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Description

RoboThespian™ model RT4 is a life size, interactive, fully programmable humanoid robot exhibit suitable for public display, demonstration and academic research.

The robot features an actuated upper body, arms, fingers, head and jaw designed to mimic human expression and gestures.

The inbuilt infra red depth sensor and head camera enable further interactive possibilities all designed to engage and fascinate the audience, further enhancing the communication potential of the programmed content.

RoboThespian™ is supplied with a touchscreen kiosk and pre-configured with a multiple language software interface suitable for public use.

Application Areas

Content Delivery

The robot can perform any script thus making the robot an ideal interactive content delivery tool for use at exhibitions, events, science and technology museums and visitor attractions.

Demonstration

Demonstrate AND explain cutting edge technological advances, for example, motion capture and live audience interaction via telepresence.

Interaction

Users can get “hands on” and control the robot themselves, primarily via the touchscreen interface. The robot's onboard sensors allow for additional interaction possibilities, from making eye contact with passers by, responding to gestures (ie a wave of the hand), facial recognition and reading/responding to QR codes.

STEM Education

Inspire users to learn about STEM subjects like Computer Science and Engineering. Create inspiring content to make RoboThespian™ your favourite teacher. Students can animate their own performances using Virtual RoboThespian and have the real robot make their presentations.

Entertainment

Create awe inspiring stage performances with multiple RoboThespians™. Integrate video projection, lighting, multi channel sound, for a unique, futuristic theatre experience.

Academic Research

The robot is also used as a platform for research into Human-Robot interaction by academic institutions. In this area, researchers have so far used the robot in the following ways: Avatar/Remote operation, Brain Controlled Interface, Stage/theatre based social interaction research.

Installations worldwide

Over 50 RoboThespian™ currently permanently installed worldwide, including:

• NASA Kennedy Space Center, USA.
• Questacon, National Science Museum of Australia
• MUNCYT, National Science and Technology Museum of Spain
• Parc Futuroscope, France.
• Copernicus Science Centre, Poland (complete Theatre of Robots stage production, comprising 3 RoboThespians, integrated lighting, video projection, multi channel sound).
• Parque de las Ciencias, Granada Spain. Early adopter of RT 2, and upgraded RT 3 later.

Academic instutions, including:

• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA.
• University Central Florida, USA
• Bristol Robotics Laboratory, UK
• University College London, UK
• University of Barcelona, Spain

Dimensions and weight

Robot Dimensions (Excluding floor base)	Metric	Imperial
Robot Weight	33 kg	72 lbs
Robot Height	1750 mm	5' 9”
Robot Width (shoulder to shoulder)	410 mm	16”
Robot Width (arms fully extended)	1750 mm	5' 9”

Robot Dimensions (Including floor base)	Metric	Imperial
Robot Weight	37 kg	81 lbs
Robot Height	1780 mm	5' 10”
Robot Width (floor base width)	600 mm	23.5”
Robot Width (arms fully extended)	1750 mm	5' 9”

Wooden Touch Screen Kiosk Dimensions	Metric	Imperial
Weight	30 kg	66 lbs
Height	1006 mm	40”
Width	472 mm	18.5”
Depth	420 mm	16.5”

Floor Base Dimensions	Metric	Imperial
Base Width	600 mm	23.5”
Base Length	650 mm	25.5”
Base Depth	30 mm	1.25”
Base Weight	4 kg	9 lbs

Typical Standard Package for public venues

Includes:

• RoboThespian™ Humanoid Robot with 27 x Powered Head, Arm and Body Axis
• Interactive touchscreen kiosk suitable for public use
• Standard web browser based public user interface
• Standard range of content - film impressions, songs, etc.
• 10 minutes of custom content prepared by our animator in accordance with customer's script and audio voiceover.
• Virtual RoboThespian – web browser application for customers to create their own content – includes wide range of Acapela TTS voices (non-public licence)
• Robot Management Software Suite – web browser application. (comprising content management, sensor data and Python IDE screens)
• Standard head option with LCD eye screens, RGB LED cheek lighting and auto jaw/speech movements
• 1 x English Text to Speech voice installed directly onto robot for offline use on “Compose” screen of interface (Acapela Demo)
• Asus Xtion IR depth sensor for motion tracking and copy movement functions
• Built in Head Camera
• Basic spares kit
• Remote support and diagostics
• One year warranty on parts

Public User Interface

• Simple graphical based user interface suitable for public use with the following Screen tabs.
• Interface is pre-installed on the touchscreen kiosk but may also be accessed via a web browser on a remote PC/laptop (robot must be on and network connected)
• Individual screens can be enabled/disabled from public view as required.

