Companion robot for personal interaction
A mobile robot guest for interacting with a human resident performs a room-traversing search procedure prior to interacting with the resident, and may verbally query whether the resident being sought is present. Upon finding the resident, the mobile robot may facilitate a teleconferencing session with a remote third party, or interact with the resident in a number of ways. For example, the robot may carry on a dialogue with the resident, reinforce compliance with medication or other schedules, etc. In addition, the robot incorporates safety features for preventing collisions with the resident; and the robot may audibly announce and/or visibly indicate its presence in order to avoid becoming a dangerous obstacle. Furthermore, the mobile robot behaves in accordance with an integral privacy policy, such that any sensor recording or transmission must be approved by the resident.
1. A method performed by a robot for maintaining proximity between a person and the robot, the method comprising:
initializing a presence score indicative of proximity of the person;
detecting the person within a detection range of the robot, and in response, improving the presence score;
detecting that the person is not within the detection range of the robot and decaying the presence score to progressively worsen as a function of time;
determining that the presence score, as decayed, has decayed to a first threshold presence score, wherein the first threshold presence score is selected so that at least some time passes before the presence score decays to the first threshold presence score; and then,
in response to determining that the presence score has decayed to the first threshold presence score, initiating a searching routine to locate the person, thereby tending to keep the robot in a same room as the person, but without close following.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the method further comprises parking the robot in a charging station, engaged to recharge, when the presence score improves to a second threshold presence score.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
improving the presence score comprises improving the presence score at an accelerating rate.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
improving the presence score comprises improving the presence score at a first rate at a first time of day and improving the presence score at a second rate at a second time of day.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
initiating the searching routine to locate the person comprises driving to a first room having a first comfort score and then driving to a second room having a second comfort score, where the first comfort score is higher than the second comfort score.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the method further comprises recording an exit used by the person from a room; and
driving the robot to the different location comprises driving through the exit used by the person.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
maintaining a security score that measures whether the robot is close to a charging station; and
driving the robot to the charging station when the security score is below a security threshold score.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
decaying the presence score comprises decaying the presence score at a rate;
the method further comprises determining that a charging station is in a room with the robot and adjusting the rate.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, after initiating the searching routine, finding the person and parking the robot proximate the person.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein parking the robot proximate the person comprises parking in a position that does not block traffic paths.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein parking the robot proximate the person comprises determining that the person is in a corridor or small room and, in response, parking in a nearby room.
12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, after initiating the searching routine, finding the person, determining that the person is in a corridor or small room and, in response, parking somewhere besides the corridor or small room.
13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, after initiating the searching routine, finding the person and parking in a position within the detection range of the person.