Intelligent Technology for Socially Embedded Robot Partners

Recently, various types of robots have been developed to improve quality of life for humans. However, there are various needs for robots. Therefore, it is necessary to examine the architecture of the robot for various needs. This paper proposes socially embedded robot partners with a modular cognitive model based on modularized architecture of hardware and software for various needs. First, we discuss modularization of element technologies related to robot partners and their applications. Next, we describe the necessary elemental techniques for human-robot interaction. Then, we discuss a developmental environment to realize easy contents design of verbal and nonverbal communication. Finally, we show several examples of implementation of robot partners, and discuss the applicability of robots for social utilization.