Takashi SUEHIRO (末廣 尚士)

This paper proposes an architecture with a two-layered structure for implementing an air-hockey robot that
performs tactically in the deployment of entertainment robots. The two-layered architecture is comprised of two components: a tactical component that governs tactics and a skill component that deals with individual shots. The skill layer shoots a puck autonomously by selecting an appropriate way of shooting while considering what is physically feasible. The tactical layer controls the behavior of the skill layer by adjusting a probability function for selecting shooting methods. In this study, we implemented the architecture and conducted experiments to demonstrate its usefulness.

This paper describes the implementation of a twisting skill to a multi-DOF end effector for manipulating linear deformable objects (LDOs). When manipulating of LDOs such as rope knotting, an important factor is to control torsion. However, controlling torsion is difficult using only the robot arm movement because of the range limit of a manipulator and the danger of collision with the environment such as a table and objects to be tied. On the other hand, implementing the movement into a robot hand as in-hand manipulation means that the robot-arm movement can be compact. In this study, we extract what is needed in a ``twisting skill'', implement them into multi-DOF end effectors mounted on a dual-arm robot, and evaluate the skill.

A purpose of this study is to achieve wrapping operation by robots. As a teaching method of wrapping operation, this study uses an intuitive instruction based on a movement of a hand, and generates robot commands from the instruction. This study represents wrapping operation based on a three-layered model as intermediate representation, which is originally proposed in our previous study. In this paper, as a key elements of this study, we describe the teaching method which is a part of inputting to the model. This method can understand an intention of the rough instruction and generate appropriate intermediate representation which represents the intention. In the intermediate representation, a part of hand path generation method is extended to loosen limitations about shapes of objects and fabric that can be handled. Finally, we integrate them into a total wrapping robot system, and confirm that the proposed method is effective to achieve wrapping operation by a robot.

This paper proposes a design of RTC (Robotics Technology Component specified by OMG) for MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface), which is a standard interface for electronic musical instruments. It is also useful for entertainment robots, as well as electric musical instruments, that play a musical instrument. In face, MIDI is often used for music playing robots to enable them to cooperate with other robots and musical instruments, so it is useful to provide the interface to MIDI on common robotics frameworks. This paper describes how to handle MIDI on RTM (Robotics Technology Middleware). First, the structure of a MIDI RTC is proposed, and then, based on it, basic MIDI RTCs are implemented. These RTCs are verified by constructing a simple music system that controls a MIDI keyboard and a software synthesizer. Next, a practical music playing robot system that plays the handbells is implemented based on our proposal. The robot gave musical performances of handbells to several audiences. Through questionnaire to the audience, the effectiveness of the proposed framework is verified.

In the present paper, we propose a method for in-air knotting by a dual-arm, multi-finger robot. Most previous studies about knotting by robots assume that the rope is placed on a table. However, in-air knotting requires more skillful hand manipulations, such as swapping ropes between the right and left hands. Therefore, we herein focus on hand motion and first extract the essential hand motions for knotting, referred to herein as skill motions, by observing human knotting procedures. Next, hardware with the capability of executing these skill motions is developed. Finally, experiments are conducted to confirm that several types of knots can be tied in the air using the proposed method.