Designing for learnability in human-robot communication

In a future scenario where many devices can be controlled using the voice, easy and intuitive access will be crucial for avoiding cognitive overload when users are faced with many different systems and interaction models. We propose a model for interaction with spoken language interfaces applied to heterogeneous tasks for service robots, based on the idea of using a family of lifelike characters. We argue that we can signal important features of the speech interface by using certain visual cues. The aim is to facilitate learning and transfer between interfaces. We discuss challenges for dialogue design affecting learnability in the light of the speech interface constructed for our full-scale robot prototype CERO.     

Modern artificial intelligence for human-robot interaction

Interaction between humans and traditional robotic systems can be problematic, as the traditional robotic systems often perform repetitive actions in a restricted environment, whereas human interaction is often characterized by novel ways of interactions, which creates an ever-changing environment. Therefore, traditional robotic system methods and technologies are often difficult to apply in situations and applications where the interaction plays a major role. So we developed a new kind of user-guided behavior-based robotics and applied this method to both mobile and humanoid robots, in order to investigate how nonexpert users could develop their own complex robot behaviors within a very short time (e.g., 30-60 min) with no prior knowledge of the robot technology. In the development of the team of humanoid robots, Viki, we used a modern approach to artificial intelligence that puts emphasis on the balance between control, electronic hardware, material, sensory system, and energy. It is possible to develop simple user interfaces with the user-guided behavior-based approach, in order to allow any user to design performances with the humanoid robots. However, we should not only look at the control of robots when designing human-robot interactions, but also on the physical aspects of the robotic system. Therefore, the novel concept of "programming by building" is introduced and exemplified with the creation of a prototype system consisting of building blocks with individual processing and communication capabilities. By assembling such building blocks, the user develops both the physical aspects and the functionality of the robotic system in an easy manner with no need to use a host computer or a traditional programming language. The approach is further exemplified with the implementation of neural building blocks that can later be trained by the user.     

未来中国电信运营商3G业务应用探讨

介绍了Vodafone、NTT DoCoMo、KDDI等国外主要运营商3G业务应用情况，阐述了受中国移动用户欢迎的3G业务种类，指出中国电信运营商发展3G业务的路径。     

A time-domain vibration observer and controller for physical human-robot interaction

This paper presents a time-domain vibration observer and controller for physical Human-Robot Interaction (pHRI). The proposed observer/controller aims at reducing or eliminating vibrations that may occur in stiff interactions. The vibration observer algorithm first detects minima and maxima of a given signal with robustness in regards to noise. Based on these extrema, a vibration index is computed and then used by an adaptive controller to adjust the control gains in order to reduce vibrations. The controller is activated only when the amplitude of the vibrations exceeds a given threshold and thus it does not influence the performance in normal operation. Also, the observer does not require a model and can analyze a wide time frame with only a few computations. Finally, the algorithm is implemented on two different prototypes that use an admittance controller.     

A two-arm situated artificial communicator for human-robot cooperative assembly

We present the development of a robot system with some cognitive capabilities, as well as experimental results. We focus on two topics: assembly by two hands and understanding human instructions in nonconstrained natural language. These two features distinguish human beings from animals, and are, thus, the means leading to high-level intelligence. A typical application of such a system is a human-robot cooperative assembly. A human communicator sharing a view of the assembly scenario with the robot instructs the latter by speaking to it in the same way that he would communicate with a child whose common-sense knowledge is limited. His instructions can be underspecified, incomplete, and/or context dependent. After introducing the general purpose of our research project, we present the hardware and software components of our robots needed for interactive assembly tasks. We then discuss the control architecture of the robot system with two stationary robot arms by describing the functionalities of perception, instruction understanding, and execution. To show how our robot learns from humans, the implementations of a layered learning methodology, memory, and monitoring functions are introduced. Finally, we outline a list of future research topics related to the enhancement of such systems.     

Programming by touch: the different way of human-robot interaction

Mobile service robots will share their workspaces, e.g., offices, hospitals, or households, with humans. Thus, a direct contact between man and machine is inevitable. Robots equipped with appropriate sensors can sense the touch. In this paper, we present how an unskilled user can intuitively teach the lightweight robot at the German Aerospace Center (DLR), We/spl szlig/ling, Germany, just by touching the arm. Programming by "touch" is very intuitive as you take the robot by the hand and demonstrate the movements. This feature can also be used to interact with the service robot while executing a task. Therefore, if our seven-degrees-of-freedom robot arm senses a touch, it will react by an evasive motion of the touched links while keeping the orientation of the tool center point.     

