Multimodal tutoring interface for robotic learning appliances

Adaptable e-learning robotic appliances have two problems related to their functional complexity and tutor management: to be designed providing a cognitive learning environment and to have a simplified maintenance and monitoring interface for its multimodal components. In this article it is described an efficient solution for the management of a specific robotic appliance, the Robo-eLC, meant for e-learning and e-commerce applications. The robot is capable of providing knowledge on certain given arguments and stimulating the learning processes of the users. Users' interactions with the robot are stimulated via the multimodal interface. Thanks to the cognitive environment that the robot is capable of creating, users are helped in learning complex matters related to world social economical inequity or even ethical values. Through the process of learning, users can then be helped by the robot in making thoughtful money operations. A powerful and simple Multimodal Tutoring Interface (MTI) is very important for non-experts that need to create, handle and distribute knowledge via robotic appliances. The MTI can be compared to the provision of an easily manageable "machine factory" (i.e. e-learning factory) instead of creating all possible product variations (i.e. substituting all possible infinite robotic e-modules combinations). Hence a non-expert tutor gains the full control of the robotic muiltimodal components becoming creator of the learning modules and all needed robotic hyper-components.