Abstract: In a legged mobile robot control system having leg actuators each driving the individual legs and arm actuators each driving the individual arms, an external force acting on the right arm is detected, operation of the right arm actuators is controlled to produces a handshake posture, and operation of the leg actuators is controlled based on the detected external force acting on the right hand during handshaking, thereby improving communication capability by enabling it to shake hands with humans and to maintain a stable posture during the handshaking.

Abstract: The content of the voice designation of a designator is recognized by a voice recognition part 130 at the time of controlling a robot, and the content of the indication of gesture or the like is recognized by an image recognition part 120. A movement destination and a map around the specific position designated are referred from a map data base 150 registering the position of an obstacle and the current position estimated by a self-position estimation part 140. After movement ease is decided by a movement ease decision part 112, the behavior is decided. When movement designation is given to the robot, correspondence according to a situation can be performed.

Abstract: When there is an object that has a possibility to come into contact with a robot 1 in a desired path, the robot 1 is decelerated stepwise according to the distance L from the robot 1 to a predicted contact position along the desired path. For example, legs 13 and the like of the robot 1 are so controlled that when the distance L is less than a first threshold L1, the moving speed is reduced to a first speed V1, and when the distance L is less than a second threshold lower than the first threshold, the moving speed is reduced from the first speed to a second speed.

Abstract: The autonomous mobile robot having an openable and closable gripper for gripping goods, cameras, an autonomous mobile means, and a control means for making the robot carry the goods to a destination from an acquisition source, the control means comprising: a grip position recognition means configured to recognize a predetermined position suitable for gripping a carrier container of a predetermined specification configured to place the goods to carry, based on an image of the acquisition source taken by the cameras; a grip control means configured to drive the gripper to the predetermined position of the carrier container and to control gripping the predetermined position; and a grip-success-or-not determination means configured to determine whether or not the gripping is successful, based on an external force acting on the gripper.

Abstract: A robot and the like capable of executing a task in an appropriate condition from the viewpoint of execution economy even when a state of the task is altered. A cost is evaluated that represents a load or labor required for a robot (1) to execute a new task, and the cost information indicating the cost is transmitted to a support server (200) (bid procedure). The support server (200) designates the robot (1) having the lowest cost as a designated robot (1) and transmits an execution instruction for executing the new task to the designated robot (1). The robot (1) executes the task according to the execution instruction (contract procedure). By employing the task bid and contract system, a designated task is executed by an adequate robot (R) among a plurality of robots (R) in consideration of the execution economy of the designated task.

Abstract: The item-carrying system comprises: a robot comprising: a gripping portion for gripping an item; external force detecting means for detecting an external force applied to the gripping portion; opening-degree detecting means for detecting an opening-degree of the gripping portion; autonomous movement means; and receiving/passing motion deciding means for deciding a motion of the robot in an item receiving/passing operation, wherein the receiving/passing motion deciding means comprises: means for determining to start receiving an item that causes the gripping portion to start a receiving motion if the external force detecting means has detected an external force not less than a first predetermined value, when the gripping portion is not gripping an item; and means for determining the completion of a receiving motion on the basis of at least one of an external force and an opening-degree during the receiving motion.

Abstract: In a legged mobile robot having an imaging device (such as CCD camera) for taking an image utilizing incident light from external world in which a human being to be imaged is present, brightness reduction operation is executed to reduce brightness of a high-brightness imaging region produced by high-brightness incident light, when the high-brightness imaging region is present in the image taken by the imaging device. With this, when the imaged high-brightness imaging region is present owing to high-brightness incident light from the sun or the like, the legged mobile robot can reduce the brightness to image a human being or other object with suitable brightness.

Abstract: A pointing position detection device is provided which, along with enabling a human being to perform pointing operation in a natural manner, can perform detection at high accuracy. The device detects the presence of a human being from an image photographed by cameras and a position at which the human being is pointing, and which includes: a section which, based upon the image, detects a head position of the human being, including at least distance information; a section which, based upon tile image, detects a hand position of the human being, including at least distance information; a section which, based upon the hand position, calculates a hand tip position and a main axis of the hand; and a section which detects a pointing direction, based upon the head position, the hand tip position, and the main axis, wherein the pointing position is detected based upon the pointing direction.

Abstract: A robot or the like able to precisely grip an object by flexibly changing an operation in accordance with various environments. When it is judged that a robot is in a “first state”, the action of the robot is controlled in accordance with a “first action mode”. Thus, the robot does not move and moves an arm or the like on the spot so that a first object W1 can be gripped by a hand. On the other hand, when the judging result is denial, the robot acts in an action mode different from the first action mode so that a relative position or the like of the first object W1 with the robot as a reference is changed. As a result, the robot can be changed from a non-first state to the first state.

Abstract: A landing shock absorbing device 18 disposed in a foot mechanism 6 of a leg of a robot, wherein an inflatable bag-like member 19 (variable capacity element) is provided at a bottom face side of the foot mechanism 6. The bag-like member 19 is constructed of an elastic material such as rubber. The air in atmosphere may flow into and out of the bag-like member 19 by inflow/outflow means 20 equipped with a solenoid valve 27, and the like. In a lifting state of the foot mechanism 6, inflow of the air into the bag-like member 19 is controlled, thereby controlling the final height of the bag-like member 19 in an inflated state to the height in response to a gait type of the robot. While properly reducing an impact load during a landing motion of the leg of a legged mobile robot depending on the gait type of the robot, stability of a posture of the robot may easily be secured, resulting in allowing a configuration to be lighter in weight.

