Server robot -- man machine interface
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Server robot -- man machine interface Bob Smith 08-13-2010
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Posted by Bob Smith on August 13, 2010, 11:51 pm



Man-Machine Interface
If you look closely at how most RC joysticks and game pads
are used you'll notice that they kind of rely on using two hands.
I suggested a Wii controller but Frederic nixed that idea. (A
Wii may require more fine motor control than he has available.)

Autonomous motion with voice control seems like the obvious way
to go. He can wear a Bluetooth headset so the voice signal to
noise ratio will be really high. The Bluetooth can connect to
his desktop PC giving lots of processing power. There will be
a fairly small vocabulary and and it is easy to train the system
to his voice. Frederic installed and seems to have had fairly
good luck with a Linux voice control system called CMU Sphinx.

Voice will do for most things but I'd like a backup way to control
the robot. I'd use an IR remote control but even that is pushing
it for what is easy for him to use.

Any ideas for a backup man-machine interface?


thanks
Bob Smith

Posted by casey on August 14, 2010, 9:45 pm


> Man-Machine Interface
>    If you look closely at how most RC joysticks and game pads
> are used you'll notice that they kind of rely on using two hands.

This is not the case for the joystick used on a motorized wheelchair.

> Autonomous motion with voice control seems like the obvious way
> to go.  He can wear a Bluetooth headset so the voice signal to
> noise ratio will be really high.  The Bluetooth can connect to
> his desktop PC giving lots of processing power.  There will be
> a fairly small vocabulary and and it is easy to train the system
> to his voice.  Frederic installed and seems to have had fairly
> good luck with a Linux voice control system called CMU Sphinx.

Maybe Dave can help on this. Have you seen his Loki robot?

http://www.dshinsel.com/

> Voice will do for most things but I'd like a backup way to control
> the robot.  I'd use an IR remote control but even that is pushing
> it for what is easy for him to use.
> Any ideas for a backup man-machine interface?

Motion sensors in a hat or head band?

JC


Posted by Bob Smith on August 15, 2010, 11:52 am


casey wrote:
> This is not the case for the joystick used on a motorized wheelchair.
> Maybe Dave can help on this. Have you seen his Loki robot?
> Motion sensors in a hat or head band?

Loki is similar to what I would like to build.

Both the wheelchair joystick and the headband ideas are good and
I'll suggest them to Frederic. Part of the answer, and something
I do not know, is how long what we do should last. That is, at
some point he will lose all motor control in his hands. When that
happens voice control and/or a headband will be needed.

thanks
Bob

Posted by casey on August 15, 2010, 6:29 pm


> casey wrote:
>> This is not the case for the joystick used on a motorized
>> wheelchair. Maybe Dave can help on this. Have you seen his
>> Loki robot? Motion sensors in a hat or head band?
> Loki is similar to what I would like to build.

I was thinking more in terms of voice control as regards Loki.

If money isn't an issue a second hand newish motorized wheelchair
is an instant solution to a mobile base and is the one I would
choose for my robot base if I had a spare $2500.

It also retains its value as a motorized wheel chair which may be
needed as such in the future? Unlike most robot bases it will not
end up collecting dust in some garage without resale value.

I would not wait for future developments in the here and now for
getting a practical working robot base in action right now.

It would be less than a weeks work in my opinion to have a visual
system follow a line, or a wire under the floor, with software to
choose any forks in the road. Are looks more important than a
system that actually works and is needed right now?

If carrying a cup of coffee from the kitchen to the desk is the
only problem I would think an auto coffee making machine on the
desk would be the practical solution? There are also those spill
proof cups? Also there is nothing nicer than a kind human making
a coffee for you. Building a robot just to carry a cup of coffee
seems a bit of an extreme solution and seems to me to amount
to nothing more than a bit of fun rather than of any real practical
value as there are other simpler alternatives like a cart that
can be pushed and also act as support.


JC

Posted by Jaded Hobo on August 15, 2010, 12:14 pm


Bob Smith wrote:
>
> Man-Machine Interface
> If you look closely at how most RC joysticks and game pads
> are used you'll notice that they kind of rely on using two hands.
> I suggested a Wii controller but Frederic nixed that idea. (A
> Wii may require more fine motor control than he has available.)
>
> Autonomous motion with voice control seems like the obvious way
> to go. He can wear a Bluetooth headset so the voice signal to
> noise ratio will be really high. The Bluetooth can connect to
> his desktop PC giving lots of processing power. There will be
> a fairly small vocabulary and and it is easy to train the system
> to his voice. Frederic installed and seems to have had fairly
> good luck with a Linux voice control system called CMU Sphinx.
>
> Voice will do for most things but I'd like a backup way to control
> the robot. I'd use an IR remote control but even that is pushing
> it for what is easy for him to use.
>
> Any ideas for a backup man-machine interface?
>

How about something like a servo-ed waldo? You are already going to
make it maneuverable with a cane when all fails. Maybe you can use
the same socket to control the robot movement when it is operating
normally...

Antoon

>
> thanks
> Bob Smith

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