Language Selection

Multiple language options may be included.

Customer may be asked for assistance with translations.

Library

Users can quickly trigger pre-programmed performances at the touch of a button.

A selection of entertaining English demo content (film impressions, songs, etc) is included as standard along with customer specific content.

Icons and content fully customisable.

Live

A selection of independent robot controls at the touch of a button.

Move the arms, head, torso, eyes, change eye expression and LED colours, prompt a range of short pre-set phrases.

Compose

Create your own unique robot performance quickly and easily with simplified timeline editor.

Drag and drop gestures, expressions, LED colours into the timeline section. Type in the Text box what the robot should say (uses Acapela Text to Speech) Then press Play to see RoboThespian™ perform your work.

Designed for public use and quick, basic custom sequences - for detailed content creation see Virtual RoboThespian.

Sensors

See the “Robot's Eye View” and tracking information from it's onboard sensors.

Command the robot to copy a persons arm movements.

Tricks

A library of robot behaviours available at the touch of a button. For example:

• Sing a random pre-programmed song,
• Ask robot to estimate your age, gender, expression (SHORE option required)
• Get the robot to track and point at your moving hand, etc

Icons and behaviours fully customisable.

Admin (Hidden from public view)

Restricted Access Back End Robot Management.

Volume control, diagnostic tools including robot self test routine, content management tools. (English language only)

Virtual RoboThespian

All customers receive access to a Virtual 3D model of RoboThespian to animate their own detailed robot performances.

• Cloud hosted application - works in a web browser (like Google Chrome).
• Written in HTML5, WebGL and JavaScript.
• Enables timeline based editing of robot sequences and audio.
• Easy to create and transfer content to the actual RoboThespian.

Extended public options provide a great introduction for students/visitors to experience robot programming and animation techniques with a real humanoid robot platform to demonstrate their learning.

• Tier 1 (single user, non-public licence)

For venue to create own content. Included with each purchase as standard.

• Tier 2 (optional)

Multi user licence for public visitors to create their own animations at PC terminals within a venue and play out on the real robot.

• Tier 3 (optional)

Integration with a venue's public facing website. Encourage visitors to create performances at home or school then visit the venue to see their work played out by the real robot.

Advanced Interaction (included in standard package

Look At People - in standby mode, the robot will automatically track passers by and attempt to make eye contact by moving its head to follow the person.

Control Functions - If you want the robot to behave in a certain way, we can set up control functions to achieve this. Ie.automatically say something when a person is standing in view or waves a hand. Just let us know what you want the robot to do.

Python programmers can write their own control functions using RoboThespian's web based IDE

Open API - Fully documented Application Programming interface for advanced developers.

Otional Extras

QR Code Read and Respond

RoboThespian can read a QR code and respond in way you choose.

For example, a QR code printed on a visitor ticket or membership pass could prompt the robot to deliver a special message. The visitor simply holds up the QR code in front of the robot's face to prompt the response.

Age, gender,expression recognition

RoboThespian will attempt to estimate a person's age, gender and expression using SHORE object recognition.

It can be programmed to respond accordingly to the data received, ie. Simply relate its findings “hello you look like a 36 year old man, your face is happy”, prompt a piece of age or gender specific content, and so on. No personal data is collected or retained.

Telepresence

The robot becomes your avatar for live 2 way communication with an audience.

The user wears a wireless headset to listen and speak to the audience and control robot gestures and expressions on a pre-configured tablet PC.

You are able to select a person from a group that you want the robot to maintain eye contact with whilst speaking.

The audience hears user's actual voice projected from the robot.

