Abstract: A sound effect generation device for generating a sound effect corresponding to a physical interaction between objects in a virtual space in which a plurality of virtual objects coexists, includes interaction detection means for detecting an object on which the physical interaction occurs in the virtual space, mechanical quantity calculation means for calculating mechanical quantity acting on the object in accordance with the interaction using a mechanical model for determining, based on physics, behavior between the objects on which the physical interaction acts, and sound effect generation means for generating the sound effect caused in the object by the interaction using the calculated mechanical quantity.

Abstract: A control system of a multi-link structure configured by connecting a plurality of rigid bodies together is disclosed. The control system includes: a state equation setting means; a predictive control target value setting means; a stability evaluation function setting means; an optimal control input determining means; an optimal momentum calculating means; and a joint driving method determining means.

Abstract: An operational space physical quantity calculation apparatus computes a physical quantity in an operational space describing a relationship between a force and acceleration acting on a link structure including a plurality of linked rigid bodies. The operational space physical quantity calculation apparatus includes a forward dynamics calculating unit configured to perform a forward dynamics calculation on the basis of force information about a force acting on the link structure in order to obtain accelerations occurring at certain points of the link structure and an operational space physical quantity computing unit configured to compute an inverse operational space inertia matrix and an operational space bias acceleration by causing the forward dynamics calculating unit to perform the forward dynamics calculation using a kinetic model of the link structure.

Abstract: A contact shape computing apparatus for detecting contact between a plurality of three-dimensional solid models and computing a contact shape between two solid bodies in contact with each other includes the following elements: a collision detector operable to detect a collision or contact between the two solid bodies; a contact plane setting unit operable to define a contact plane that passes through a common region of the two solid bodies; a contact problem solving unit operable to individually solve contact states of the solid bodies with the contact plane as half-contact problems; and a contact shape computing unit operable to compute the contact shape between the two solid bodies by uniting solutions of the half-contact problems for the associated solid bodies, the solutions being obtained by the contact problem solving unit.

Abstract: An external force estimation system for estimating an external force acting upon a robot apparatus which includes a machine body which in turn includes a plurality of movable joints is disclosed which includes a distribution type contacting state detection section, an actuator current state measurement section, a motion state measurement section, a motion equation setting section, a known term calculation section, and an external force estimation section.

Abstract: When the sole of the foot of one of the leg sections of the robot leaves or touch the floor, the angular velocity of the joint angle ? of each of the joints of the leg section of the robot becomes infinitely large and excessive loads are applied to the respective joints if the leg section is stretched out or the robot takes some other peculiar attitude. Therefore, when the sole of the foot section of a leg section leaves or touches the floor, the constraining conditions are defined for the foot section relative to the floor surface that the foot section touches according to the degree of operability of the leg section in order to reduce the loads that are applied to the respective joints of the leg section. Additionally, the attitude of the foot section is determined so as to minimize or reduce the potential energy attributable to a minute quantity of positional changes of the joints of the leg section.

Abstract: In a foot of a legged mobile robot, deformation of the foot is absorbed by a first concavity and the position and shape of a ground-contact portion hardly change. Accordingly, variation in a resistive force against the moment about the yaw axis can be reduced and a spinning motion can be prevented. In addition, when the foot is placed on a bump or a step, a flexible portion deforms and receives it, and a frictional retaining force is generated between the flexible portion and the bump. Thus, the foot is flexibly adapted to the road surface, and sliding caused by the bump and excessively fast motion are prevented. Accordingly, the foot can be adapted to various kinds of road surfaces such as surfaces having bumps and depressions, and the attitude stability can be increased.

Abstract: When the sole of the foot of one of the leg sections of the robot leaves or touch the floor, the angular velocity of the joint angle ? of each of the joints of the leg section of the robot becomes infinitely large and excessive loads are applied to the respective joints if the leg section is stretched out or the robot takes some other peculiar attitude. Therefore, when the sole of the foot section of a leg section leaves or touches the floor, the constraining conditions are defined for the foot section relative to the floor surface that the foot section touches according to the degree of operability of the leg section in order to reduce the loads that are applied to the respective joints of the leg section. Additionally, the attitude of the foot section is determined so as to minimize or reduce the potential energy attributable to a minute quantity of positional changes of the joints of the leg section.

Abstract: A locomotion control system is constructed to input the quantity of materials in the real world, such as the quantity of motion state of a robot, external force and external moment, and environmental shapes, measured with sensors or the like. By integrating all calculations for maintaining a balance of the body into a single walking-pattern calculating operation, both a locomotion generating function and an adaptive control function are effectively served, the consistency of dynamic models is ensured, and interference between the dynamic models is eliminated. Calculations for generating a walking pattern of the robot can be performed in an actual apparatus and in real time in a manner in which parameters, such as a boundary condition concerning the quantity of motion state, external force and external moment, and the trajectory of the sole, are settable.

Abstract: In a foot of a legged mobile robot, deformation of the foot is absorbed by a first concavity and the position and shape of a ground-contact portion hardly change. Accordingly, variation in a resistive force against the moment about the yaw axis can be reduced and a spinning motion can be prevented. In addition, when the foot is placed on a bump or a step, a flexible portion deforms and receives it, and a frictional retaining force is generated between the flexible portion and the bump. Thus, the foot is flexibly adapted to the road surface, and sliding caused by the bump and excessively fast motion are prevented. Accordingly, the foot can be adapted to various kinds of road surfaces such as surfaces having bumps and depressions, and the attitude stability can be increased.

Abstract: A motion equation with a boundary condition regarding a future center-of-gravity horizontal trajectory of a robot is solved so that the moment around a horizontal axis at a point within a support polygon is zero when the robot is in contact with a floor or so that horizontal translational force is zero when the robot is not in contact with the floor and so that connection is made to a current horizontal position and speed of the center of gravity. In addition, a motion equation with a boundary condition regarding a future center-of-gravity vertical trajectory of the robot is solved so that vertical translational force acting upon the robot other than gravity is zero when the robot is not in contact with the floor and so that connection is made to a current vertical position and speed of the center of gravity.

Abstract: A plurality of tasks such as a displacement, balance keeping, and an arm operation are simultaneously executed. Movement constraint conditions imposed to a legged robot corresponding to a task and a movement state are given by equality and inequality constraint equations regarding to a variation dx from the present state while a drive strategy of a redundancy is defined by an energy function. In regard to changes in a movement constraint condition, it is not required to have control systems specialized for each constraint condition but the changes can be corresponded only by changes in matrixes A and C and vectors b and d, so that various and dynamic constraint conditions are easily addressed. Also, a using method of the redundancy can be corresponded only by changes in a matrix W and a vector u.