Realization of Robotic Space System to Support Human Activity

本研究的目的是实现这样一种能够观察和理解人类活动的机器人环境，并在观察的基础上对其进行适当的支持。机器人环境被构建为一个机器人空间系统，它用各种机器和设备围绕着人类进行观察和支持。这些机器和设备是协同工作的，而构建多台协同机器的人类活动支持系统最关键的问题就是这些机器的联网。合作、理解和支持的融合证实了所提出的人类活动支持空间系统的可行性和有效性。首先，即使是没有网络接口的普通机器或设备也可以与该系统连接并协同工作，因为该系统可以直观地观察和监控空间中的人和机器。其次，在所构建的空间系统中，传感器和执行器被配置并在空间上分布。由于人类既不能漂浮也不能飞行，他们必须在两个维度上触底和移动。因此，有可能安排传感器和执行器，使它们不会干扰人类的活动，并适当地理解和支持它们。第三，行为在系统与人之间的沟通中起着重要作用。理解功能和支持功能都以行为为关键媒介。该系统是一个基于行为表达的分布式协同系统。

The aim of this research is to realize such robotic environment that is possible to observe and understand human activity and support them properly based upon the observation. The robotic environment is constructed as a robotic space system that surrounds humans with various machines and equipments for the observation and the support. These machines and equipments work cooperatively.Networking of those machines, which is the most essential issue to construct human activity support system as multiple cooperative machines, is established in this research concretely. Integration of the cooperation, understanding and supporting confirms both feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed human activity support space system.Results obtained through the research are as follows. Firstly, even ordinary machines or equipments without network interface are possible to connect with the system and work collaboratively because the system visually observes and monitors both humans and machines within the space. Secondly, in the constructed space system, sensors and actuators are equipped and spatially distributed. Since humans cannot float nor fly, they are bound to floor and move two dimensionally. Therefore it is possible to arrange the sensors and actuators so that they don't disturb humans activity, understand and support them properly. Thirdly, behavior plays an important role for communication between the system and human. Both understanding function and supporting function utilize behavior as key medium. The system works as a distributed cooperative system based on behavior expression.