A Large-scale Three-Dimensional (3D) Printer and Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Machine for Implementing Deformable Zoomorphic Robots

用于实现可变形兽形机器人的大型三维 (3D) 打印机和计算机数控 (CNC) 机器

• 批准号: RTI-2022-00668
• 负责人: Hung, Patrick
• 金额: $ 4万
• 依托单位: University of Ontario Institute of Technology
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Research Tools and Instruments
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2021-01-01 至 2022-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=741752
• 关键词: Large; scale; Three; Dimensional; 3D

Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) is a research area of understanding, designing, and evaluating social robots for use by or with humans, respectively. A social robot consists of a physical robot hardware component to interact with humans connected through a network infrastructure as a cyber-physical computing system supported with Cloud services. The Uncanny Valley theory describes the disturbing effect of imperfect human likenesses that have dominated HRI. Referring to the Uncanny Valley, social robots usually constitute a form of anthropomorphism or zoomorphism. For example, social robots typically behave like humans or animals, such as mimicry of human/animal behavior and emotional expression, with speech, gestures, movements, and eye-gaze features. Prior research found that it is much easier for an embodied humanoid robot with emotional expression to gain users' trust to release personal information than a disembodied interactive kiosk. The applicant requests funds for a large-scale Three-dimensional (3D) printer and a Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine to create 3D deformable zoomorphic body parts through a layering method. Using both a CNC machine and a 3D printer will significantly improve the training of High-Quality Personnel (HQP). In addition, the equipment will help to transform their designs of zoomorphic body parts built on simulation software to complex material prototypes, whether it is Polylactic Acid (PLA) in the 3D printer or any material used on the CNC such as wood or metals. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the applicant's research team had designed and built a prototype deformable four-legged platform with a mechanical tail to express emotions using plasterboards, mechanical parts, computer hardware, and software. According to the Uncanny Valley theory, we plan to build a series of medium-to-large scale deformable zoomorphic body parts based on the four-legged platform, such as a foal and a dog. We will focus on emotional expression and human engagement for HRI. Emotions are an essential component of human cognition and behavior caused by an identifiable source, such as an event or seeing emotions in other people. Emotions are necessary to either promote or threaten the survival of different situations that people encounter. We will develop the zoomorphic body parts for behavioral responses, help in decision-making, and facilitate human engagement. Referring to a study report called "Pandemic makes people more open to social robots" by the University of Waterloo in 2020, the researchers found that Canadians would purchase a robot with the ability to show emotion for companionship after the pandemic. The report also showed that social robots could reduce severe isolation effects during the pandemic. It is a time for Canadian researchers to work on different zoomorphic robots with emotional expressions in HRI.

人类机器人相互作用（HRI）是一个研究领域，分别是理解，设计和评估社会机器人，分别与人类使用或与人类一起使用。社交机器人由一个物理机器人硬件组件组成，该组件与通过网络基础架构连接的人类进行交互，作为支持云服务的网络物理计算系统。不可思议的山谷理论描述了主导HRI的不完美人类相似性的令人不安的效果。指的是怪异的山谷，社会机器人通常构成拟人化或动物形态的一种形式。例如，社交机器人通常像人类或动物一样行事，例如模仿人类/动物的行为和情感表达，并具有言语，手势，运动和眼睛凝视的特征。先前的研究发现，具有情感表达的体现的人形机器人要比不熟悉的互动式售货亭容易得多。申请人要求资金用于大规模的三维（3D）打印机和计算机数值控制（CNC）机器，以通过分层方法创建3D可变形的变形型身体部件。使用CNC机和3D打印机将显着改善高质量人员的训练（HQP）。此外，设备将有助于将其在模拟软件上构建的变质体部件的设计转换为复杂的材料原型，无论是3D打印机中的聚乳酸（PLA）还是CNC上使用的任何材料，例如木材或金属。在COVID-19大流行期间，申请人的研究团队设计并建立了一个原型可变形的四足平台，其机械尾巴使用石膏板，机械零件，计算机硬件和软件来表达情绪。根据奇特的山谷理论，我们计划根据四足平台（例如足球和狗）建立一系列中等至大规模的变形型身体部位。我们将专注于HRI的情感表达和人类参与。情绪是由识别源（例如事件或看到他人的情绪）引起的人类认知和行为的重要组成部分。对于促进或威胁人们遇到的不同情况的生存是必要的。我们将开发用于行为反应的变形体身体部位，帮助决策和支持人类参与。在提到一份名为“大流行使人们对社会机器人更开放的研究报告”时，滑铁卢大学于2020年发现，研究人员发现，加拿大人将购买一个机器人，能够在大流行后展示伙伴关系的情绪。该报告还表明，社会机器人可以减少大流行期间的严重隔离效应。现在是加拿大研究人员在HRI中使用情感表达的不同动态机器人的工作。