Abstract: In a control system of a legged mobile robot having a body and legs connected to the body and driven by a leg actuator, there is provided an operation controller which identifies a human being like visitor to be conducted in a company building and the like, and controls operation of the leg actuator to conduct the identified visitor to a destination such as a reception room in the company building space along a route determined based on a map stored in a map database, while keeping pace with the visitor, thereby enabling to establish better communication with the visitor.

Abstract: When there is an object that has a possibility to come into contact with a robot 1 in a desired path, the robot 1 is decelerated stepwise according to the distance L from the robot 1 to a predicted contact position along the desired path. For example, legs 13 and the like of the robot 1 are so controlled that when the distance L is less than a first threshold L1, the moving speed is reduced to a first speed V1, and when the distance L is less than a second threshold lower than the first threshold, the moving speed is reduced from the first speed to a second speed.

Abstract: A robot recording a message on a wireless tag which includes: a voice recognition unit recognizing a voice input by a voice input unit which inputs a voice of a person; a message extraction unit extracting the message from the vice recognized by the voice recognition unit based on a fixed phrase provided for obtaining a message; a recording unit recording the message extracted by the message extraction unit on the wireless tag provided on an object.

Abstract: A landing shock absorbing device 18 disposed in a foot mechanism 6 of a leg of a robot, wherein an inflatable bag-like member 19 (a variable capacity element) is provided at a ground-contacting face side of the foot mechanism 6. The bag-like member 19 is constructed of an elastic material such as rubber and has a restoring force. An interior portion of the bag-like member 19 is communicated with the atmosphere side through a flow passage 20. During a landing motion of the leg, the bag-like member 19 makes contact with the ground to be compressed, and the air in the interior portion thereof flows out into the atmosphere through the flow passage 20, so that its outflow resistance is generated. Accordingly, a landing shock is reduced. In a lifting state of the leg, the restoring force of the bag-like member 19 allows the bag-like member 19 to be inflated while the air flows into the interior portion thereof.

Abstract: The content of the voice designation of a designator is recognized by a voice recognition part 130 at the time of controlling a robot, and the content of the indication of gesture or the like is recognized by an image recognition part 120. A movement destination and a map around the specific position designated are referred from a map data base 150 registering the position of an obstacle and the current position estimated by a self-position estimation part 140. After movement ease is decided by a movement ease decision part 112, the behavior is decided. When movement designation is given to the robot, correspondence according to a situation can be performed.

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide an item-carrying system in which a robot can perform an item-receiving motion without giving the human a sense of discomfort when receiving it from the human.

Abstract: In a legged mobile robot control system having leg actuators each driving the individual legs and arm actuators each driving the individual arms, an external force acting on the right arm is detected, operation of the right arm actuators is controlled to produces a handshake posture, and operation of the leg actuators is controlled based on the detected external force acting on the right hand during handshaking, thereby improving communication capability by enabling it to shake hands with humans and to maintain a stable posture during the handshaking.

Abstract: A landing shock absorbing device 18 provided in a foot mechanism 6 of a leg of a robot comprises an inflatable and compressible bag-like member 19 (a variable capacity element) on a bottom face side of the foot mechanism 6. The bag-like member 19 is constructed of an elastic material such as rubber. Air in the atmosphere can flow into and out of the bag-like member 19 by inflow/outflow means 20 provided with a solenoid valve 27 and the like. In a landing state of the foot mechanism 6 and in a state immediately after the foot mechanism shifts from the landing state to a lifting state, the solenoid valve 27 is closed to maintain the bag-like member 19 in a compressed state.

Abstract: A landing shock absorbing device 18 disposed in a foot mechanism 6 of a leg of a robot, wherein an inflatable bag-like member 19 (variable capacity element) is provided at a bottom face side of the foot mechanism 6. The bag-like member 19 is constructed of an elastic material such as rubber. The air in atmosphere may flow into and out of the bag-like member 19 by inflow/outflow means 20 equipped with a solenoid valve 27, and the like. In a lifting state of the foot mechanism 6, inflow of the air into the bag-like member 19 is controlled, thereby controlling the final height of the bag-like member 19 in an inflated state to the height in response to a gait type of the robot. While properly reducing an impact load during a landing motion of the leg of a legged mobile robot depending on the gait type of the robot, stability of a posture of the robot may easily be secured, resulting in allowing a configuration to be lighter in weight.

Abstract: A landing shock absorbing device 18 provided in a foot mechanism 6 of a leg of a robot comprises an inflatable and compressible bag-like member 19 (a variable capacity element) on a bottom face side of the foot mechanism 6. The bag-like member 19 is constructed of an elastic material such as rubber. Air in the atmosphere can flow into and out of the bag-like member 19 by inflow/outflow means 20 provided with a solenoid valve 27 and the like. In a landing state of the foot mechanism 6 and in a state immediately after the foot mechanism shifts from the landing state to a lifting state, the solenoid valve 27 is closed to maintain the bag-like member 19 in a compressed state.