Teleoperation of a robot manipulator using a vision-based human-robot interface

Remote teleoperation of a robot manipulator by a human operator is often necessary in unstructured dynamic environments when human presence at the robot site is undesirable. Mechanical and other contacting interfaces used in teleoperation require unnatural human motions for object manipulation tasks or they may hinder human motion. Previous vision-based approaches have used only a few degrees of freedom for hand motion and have required hand motions that are unnatural for object manipulation tasks. This paper presents a noncontacting vision-based method of robot teleoperation that allows a human operator to communicate simultaneous six-degree-of-freedom motion tasks to a robot manipulator by having the operator perform the three-dimensional human hand-arm motion that would naturally be used to complete an object manipulation task. A vision-based human-robot interface is used for communication of human motion to the robot and for feedback of the robot motion and environment to the human operator. Teleoperation under operator position control was performed with high accuracy in object placement on a target. Semi-autonomous traded and shared control using robot-vision guidance aided in achieving a more accurate positioning and orientation of the end-effector for object gripping tasks.     

A social informatics approach to human-robot interaction with a service social robot

The development of an autonomous social robot, Cherry, is occurring in tandem with studies gaining potential user preferences, likes, dislikes, and perceptions of her features. Thus far, results have indicated that individuals 1) believe that service robots with emotion and personality capabilities would make them more acceptable in everyday roles in human life, 2) prefer that robots communicate via both human-like facial expressions, voice, and text-based media, 3) become more positive about the idea of service and social robots after exposure to the technology, and 4) find the appearance and facial features of Cherry pleasing. The results of these studies provide the basis for future research efforts, which are discussed.     

Final report for the DARPA/NSF interdisciplinary study on human-robot interaction

As part of a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency/National Science Foundation study on human-robot interaction (HRI), over sixty representatives from academia, government, and industry participated in an interdisciplinary workshop, which allowed roboticists to interact with psychologists, sociologists, cognitive scientists, communication experts and human-computer interaction specialists to discuss common interests in the field of HRI, and to establish a dialogue across the disciplines for future collaborations. We include initial work that was done in preparation for the workshop, links to keynote and other presentations, and a summary of the findings, outcomes, and recommendations that were generated by the participants. Findings of the study include-the need for more extensive interdisciplinary interaction, identification of basic taxonomies and research issues, social informatics, establishment of a small number of common application domains, and field experience for members of the HRI community. An overall conclusion of the workshop was expressed as the following-HRI is a cross-disciplinary area, which poses barriers to meaningful research, synthesis, and technology transfer. The vocabularies, experiences, methodologies, and metrics of the communities are sufficiently different that cross-disciplinary research is unlikely to happen without sustained funding and an infrastructure to establish a new HRI community.     

Envisioning Social Media Information for Big Data Using Big Vision Schemes in Wireless Environment

Wireless Personal Communications - The social media offers the firms the capability to assess the feelings towards the contexts and the actions related to them in the real time. Additionally, the...     

Integrated operations

The value of and reasons for integrating operations systems (OSs) with each other and with network elements are discussed. The reasons for integrating current OSs are: to provide added value resulting from the synergy of capabilities implemented in each individual OS; to increase the flexibility of the overall system and the diversity of methods and organizational structures it can support; to ease the task of implementing, maintaining, and operations OSs themselves; and to foster competition and support a multivendor environment. Developments in the integration of OS in the Bell operating companies are examined     

The operations explosion

The author discusses the development of operations systems in the context of the evolving communications networks. He examines briefly the developments of the last 20 years. He then describes the issues of overall architecture and of productivity that must be addressed. He mentions the potential impact of expert systems on operations systems     

Multilevel logic operations

The multilevel logic operations (MLOs) that are extended from the conventional binary logic operations are defined. MLOs are useful for designing digital circuits based on binary logic. Application examples of multiple BPSK (binary phase shift keying) circuits are given to show the design efficiency of these MLOs     

GPS relative navigation in rendezvous operations

The possibility of obtaining excellent results in rendezvous operations is investigated. A model of the GPS receiver to be installed on board the chaser is proposed. It can give both the relative navigation data and absolute navigation data. The results of a computer simulation are also presented.<>     

Chopping operations in wave digital filters

The letter deals with a method of calculating and compensating approximately the error caused by chopping operations in wave digital filters. Stability at zero input is retained.     

Faster column operations in star networks

Using the methods used to obtain O(log N) routings of permutations, basic algorithms on the star graph which are faster than those previously reported in the literature are obtained. In particular, an O(log² N) sort and an O(log N) Fourier transform are presented. A simulation of meshes is also given. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.