A planar touch sensor (an electrostatic capacitance sensor) for detecting a contact by a user on a body surface is installed on a robot. Pleasantness and unpleasantness are determined in accordance with a place of contact and a strength of contact on the touch sensor. Behavioral characteristics of the robot change in accordance with a determination result. Familiarity with respect to the user who touches changes in accordance with the pleasantness or unpleasantness. The robot has a curved form and has a soft body.

A planar touch sensor (an electrostatic capacitance sensor) for detecting a contact by a user on a body surface is installed on a robot. Pleasantness and unpleasantness are determined in accordance with a place of contact and a strength of contact on the touch sensor. Behavioral characteristics of the robot change in accordance with a determination result. Familiarity with respect to the user who touches changes in accordance with the pleasantness or unpleasantness. The robot has a curved form and has a soft body.

This disclosure provides devices and methods for implementing a robotic doll head. An implementation of the doll head can have a face mask having a pair of integral eyelids and an eyeball actuation frame supporting a pair of moveable eye assemblies. Each moveable eye assembly can have an eyeball element and an eyelid actuator assembly. The eyelid actuator assembly can have an eyelid support that can be coupled to an interior surface of one integral eyelid of the pair of integral eyelids. The eyelid actuator assembly can have a drive band configured to magnetically couple to the eyelid support and move the drive band in an arcuate path to blink the integral eyelids. The moveable eye assemblies can be offset from a centerline of the doll head by a separation angle by the eyeball actuation frame.

This disclosure provides devices and methods for implementing a robotic doll head. An implementation of the doll head can have a face mask having a pair of integral eyelids and an eyeball actuation frame supporting a pair of moveable eye assemblies. Each moveable eye assembly can have an eyeball element and an eyelid actuator assembly. The eyelid actuator assembly can have an eyelid support that can be coupled to an interior surface of one integral eyelid of the pair of integral eyelids. The eyelid actuator assembly can have a drive band configured to magnetically couple to the eyelid support and move the drive band in an arcuate path to blink the integral eyelids. The moveable eye assemblies can be offset from a centerline of the doll head by a separation angle by the eyeball actuation frame.

Figure expression using a multi-axis control is described. In one or more implementations, a figure (e.g., a ventriloquism figure) includes a head having eyeballs, eyelids, and eyebrows. A multi-axis control is integral with the head and is configured to control the eyeballs, the eyelids, and the eyebrows responsive to manipulation of the multi-axis control by a hand of a person. In contrast to conventional approaches, the eyeballs, the eyelids, and the eyebrows of the figure are controlled only by the multi-axis control. Indeed, the multi-axis control is configured to control the eyeballs, the eyelids, and the eyebrows without application of force by a hand to any other control of the figure.

Figure expression using a multi-axis control is described. In one or more implementations, a figure (e.g., a ventriloquism figure) includes a head having eyeballs, eyelids, and eyebrows. A multi-axis control is integral with the head and is configured to control the eyeballs, the eyelids, and the eyebrows responsive to manipulation of the multi-axis control by a hand of a person. In contrast to conventional approaches, the eyeballs, the eyelids, and the eyebrows of the figure are controlled only by the multi-axis control. Indeed, the multi-axis control is configured to control the eyeballs, the eyelids, and the eyebrows without application of force by a hand to any other control of the figure.

An apparatus and method of controlling an eye assembly of a patient simulator. The method generally includes receiving, via a data input device, one or more inputs, transmitting the one or more inputs to a controller in communication with the data input device, and controlling, using the controller and based on the one or more inputs, the eye assembly of the patient simulator to simulate ocular disease, which ocular disease includes nystagmus, blepharospasm, ptosis, idling, or a combination of two or more thereof.

Empathy toward a robot is increased by the robot emulating human-like or animal-like behavior. A robot includes a movement determining unit that determines a direction of movement, an action determining unit that selects a gesture from multiple kinds of gesture, and a drive mechanism that executes a specified movement and gesture. When a user enters a hall, an external sensor installed in advance detects a return home, and notifies the robot via a server that the user has returned home. The robot heads to the hall, and welcomes the user home by performing a gesture indicating goodwill, such as sitting down and raising an arm.

Empathy toward a robot is increased by the robot emulating human-like or animal-like behavior. A robot includes a movement determining unit that determines a direction of movement, an action determining unit that selects a gesture from multiple kinds of gesture, and a drive mechanism that executes a specified movement and gesture. When a user enters a hall, an external sensor installed in advance detects a return home, and notifies the robot via a server that the user has returned home. The robot heads to the hall, and welcomes the user home by performing a gesture indicating goodwill, such as sitting down and raising an arm.

The present invention relates to a system (10) for actuating eyes (12a, 12b) of a doll (14), at least having a support structure (16) with a recess portion (18) for receiving a correlatingly formed plug-in element (20) along an axis of insertion (E); wherein the recess portion (18) is formed so as to extend at least to an intake opening (22) of the doll (14); a pivot means (24), which is pivotable about a pivot means axis (S) in order to at least indirectly actuate the eyes (12a, 12b) at least depending on a pivoting position of the doll (14); an eye actuation arrangement (26), which is pivotable about an eye actuation pivot axis (A) in order to at least indirectly actuate the eyes (12a, 12b) at least depending on a rotational position of the plug-in element (20) fitted in the recess portion (18).

In this respect, the present invention furthermore relates to a plug-in element (20), an eye actuation set (52), a doll head (54) and a doll, which enable a greater scope of eye actuation.