Abstract: A processor causes a robot to execute any one of a first, second, and third action as an initial action. The initial action is executed for communication with a target person according to a captured image and a captured sound. When a sound is acquired by a microphone after execution of the current action, the processor causes the robot to execute an action one-level higher than the current action. The current action includes the initial action. When the sound is not acquired, the processor determines whether a time elapsed from the execution of the current action is shorter than a threshold. When the time is shorter than the threshold, the processor causes the robot to continue the current action. When the time is equal to or longer than the threshold, the processor causes the robot to execute an action one-level lower than the current action.

Abstract: When speech of a first user includes a first word that is stored in a memory and associated with the first user, it is determined whether or not a difference between a first time and a second time is equal to or less than a predetermined time. The first time is a current time at which the first user spoke the first word. The second time is a time at which a second user last spoke a second word associated with the first word. When the difference between the first time and the second time is equal to or less than the predetermined time, a speaker outputs speech of a same content associated with the first word and the second word.

Abstract: When an application of an apparatus is remotely activated based on an instruction by a first user, whether a current position of the apparatus is included in a blind area of a second user is determined based on an image acquired by a camera. When the current position of the apparatus is not in the blind area, a target point included in the blind area is set, a driving mechanism is controlled, the apparatus is moved to the target point, and a speaker is caused to output speech corresponding to the application.

Abstract: In a robot, after a first value indicating acceleration in the up-and-down axis direction output from an acceleration sensor exceeds a certain threshold value, when any of the first value indicating the acceleration in the up-and-down axis direction, a second value indicating the acceleration in the front-and-back axis direction, and a third value indicating the acceleration in the left-and-right axis direction is determined to exhibit variation exceeding a certain width for a fixed period, the robot determines that a housing of the robot is being held by a user.

Abstract: An apparatus, robot, method and recording medium is provided, wherein when it is determined that a speech of an adult includes a warning word, whether the adult is angry or scolding is determined based on a physical feature value of the speech of the adult. When it is determined that the adult is angry, at least any of the following processes is performed: (a) a process of causing a loudspeaker to output a first sound, (b) a process of causing an apparatus to perform a first operation, and (c) a process of causing a display to perform a first display.

Abstract: A topic providing device includes a candidate topic extractor, a provided topic determiner, a voice synthesizer, and a speaker. When a determination is made that a parent and child are conversing and that there is a need to provide a new topic to the parent and child, based on a conversation history database and a child activity database storing at least one activity name indicating an activity the child was engaged in for a first predetermined period of time, the candidate topic extractor extracts at least one candidate topic that corresponds to the at least one activity name in the child activity database and does not correspond to an activity name included in text data recorded in a first database. From the at least one candidate topic, the provided topic determiner selects one topic to provide to the parent and the child. The voice synthesizer generates voice data containing the one topic. The speaker outputs the voice data.

Abstract: A method is provided for correcting a dictionary used in a voice processing apparatus. The method includes first extracting a speech of a target speaker from audio collected by a microphone, and estimating a speech phonemic sequence configuring the speech. The method also includes calculating a match degree, using a first dictionary, between the speech phonemic sequence and a first phonemic sequence that corresponds to a first word registered in the first dictionary, and second extracting the first word corresponding to a highest match degree as a spoken word spoken by the target speaker. The method further includes first correcting a second dictionary based on the highest match degree, the second dictionary indicating a relation between a second word and a third word, and second correcting the second dictionary by correcting the relation between the third word matching the spoken word and the second word.

Abstract: A robot including a spherical housing made up of a main housing portion, a first spherical cap portion, and a second spherical cap portion. The main housing portion is disposed between the first spherical cap portion and the second spherical cap portion. The robot further including a weight that is provided in the main housing portion and configured to rotate around a pivot that is orthogonal to a shaft connecting the spherical cap portions. When outputting a response to an input instruction received from a user, via an input device, based on a predetermined processing is determined to require a predetermined time or more, a robot controls a first drive mechanism during the predetermined processing such that the first drive mechanism rotates a weight around the pivot to reciprocally move the weight in the opposite directions of the pivot.

Abstract: A robot includes a main casing, a first spherical cap and a second spherical cap, and a shaft linking the spherical caps. The robot further includes a display, a first driving mechanism causing the first and second spherical caps to be rotated by the shaft, and a second driving mechanism that causes the main casing to be rotated. The robot also includes a control circuit and an electric power source, charged by electric power from an external charger. If the remaining electric power of the electric power source is lower than or equal to a predetermined value, the second driving mechanism is controlled to stop rotation of the main casing, and the first driving mechanism is controlled to switch a rotational direction of the first spherical cap and the second spherical cap, causing the display to be reciprocally moved in a vertical direction.

Abstract: When speech of a first user includes a first word that is stored in a memory and associated with the first user, it is determined whether or not a difference between a first time and a second time is equal to or less than a predetermined time. The first time is a current time at which the first user spoke the first word. The second time is a time at which a second user last spoke a second word associated with the first word. When the difference between the first time and the second time is equal to or less than the predetermined time, a speaker outputs speech of a same content associated with the first word and the second word.

Abstract: When an application of an apparatus is remotely activated based on an instruction by a first user, whether a current position of the apparatus is included in a blind area of a second user is determined based on an image acquired by a camera. When the current position of the apparatus is not in the blind area, a target point included in the blind area is set, a driving mechanism is controlled, the apparatus is moved to the target point, and a speaker is caused to output speech corresponding to the application.

