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This paper presents the development toward a dancing robot that can listen to and dance along with musical performances. One of the key components of this robot is the ability to modify its dance motions with varying tempos, without exceeding motor limitations, in the same way that human dancers modify their motions. In this paper, we first observe human performances with varying musical tempos of the same musical piece, and then analyze human modification strategies. The analysis is conducted in terms of three body components: lower, middle, and upper bodies. We assume that these body components have different purposes and different modification strategies, respectively, for the performance of a dance. For all of the motions of these three components, we have found that certain fixed postures, which we call keyposes, tend to be preserved. Thus, this paper presents a method to create motions for robots at a certain music tempo, from human motion at an original music tempo, by using these keyposes. We have implemented these algorithms as an automatic process and validated their effectiveness by using a physical humanoid robot HRP-2. This robot succeeded in performing the Aizu-bandaisan dance, one of the Japanese traditional folk dances, 1.2 and 1.5 times faster than the tempo originally learned, while maintaining its physical constraints. Although we are not achieving a dancing robot which autonomously interacts with varying music tempos, we think that our method has a vital role in the dancing-to-music capability. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Music has long been used to strengthen bonds between humans. In our research, we develop musical coplayer robots with the hope that music may improve human-robot symbiosis as well. In this paper, we underline the importance of non-verbal, visual communication for ensemble synchronization at the start, during and end of a piece. We propose three cues for interplayer communication, and present a thereminplaying, singing robot that can detect them and adapt its play to a human flutist. Experiments with two naive flutists suggest that the system can recognize naturally occurring flutist gestures without requiring specialized user training. In addition, we show how the use of audio-visual aggregation can allow a robot to adapt to tempo changes quickly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SDR-4X II is the latest prototype model of a small biped entertainment robot. It is the improved model of SDR-4X. In this paper we report on the sensing system of this robot, which is important and essential for a small biped entertainment robot which will be used in the home environment. One technology is the design of the motion sensing system, i.e. the inclination sensor system and the force sensor system which obtains the inclination of the trunk and the foot with force. Another technology is the real-world sensing system. One aspect is the touch sensing system. The robot is used in a normal home environment, so we should strongly consider the safety aspects for human. Another is the vision sensor system. The configuration and the distance image acquisition are explained. Next is the audio sensor system which obtains the sound and the voice information. The hardware system and the direction recognition are explained. These sensing systems are the key to making the biped robot walking and dynamic motion highly stable, and understanding the real-world around the robot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents experiments on the imitative interactions between a small humanoid robot and a user. A dynamic neural network model of a mirror system was implemented in a humanoid robot, based on the recurrent neural network model with parametric bias (RNNPB). The experiments showed that after the robot learns multiple cyclic movement patterns as embedded in the RNNPB, it can regenerate each pattern synchronously with the movements of a human who is demonstrating the corresponding movement pattern in front of the robot. Further, the robot exhibits diverse interactive responses when the user demonstrates novel cyclic movement patterns. Those responses were analyzed and categorized. We propose that the dynamics of coherence and incoherence between the robot's and the user's movements could enhance close interactions between them, and that they could also explain the essential psychological mechanism of joint attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the role of ethological and emotional models as the basis for an architecture in support of entertainment robotic systems. Specific examples for Sony’s AIBO are presented as well as extensions related to a new humanoid robot, SDR. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]