iGrace -- Emotional Computational Model for EmI Companion Robot

Sébastien Saint-Aimé (1) , Brigitte Le Pévédic (1) , Dominique Duhaut (1)

1 VALORIA - Laboratoire de Recherche en Informatique et ses Applications de Vannes et Lorient

We will discuss in this chapter the research in the field of emotional interaction, to maintain a non-verbal interaction with children from 4 to 8 years. This work fits into the EmotiRob project, whose goal is to comfort the children vulnerable and / or in hospitalization with an emotional robot companion. The use of robots in hospitals is still limited; we decided to put forward simple robot architecture and therefore, the emotional expression. In this context, a robot too complex and too voluminous must be avoided. After a study of advanced research on perception and emotional synthesis, it was important to determine the most appropriate way to express emotions in order to have a recognition rate acceptable to our target. Following an experiment on this subject, we were able to determine the degrees of freedom needed for the robot to express the six primary emotions. The second step was the definition and description of our emotional model. In order to have a wide range of expressions, while respecting the number of degrees of freedom, we use the concepts of emotional experiences. They provide us with almost two hundred different behaviors for the model. However we decide as a first step to limit ourselves to only fifty behaviors. This diversification is possible thanks to a mix of emotions linked to the dynamics of emotions. This theoretical model now established, we have started various experiments on a variety of audiences in order to validate the first time in its relevance and the rate of recognition of emotions. The first experiment was performed using a simulator for the capture of speech and the emotional and behavioral synthesis of the robot. This, validates the model assumptions that will be integrated EMI - Emotional Model of Interaction. Future phases of the project will evaluate the robot, both in its expression than in providing comfort to children. We describe the protocols used and present the results for EMI. These experiments will allow us to adjust and adapt the model. We will finish this chapter with a brief description of the robot's architecture, and the improvements to be made for the second version of EMI.

Domaines: Robotique [cs.RO]

Sébastien Saint-Aimé, Brigitte Le Pévédic, Dominique Duhaut. iGrace -- Emotional Computational Model for EmI Companion Robot. Advances in Human-Robot Interaction, Vladimir A. Kulyukin, pp.26, 2009. ⟨hal-00507686⟩