To provide an expression-variable robot capable of stably showing a variety of expressions by a simple configuration. An expression-variable robot includes a simulated face and an eyebrow body that is disposed on the surface of the simulated face, the eyebrow body having flexibility. The expression-variable robot further includes a first support part that supports an outer end of the eyebrow body, a second support part that supports an inner end of the eyebrow body, and drive parts that rotate the outer end.

This describes a treatment method for autism/ASD intended to induce greater intrinsic motivation to make eye contact in affected children. The treatment method incorporates an artificial demonstration of the phenomenon of eye contact, and that method is described herein along with the principles of action of the treatment and the necessary procedure to perform it. Also described are two embodiments of a therapy tool that can be used to effect the demonstration: first, an item in the form of a cuboid with animatronic eyes affixed to one side, and second, another in the form of a stuffed dog.

An illuminated display device with a base member representing an eye and having a primary cavity therein, usually existing as a pair of devices to represent two eyes. Thin walls within the primary cavity divide it into multiple chambers, wherein each chamber has a unique shape and volume that represents a view of a unique emotive response in an eye. Illumination devices are placed in each unique thin-walled chamber shape to emit light in a pattern from the chamber volume through a top opening of the cavity. Lighting all illumination devices equally imitates an open eye, while illuminating the volume of one or more unique chamber shapes at OFF or lesser brightness than the volume in other chambers creates a negative space, giving the illusion that the eye has changed shape to equal the shape in the brightly lit chambers only. The device can thus imitate the changing shapes in an eye shown when expressing emotion and the device is capable of exhibiting eight or more distinct emotive responses. A speaker can emit sounds in synchronization with a pattern of illumination to enhance the emotive effect. The unique chamber shapes and volumes in the primary cavity can be covered by translucent material that may be printed with a graphic representation of an eye.

There is provided a robot device including: a head portion coupled to a trunk; four leg portions on a front left, a front right, a rear left, and a rear right coupled to the trunk; a first indirect portion that tilts the head portion left and right; and a second joint portion that rotates, with respect to the trunk, one of the leg portions on the rear left and the rear right to a front side, and the other to a rear side. It is possible to faithfully reproduce the movement of the four-legged animal by providing the first joint portion and the second joint portion.

An interactive toy including a reader for detecting a marker in a proximity of the interactive toy. The interactive toy also has a sensor for detecting movement of the interactive toy and a memory having programmed instructions and configuration data thereon. The programmed instructions are configured to control a response of the interactive toy to a detection of the marker, the response being defined at least in part by the configuration data. The interactive toy also has a processing unit configured to execute the programmed instructions according to the configuration data when the processing unit is in a play state. The processing unit is further configured to modify the configuration data in response to a combination of a detection of the marker in a proximity of the interactive toy, and a detection of a movement of the interactive toy when the processing unit is in a configuration state.

An interactive system includes one or more processors that are configured to receive a first signal indicative of an activity of a user within an environment and to receive a second signal indicative of the user approaching an animated character head. The one or more processors are also configured to provide information related to the activity of the user to a base station control system associated with the animated character head in response to receipt of the second signal to facilitate a personalized interaction between the animated character head and the user.

An interactive robotic toy including: a body section and a head section rotatably coupled with the body section. The head section includes a fixed jaw. A motor operates to rotate the head section relative to the body section. At least one touch sensor is provided for detecting touch. A processor is coupled with the motor and the touch sensor. The processor controls the motor to rotate the head section relative to the body section in response to the actuation of the touch sensor. A jaw is pivotally mounted to the head section and moveable between an open position remote from the fixed jaw and a closed position proximate the fixed jaw as the head section is rotated relative the body section by the motor.

A form changing toy includes a power source, a power transmission mechanism, an operation part, a switch, a movable part, a locking mechanism, and a connecting part. The operation part is configured to perform a predetermined operation by the power. The switch is configured to be moved between a first position to a second position, and being urged to the second position. The locking mechanism is configured to lock the movable part at the first position when the movable part is manually moved from the second position to the first position, and is configured to release locking by the power when the predetermined operation continues. The connecting mechanism is configured to operate the movable part by connecting the movable part and either one of the power transmission mechanism and the operation part when the movable part moves to the second position.

A form changing toy includes a power source, an operation part, a movable part, a switch, and an operation mechanism. The operation part is connected to the power source to perform a predetermined movement by power from the power source. The switch is configured to be reversibly moved between a first position and a second position manually. The operation mechanism is configured to move, by the power, the movable part by making the movable part abut the power source or by making the movable part abut the operation part when the switch is at the second position, and is configured to separate the movable part from the power source or the movable part from the operation part when the switch is at the first position.

In a patient simulator, in particular a premature baby, newborn or child simulator, including a simulated thorax, a pneumatic lung simulator and a simulated trachea leading to the lung simulator, wherein the simulated thorax includes a simulated chest including at least one liftable and lowerable chest element to simulate lifting and lowering of the chest, the at least one liftable and lowerable chest element cooperates with a lifting and lowering mechanism actuatable independently of the lung simulator.