Robot Station: Unified Development Environment for Generating Imitative Behaviors by Heterogeneous Robots

Abstract

In human-robot communications, nonverbal messages are very important. Especially, imitation is realized as an essential factor with recent developments of researches on human-robot interaction. In order to implement an imitation system using a humanoid robot, we first developed ""Robot Station,"" which is a robot-motion development environment for heterogeneous robots using abstract description. Furthermore, we are developing a real-time transformation system, which converts human's motion data from a motion capturing system into abstract descriptions in order to handle by the Robot Station. Using these developing systems, we can make heterogeneous robots imitate human's motions. In other words, robots with our systems acquire an ability to communicate nonverbal messages regardless of shapes of their bodies. This study will expand the possibilities for applications of embodiment of robots.