IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,305,433
Granted Patent B2
US 11,305,433 · App. 16/447,719 · Granted Apr 19, 2022

Robot, robot control method, and storage medium

Inventors: Toshihiko Otsuka (Ome, JP); Hisao Kumai (Tokorozawa, JP); Takahiro Tomida (Hamura, JP)
Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
B25J11/001B25J9/163B25J11/0015B25J13/003B25J19/023B25J19/026B25J19/04G06K9/00288
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,305,433
App. No.
16/447,719
Granted
Apr 19, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

In a robot, an actuator causes the robot to operate. A processor is configured to acquire, when a holding portion is held by a predetermined target, physical information on a physical function of the predetermined target, and cause, by controlling the actuator depending on the acquired physical information, the robot to perform at least one of an examination operation for examining the physical function of the predetermined target and a training support operation for training the physical function of the predetermined target.

Claims (58)

1. A robot comprising:

an actuator configured to cause the robot to operate;

a holding portion configured to be held by a target; and

a processor configured to:

acquire, when the holding portion is held by the target, physical information on a physical function of the target, and

cause, by controlling the actuator depending on the acquired physical information, the robot to perform at least one of an examination operation for examining the physical function of the target and a training support operation for training the physical function of the target.

2. The robot according to claim 1 , wherein

the processor is configured to:

determine, based on the acquired physical information, whether the physical function of the target has deteriorated, and

cause, when the physical function is determined to have deteriorated, the robot to perform at least one of the examination operation and the training support operation by controlling the actuator.

3. The robot according to claim 2 , wherein

the processor is configured to

cause, when the physical function is determined to have deteriorated and when the physical function of the target has not been examined within a latest predetermined period, the robot to perform the examination operation by controlling the actuator.

4. The robot according to claim 2 , wherein

the processor is configured to cause, when the physical function is determined to have deteriorated and when the physical function of the target has been examined within a latest predetermined period, the robot to perform the training support operation by controlling the actuator.

5. The robot according to claim 1 , wherein

the processor is configured to acquire, as the physical information, information on a brain function of the target.

6. The robot according to claim 1 , wherein

the examination operation is an operation for examining whether the target suffers from dementia, and

the training support operation is an operation for preventing the dementia.

7. The robot according to claim 1 further comprising

a sensor provided at the holding portion and configured to measure a grip strength of the target, wherein

the processor is configured to acquire, as the physical information, the grip strength measured by the sensor.

8. The robot according to claim 7 , wherein

the processor causes, when the acquired grip strength is lower than a predetermined threshold, the robot to perform at least one of the examination operation and the training support operation by controlling the actuator.

9. The robot according to claim 1 , wherein

the processor is configured to:

cause, when the holding portion is held by the target, the robot to perform the examination operation by controlling the actuator,

acquire the physical information by detecting a response of the target to the examination operation, and

cause, when the physical function of the target is determined to have deteriorated based on the acquired physical information, the robot to perform the training support operation by controlling the actuator.

10. The robot according to claim 9 , wherein

the processor is configured to acquire the physical information by detecting, as the response, a voice emitted from the target or a direction in which the holding portion is moved by the target.

11. The robot according to claim 1 , wherein

the processor is configured to cause, while the holding portion is being held by the target, the robot to perform at least one of the examination operation and the training support operation by controlling the actuator.

12. The robot according to claim 1 , wherein

the processor is configured to:

recognize a face of the target when the holding portion is held by the target, and

change, depending on a change in an expression of the recognized face, the examination operation or the training support operation to be performed by the robot.

13. The robot according to claim 1 , wherein

the processor is configured to request, when the holding portion has been held by the target for a time shorter than a predetermined time, the target to hold the holding portion for a longer time by controlling the actuator.

14. The robot according to claim 1 , wherein

the actuator is configured to move the robot, and

the processor is configured to move the robot toward the target while stretching the holding portion in the front of the robot by controlling the actuator.

15. The robot according to claim 1 , wherein

the processor is configured to change, when the physical function of the target is determined to have deteriorated, the number, type, or difficulty of the training support operation to be performed by the robot depending on a deterioration level of the physical function.

16. The robot according to claim 1 , wherein

the holding portion is at least one hand portion provided to the robot.

17. The robot according to claim 1 further comprising:

at least one of a movable unit that is a component driven by the actuator, a display, and a speaker, wherein

the processor is configured to cause the robot to perform at least one of the examination operation and the training support operation by controlling the actuator so as to move the movable unit, to display an image on the display, or to output a voice from the speaker.

18. The robot according to claim 1 , wherein

the target includes a human.

19. A robot control method comprising:

acquiring, when a holding portion of the robot is held by a target, physical information on a physical function of the target; and

causing, depending on the acquired physical information, the robot to perform at least one of an examination operation for examining the physical function of the target and a training support operation for training the physical function of the target.

20. A non-transitory storage medium for causing a computer of a robot to function as:

an acquisition unit configured to acquire, when a holding portion of the robot is held by a target, physical information on a physical function of the target; and

a motion control unit configured to cause, depending on the physical information acquired by the acquisition unit, the robot to perform at least one of an examination operation for examining the physical function of the target and a training support operation for training the physical function of the target.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 20, 2019
From: OTSUKA, TOSHIHIKO; KUMAI, HISAO; TOMIDA, TAKAHIRO
To: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 049543/0348 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2018-117796 · Jun 21, 2018 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190389072A1 · Dec 26, 2019