Basic Design of Human-Symbiotic Robot EMIEW

Abstract

We are developing a robot that supports people in their daily lives: a human-symbiotic robot. Such robot must share space with its users, be user-friendly, and be able to assist its users. We have developed a prototype autonomous mobile robot that makes use of a self-balancing two-wheeled mobile system and a body swing mechanism to shift its center of gravity. This allows it to move nimbly at up to 6 km per hour. It also has capabilities to avoid collisions with obstacles for moving safely through complex environments. Distant-speech-recognition and high-quality speech-synthesis technologies enable it to communicate with people naturally (i.e., without special tools). These capabilities were demonstrated at the 2005 World Exposition in Aichi, Japan