Providing Services Using Network-Based Humanoids in a Home Environment

This paper describes the development of network-based humanoids to provide services in the home environment. For successful service in more intelligent and varied environments, various robot sub-systems need to be coordinated effectively. Thus, this paper also introduces a coordinated framework which makes robot-human interaction while executing various tasks by means of various robots. Using a task script, an operator can easily describe tasks and regulate actions of the sub-systems while a robot is performing the task. Furthermore, the control system of a robot must operate efficiently to ensure a coordinated robot system, so the realization of an IEEE-1394 real-time distributed control system and a motor controller for a humanoid robot are introduced. Many algorithms have been developed, and the following technologies are described herein: autonomous biped walking; real-time modification of collision-free paths; and interaction ability with humans and environments, such as face, voice, or object recognition. The results of the demonstration show that humanoids can execute tasks efficiently and are suitable to provide services in human environments, such as restaurants or homes.(1).