A Social Robot and Data Sonification in the Caring Apartment
November 21, 2017 | Bielefeld UniversityEstimated reading time: 5 minutes
What makes an intelligent apartment socially competent, allowing it to provide optimal support to its guests? Researchers at Bielefeld University’s Cluster of Excellence Cognitive Interaction Technology (CITEC) have been investigating this question in a large-scale project.
Image caption: Prof. Dr. Britta Wrede, from the Cluster of Excellence CITEC, is one of leaders on this project, which networks Floka the robot – pictured here with a “social head” – with a smart apartment. Photo: CITEC/Bielefeld UniversityProf. Dr. Britta Wrede, from the Cluster of Excellence CITEC, is one of leaders on this project, which networks Floka the robot – pictured here with a “social head” – with a smart apartment. Photo credit: CITEC/Bielefeld University
The main result of this project has been the creation of an intelligent apartment in the CITEC building, which can be used around the clock as a research apartment. Among the innovations developed by the researchers include an “emotional” robot head, a sound-based energy consumption notification system, and a light signaling system in the kitchen. The project, called the “caring apartment,” will officially be concluded at the end of October. The researchers have presented the results of their project in the previous at the international conference “Human Agent Interaction” (HAI), which has been held at CITEC. A new video gives a glimpse into the research on the cognitive robot service apartment.
A new video presents the intelligent apartment at the CITEC building
“In this project, we have been researching how humans interact with an intelligent apartment in their everyday lives. How they can connect and communicate with it – and how a robot can help with this,” says CITEC researcher Professor Dr. Britta Wrede, who heads the project together with Privatdozent Dr. Sven Wachsmuth and Dr. Thomas Hermann. “The apartment adjusts to different situations and is not limited to individual services. This concept of flexible learning makes the apartment special,” explains the computer scientist.
Floka the Robot and its Facial Expressions
A central part of the project is the service robot Floka. CITEC researchers connected it to the apartment’s sensors and control system. This allows the apartment to immediately direct the robot to where its assistance is needed. The robot’s head is exchangeable and perceives both color and depth. Floka’s “social head” was specially developed at CITEC, and it enables the robot to react to its human counterpart with facial expressions. “This form of body language ensures that what Floka says is more easily subconsciously understood by people,” says Dr. Sven Wachsmuth. According to studies at CITEC, a robot with emotional facial expressions is more readily accepted by humans as an assistant or conversation partner than a robot with a rather technical appearance.
“The robot doesn’t just provide assistance. It also serves as a ‘contact person’ for guests so that they can speak to the apartment,” says Britta Wrede. “Otherwise, the users would just have to speak into the room – and this feels unnatural to many people.” Another contact person in the apartment is Flobi, who is actually also a robot. In the apartment, Flobi appears as an avatar (virtual character) on display screens. Flobi greets guests and helps them find their way around the kitchen.
Page 1 of 2
Suggested Items
Groundbreaking Ceremony Marks the Beginning of a New Era for Newccess Industrial; The Construction of the MINGXIN Building
04/12/2024 | Newccess IndustrialOn a clear and sunny day in March, the groundbreaking ceremony for the MINGXIN Building took place in Shenzhen, China. This moment marked the official commencement of construction for a project that will reshape the semiconductor materials industry.
Sondrel Poised to Support the Evolution of Intelligent Cars with Ultra-Complex Chips
04/08/2024 | SondrelAccording to Sondrel, a leading provider of ultra-complex chips, the designing of Software Defined Vehicles (SDVs) is changing the automotive ecosystem, including new methodologies and technology approaches that could significantly reduce costs and shorten time to market for advanced features.
Creators of SMT UHDI Test Board Vehicle Discuss this Important Project
04/04/2024 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007Chrys Shea of Shea Engineering and Altium’s David Haboud educate us on the latest revision of the SMT test board for UHDI testing, presented at the SMTA UHDI Symposium on March 26 in Arizona. Chrys was involved in the original SMT test board, introduced roughly five years ago. She and David discuss recreating the test board to be appropriate for UHDI, the genesis and history of this project, and why industry members should make use of it to benchmark their processes.
Smartkem Commences Project with RiTdisplay
03/22/2024 | PRNewswireSmartkem, the developer of a disruptive type of organic transistor that has the potential to drive a new generation of displays, today announced that it has entered into a collaboration agreement with RiTdisplay Corp. (RiTdisplay), a leading developer of optoelectronic solutions, visual displays and passive-matrix OLED (PMOLED) displays, for the manufacture of a new type of active-matrix OLED (AMOLED) display.
SIA Applauds CHIPS Act Incentives for Intel Projects
03/20/2024 | SIAThe Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) released the following statement from SIA President and CEO John Neuffer commending semiconductor manufacturing incentives announced by the U.S. Department of Commerce and Intel Corporation.