Abstract: A user communicates with a companion with his or her portable telephone attached to a telephone attachment pocket of a robot. The robot acts in accordance with a voice signal which is outputted from the portable telephone, thereby behaving as if it were speaking to the user. The robot outputs a voice in response to the user's voice which is picked up by a microphone, thereby behaving as if it were listening to the user. Owing to this robot or a robot system using the same, the user feels less odd in his or her communication using the portable telephone.

Abstract: A table angle controlling method capable of effectively preventing an article placed on a table (20), from falling off by tilting the table so that the synthetic vector of horizontal acceleration and gravitational acceleration which act on the table acts on the table perpendicular thereto. The method has the steps of measuring the synthetic vector of horizontal acceleration and gravitational acting on the table (20) or a carriage (11) with the movement of the carriage (11), and tilting the table so that the synthetic vector obtained acts on the table perpendicular thereto. Alternatively the method has the steps of estimating acceleration acting on the table from a speed command value input to drive device for the carriage (11) for moving the carriage, calculating the synthetic vector of the estimated horizontal acceleration and gravitational acceleration, and tilting the table so that the synthetic vector obtained acts on the table perpendicular thereto.

Abstract: The invention provides a table angle controlling method capable of effectively preventing an article placed on a table (20), for example, from falling off by tilting the table so that the synthetic vector of horizontal acceleration and gravitational acceleration which act on the table acts on the table perpendicular thereto. The method has the steps of measuring the synthetic vector of horizontal acceleration and gravitational acting on the table (20) or a carriage (11) with the movement of the carriage (11), and tilting the table so that the synthetic vector obtained acts on the table perpendicular thereto. Alternatively the method has the steps of estimating acceleration acting on the table from a speed command value input to drive means for the carriage (11) for moving the carriage, calculating the synthetic vector of the estimated horizontal acceleration and gravitational acceleration, and tilting the table so that the synthetic vector obtained acts on the table perpendicular thereto.

Abstract: A robot distributed control system includes a host controller issuing a first command and a plurality of communication controllers connected to the host controller in a tree-structured manner. The communication controller obtains a control parameter by interpreting the first command, or issues a second command by executing an application program in response to the first command and then obtains a control parameter. In either case, the control parameter is output from the communication controller to the motor controller by which a plurality of motors are controlled.

Abstract: A user communicates with a companion with his or her portable telephone attached to a telephone attachment pocket of a robot. The robot acts in accordance with a voice signal which is outputted from the portable telephone, thereby behaving as if it were speaking to the user. The robot outputs a voice in response to the user's voice which is picked up by a microphone, thereby behaving as if it were listening to the user. Owing to this robot or a robot system using the same, the user feels less odd in his or her communication using the portable telephone.