Abstract: A processor causes a robot to execute any one of a first, second, and third action as an initial action. The initial action is executed for communication with a target person according to a captured image and a captured sound. When a sound is acquired by a microphone after execution of the current action, the processor causes the robot to execute an action one-level higher than the current action. The current action includes the initial action. When the sound is not acquired, the processor determines whether a time elapsed from the execution of the current action is shorter than a threshold. When the time is shorter than the threshold, the processor causes the robot to continue the current action. When the time is equal to or longer than the threshold, the processor causes the robot to execute an action one-level lower than the current action.

Abstract: An apparatus, robot, method and recording medium is provided, wherein when it is determined that a speech of an adult includes a warning word, whether the adult is angry or scolding is determined based on a physical feature value of the speech of the adult. When it is determined that the adult is angry, at least any of the following processes is performed: (a) a process of causing a loudspeaker to output a first sound, (b) a process of causing an apparatus to perform a first operation, and (c) a process of causing a display to perform a first display.

Abstract: A robot is provided. When a value obtained by excluding a gravitational component from an acceleration detected by an acceleration sensor is continuously less than a reference value for a certain time, a travelling state of the robot is determined as frictional surface travelling. A control circuit calculates an attitude angle of the robot from an angular velocity in a pitch direction, which is detected by an angular velocity sensor. When the calculated attitude angle is a lower limit angle or more for a determination time, the control circuit sets the attitude angle at the end of the determination time as an attitude control angle. When the travelling state of the robot is determined as the frictional surface travelling, the control circuit moves a counterweight frontward by a movement amount corresponding to the attitude control angle.

Abstract: In a robot, after a first value indicating acceleration in the up-and-down axis direction output from an acceleration sensor exceeds a certain threshold value, when any of the first value indicating the acceleration in the up-and-down axis direction, a second value indicating the acceleration in the front-and-back axis direction, and a third value indicating the acceleration in the left-and-right axis direction is determined to exhibit variation exceeding a certain width for a fixed period, the robot determines that a housing of the robot is being held by a user.

Abstract: A robot including a spherical housing made up of a main housing portion, a first spherical cap portion, and a second spherical cap portion. The main housing portion is disposed between the first spherical cap portion and the second spherical cap portion. The robot further including a weight that is provided in the main housing portion and configured to rotate around a pivot that is orthogonal to a shaft connecting the spherical cap portions. When outputting a response to an input instruction received from a user, via an input device, based on a predetermined processing is determined to require a predetermined time or more, a robot controls a first drive mechanism during the predetermined processing such that the first drive mechanism rotates a weight around the pivot to reciprocally move the weight in the opposite directions of the pivot.

Abstract: A topic providing device includes a candidate topic extractor, a provided topic determiner, a voice synthesizer, and a speaker. When a determination is made that a parent and child are conversing and that there is a need to provide a new topic to the parent and child, based on a conversation history database and a child activity database storing at least one activity name indicating an activity the child was engaged in for a first predetermined period of time, the candidate topic extractor extracts at least one candidate topic that corresponds to the at least one activity name in the child activity database and does not correspond to an activity name included in text data recorded in a first database. From the at least one candidate topic, the provided topic determiner selects one topic to provide to the parent and the child. The voice synthesizer generates voice data containing the one topic. The speaker outputs the voice data.

Abstract: A robot having a spherical casing, a weight driving mechanism, and a rotating mechanism is provided. The robot further includes a control circuit that controls the weight driving mechanism and the rotating mechanism is also provided. The control circuit is configured to, when responding to an input instruction received from a user, based on a predetermined processing that requires a predetermined amount of time or more to respond to an input instruction by a user input via an input device, cause the weight driving mechanism to be rotated to where a guide path of the weight driving mechanism is positioned to be orthogonal to an advancing direction by a set of driving wheels. The control circuit is further configured to cause the weight to be reciprocally move along the guide path that is positioned orthogonal to the advancing direction, during the predetermined processing.

Abstract: A robot having a spherical casing, a control circuit and a communication circuit configured to connect to an external server is provided. The robot further includes a set of wheels included in the spherical casing, which comes into contact with an inner surface of the spherical casing and configured to rotate the spherical casing when the driving wheels are driven. The control circuit is configured to, when determining that performing a predetermined processing in response to an input instruction received from a user requires a predetermined amount of time or more, causes each of the set of driving wheels to rotate in opposite directions from each other to rotate the spherical casing during the predetermined processing. When the predetermined processing is complete and a response is to be output, the control circuit stops rotation of the spherical casing with the set of wheels facing toward the user.

Abstract: A method is provided for correcting a dictionary used in a voice processing apparatus. The method includes first extracting a speech of a target speaker from audio collected by a microphone, and estimating a speech phonemic sequence configuring the speech. The method also includes calculating a match degree, using a first dictionary, between the speech phonemic sequence and a first phonemic sequence that corresponds to a first word registered in the first dictionary, and second extracting the first word corresponding to a highest match degree as a spoken word spoken by the target speaker. The method further includes first correcting a second dictionary based on the highest match degree, the second dictionary indicating a relation between a second word and a third word, and second correcting the second dictionary by correcting the relation between the third word matching the spoken word and the second word.