Non-verbal Communication

We focused on the use of non-verbal information in human-robot dialogue to realize natural communication as human beings. First, the output timing of non-verbal information during interactive dialogues between human beings was analyzed. Moreover, we analyzed influences of output timing by controlling the dialogue with a CG robot. As a result, we clarified the differences of the output timing according to various types of non-verbal information. From experiments of communication between a human and the robot, it was confirmed that the use of non-verbal information with the appropriate output timing at the beginning and the end of utterances makes speaker-change smooth, which is the same as in human-human dialogues.

Facial Pose and Eye-Gaze Detection

When a human instructs operations to a robot, or works cooperatively with a robot, it is necessary to inform the robot of the human's intentions and interests. The motion of a human's face and gaze is important non-verbal information that indicates a human's intention and interests. Then, the recognition of such motion can lead us to smoother communication with the robot. We are doing research on facial poses and eye-gaze detection.

Motion Recognition of the Human Face

We are trying to integrate facial pose detection with face extraction, in order to recognize the motion of the human face. These figures show some of the results of face extraction and pose detection, and some results under various backgrounds or light conditions. We can extract the human face under various conditions, and detect facial poses as well.