Projector Head

PHOTO NEEDED

A projected face version of the head allows RoboThespian (and his smaller half-body colleague, SociBot) to take on any persona at all. A default human like face is parametrically driven in real time and can transition smoothly between facial expressions to show a whole range of moods.

Text to Speech (TTS) Voices

See: http://www.acapela-group.com/

For Compose Screen of Public User Interface, can be used offline and in real time.

1 voice included in standard cost - additional voices can be ordered at extra cost.

Note: users of the Virtual RoboThespian application can access a wide range of TTS voices to create audio for the robot. These are converted to sound files for transfer to the robot.

Body LED lighting

ADD PHOTOS

RGB LED lighting in 5 zones

Face, Upper Torso, Lower Torso,Left Arm, Right Arm.

Each zone independently controllable with 8 bit colour resolution

Mechanical Features

Mechanical Features
Hybrid design with pneumatic and DC servo motor actuators for upper body, upper limbs and head
10 x Pneumatic 'Air Muscle' Actuators (Festo) with full proportional control and inherent compliance
8 x DC servo motors (Maxon) tuned for natural human motion profiles
8 x Pneumatic cylinder actuators for hands
1 x High speed servo motor for jaw actuation
Angular range details here: http://ioserve.org/wiki/index.php/Robothespian_kinematics - UPDATE
Passive lower limb design will maintain centre of mass over support as legs fold
Actuation for legs available as optional extra
Chassis fabrication: 6082 Grade Aluminium
Wear parts hard anodised for longer life
DC motors with induction hardened output gears

Electrical Features

Electrical Features
12 bit absolute angular hall encoders on Air Muscle and DC servo axis
2 motion control boards for DC Servo, Pneumatic Air Muscle control
Closed loop control on 18 proportional axis
3 pneumatic valve controllers (4 channels per board) for closed loop pressure and flow control to 'Air Muscle' actuators.
Eyes with 240 x 320 QVGA 2.2” LCD displays, independently driven by embedded Linux module.
Interactive touchscreen kiosk with 19” touchscreen panel.
Onboard single board computer (SBC)
Asus Xtion Infra Red Depth Sensor
RGB webcam in head

Minimum venue requirements for installation

Minimum venue requirements for installation
Suitable for indoor use only.
Recommended room temperature: 10°C - 30°C, relative humidity: 45% - 60%
Standard domestic mains power in the range 100v - 250v AC
Un-oiled, compressed air at 6bar, filtered to 10µm. Peak air consumption 30L/min at 6bar maximum, on average consumption is much less.
A barrier to prevent contact between visitors and RoboThespian.
Wired network connection - required for remote support, fault resolution, and the application of updates and new software/content features.

Compressed air

For customers that do not have a fixed supply of compressed air, we recommend the following portable air compressors for use with RoboThespian.

Jun-Air Model OF302-25B Portable Air Compressor Suitable for installations where the compressor can be located in a separate room to the robot due to noise level. Noise level is 65-66 dB(A) – comparable to a hairdryer. Technical Spec: http://www.jun-air.com/product_detail.aspx?ProductID=572&ProductTypeID=49

Jun-Air Model OF302-25M Portable Air Compressor Compressor is contained in an acoustic housing to reduce noise level. Noise level 47-48 dB(A) – quiet enough to be located very close to robot without causing distraction. Technical Spec: http://www.jun-air.com/product_detail.aspx?ProductID=574&ProductTypeID=49

Technical Support Framework

Technical Support Framework
Fully documented online wiki for customers with image based instructions on installation, operation and maintenance procedures.
Robot equipped with onboard self diagnostic tools to quickly pinpoint any issues.
Mechanical design continually improved with each iteration to eliminate recurring problems and simplify the maintenance process.
A basic kit of spare parts shipped with each robot
Our engineers can login remotely (you need to provide a wired network connection) to carry out diagnostic checks and fix software issues.
Most spare parts are held in stock and can often be shipped same day by express courier.
One year parts warranty as standard (option to extend available)

Export Information

RoboThespian™

• Binding HS Tariff Code: 9023.00.0000
• Country of origin: United Kingdom.

Jun-Air Portable Air Compressor (optional)

• HS Tariff Code: 8414 80 2200
• Country of origin: USA

Certification

RoboThespian™ is CE certified.