One and the same? Rity the Sobot (left) and Mybot the Mobot (right).
Giving Avatars Real Bodies
Scientists have developed an interface between reality and virtual reality in which, in a sense, virtual reality can control reality.The puppet-like system is called "Ubibot" (short for "ubiquitous robot"), and is a composite of three different types of robots: Sobot a software robot (a virtual reality avatar), Mobot a mobile robot, and Embot an embedded robot.
The researchers, representing the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, explained in a recent issue of IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics - Part C that the Ubibot concept represents "the cutting edge of technology with the advent of the ubiquitous era."
"In the coming ubiquitous era, Ubibots will be around human beings, and most interactions will be made through Sobot because of its high accessibility," explained Tae-Hun Kim, Seung-Hwan Choi, and Jong-Hwan Kim in the study. "Sobot requires the functionality to provide physical services to human beings using Mobot."
For the Sobot, the researchers used a dog-type software robot called "Rity" in their experiments. Rity has 5 facial expressions and can perform 77 behaviors. However, Rity is stuck inside a computer.
But with a novel interface, Rity can communicate with a Mobot. In this case, the researchers used a Mobot called "Mybot," which is a wheeled mobile robot with six ultrasonic sensors, one vision sensor, and two arms to express five emotional states. (Embot was not considered in this study.)
To overcome the physical limitations of Rity, the researchers developed a "middle layer," a standard protocol which can assist in the coordination of software robots and mobile robots, like Rity and Mybot.
Two key components of the interface involve the sensor mapper and behavior mapper. The sensor mapper helps Rity get physical (ultrasound) sensor information from Mybot, enabling the virtual avatar to use physical information. The behavior mapper helps Rity actually perform physical behaviors using Mybot in a real environment, enabling the avatar to interact physically with human beings in real environments.
Whenever Rity wants to do something in a real environment, it sends a command to the behavior mapper. Then, the behavior mapper looks in the behavior mapping table to find a mapped physical behavior corresponding to the Sobot's desires. Next, the behavior mapper transfers Rity's desires to Mybot's behavior module. Finally, Mybot performs a physical behavior just as Rity requested. Rity can express emotional states in the same way.
Of course, the robotic Mybot's behaviors cannot be exactly the same as the canine-like Rity's behaviors, since Mybot's abilities are limited by its hardware and mechanical configurations. Likewise, it may not be possible for Rity to control every actuator in Mybot's, such as when Mybot's abilities are more complex than Rity's.
To solve these problems, the researchers explained that Mybot's behaviors must be abstract and modular, so that each modular behavior can be independently provided by controlling related actuators using Mybot's own control methods. With this design, Rity doesn't have to control or even know about every actuator on Mybot, but only needs the interface module.
The researchers also designed a method to avoid any control interference, since Mybot can be controlled by three different controllers: itself, Rity, and a human user.
When there is a control conflict (i.e. two different controllers are trying to do different things at once), then an arbiter control system gives priority to Mybot, then to a human user, and then to Rity. This rank ensures that Mybot can keep itself safe if another controller unknowingly puts Mybot in danger (such as on a collision course with an obstacle). If this is the case, then Mybot can assert control of itself to avoid a collision.
The scientists explain that Sobots like Rity can be used in the infrastructure of many devices we already have today.
"Sobot can be in any desktop computer, personal digital assistance (PDA), or mobile phone," they wrote. "Human beings can interact with Sobot very easily. Since Sobot is a software-based robot, it is easy to change its graphical appearance according to a user's preference."
Having a virtual reality robot that can realize its behaviors in the real world through a Mobot could have applications in a wide variety of areas, such as entertainment, education, and psychological treatments.
More information: Tae-Hun Kim, Seung-Hwan Choi, and Jong-Hwan Kim. "Incorporation of a Software Robot and a Mobile Robot Using a Middle Layer." IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics - Part C: Applications and Reviews, Vol. 37, No. 6, Nov. 2007.
Source: Robot World News
More stories:
SEGA TOYS and NEUROSKY team to create "mind-controlled" tech toys
Robots Draw Maps, Plan Missions