projet MAPH (Média Actif Pour le Handicap) a pour objectif d'apporter un réconfort psychologique aux enfants fragilisés (ex. longue hospitalisation ou difficultés d'intégration sociale) à l'aide du robot compagnon. L'objectif de mon travail de recherche tend vers la réalisation d'un robot avec un contact agréable et qui sera doté de capacités d'expression corporelle, de perception et de compréhension du langage naturel de sorte qu'il puisse établir une représentation formelle de l'état émotif de son interlocuteur. Il s'agit de définir et concevoir un modèle des états émotifs du robot et de son évolution, afin que ses réactions semblent les plus naturelles possibles. Ce manuscrit présentera les méthodes utilisées et permettant d'atteindre l'objectif fixé. Nous présenterons les définitions utilisées pour la modélisation du processus émotionnel, la réalisation du modèle de calcul des émotions permettant de générer un état émotionnel ressenti, la construction du robot compagnon expressif et les expérimentations réalisées tentant de valider nos choix de conception et de développement

From speech to emotional interaction: EmotiRob project

International audienceThis article presents research work done in the domain of nonverbal emotional interaction for the EmotiRob project. It is a component of the MAPH project, the objective of which is to give comfort to vulnerable children and/or those undergoing long-term hospitalisation through the help of an emotional robot companion. It is important to note that we are not trying to reproduce human emotion and behavior, but trying to make a robot emotionally expressive. This paper will present the dierent hypotheses we have used from understanding to emotional reaction. We begin the article with a presentation of the MAPH and EmotiRob project. Then, we quickly describe the speech undestanding system, the iGrace computational model of emotions and integration of dynamics behavior. We conclude with a description of the architecture of Emi, as well as improvements to be made to its next generation