Research Papers - Dept of Information Technology
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Publication Embargo Lounging with robots–social spaces of residents in care: a comparison trial(Wiley Online Library, 2015-12-02) Peri, K; Kerse, N; Broadbent, E; Jayawardena, C; Kuo, T; Datta, C; Stafford, R; MacDonald, BTo investigate whether robots could reduce resident sleeping and stimulate activity in the lounges of an older persons care facility.Publication Embargo Posture control of robot manipulators with fuzzy voice commands using a fuzzy coach–player system(Taylor & Francis Group, 2007-01-01) Jayawardena, C; Watanabe, K; Izumi, KThis paper presents a method of controlling robot manipulators with fuzzy voice commands. Recently, there has been some research on controlling robots using information-rich fuzzy voice commands such as 'go little slowly' and learning from such commands. However, the scope of all those works was limited to basic fuzzy voice motion commands. In this paper, we introduce a method of controlling the posture of a manipulator using complex fuzzy voice commands. A complex fuzzy voice command is composed of a set of fuzzy voice joint commands. Complex fuzzy voice commands can be used for complicated maneuvering of a manipulator, while fuzzy voice joint commands affect only a single joint. Once joint commands are learned, any complex command can be learned as a combination of some or all of them, so that, using the learned complex commands, a human user can control the manipulator in a complicated manner with natural language commands. Learning of complex commands is discussed in the framework of fuzzy coach–player model. The proposed idea is demonstrated with a PA-10 redundant manipulator.Publication Open Access A navigation model for side-by-side robotic wheelchairs for optimizing social comfort in crossing situations(North-Holland, 2018-02-01) Nguyen, V. T; Ardekani, I; Jayawardena, COne challenge in designing side-by-side robotic wheelchairs is to improve the comfort of the users, caregivers and surrounding people in crowded environments. Among different scenarios that a side-by-side robotic wheelchair has to deal with, crossing pedestrians is a common situation. Yet techniques developed for tackling the problem of passing pedestrians have still failed to take into account enough factors related to human walking behavior, therefore the navigation plan is not natural. To tackle this problem, this paper proposes a novel navigation model for side-by-side robotic wheelchairs that considers the Friendly Link factor and Preferred Walking Velocity related to the comfort of wheelchair users, caregivers and pedestrians. The model is carried out based on an experimental observation and data collection. The developed model is then validated by comparing the distance errors between the moving solutions of the new model and previous methods with the real solutions of humans based on a natural walking scenario. The experimental results show that the performance of the proposed technique is significantly better than that of previous techniques.Publication Open Access Multidisciplinary Design Approach for Implementation of Interactive Services(Springer Netherlands, 2011-10-14) Kuo, I. H; Jayawardena, C; Broadbent, E; MacDonald, B. AIn the design of service robots, a key research focus has been on Human Robot Interaction (HRI) required in service applications. HRI is one of the critical factors that determines the acceptability of a service robot. The user acceptance of a service robot and its applications is highly related to HRI, as HRI affects the user perception and user experience related to the robot. In this paper, a new design approach is proposed for designing and implementing HRI for service robot applications designed for real scenarios in the real-world environment. The objective of this design approach is to facilitate inter-disciplinary collaborations, which are essential for HRI research and for developing successful products. The proposed design approach was used in the design of the healthcare service robot “Cafero” developed at the University of Auckland in collaboration with the Electronic and Telecommunication Research Institute (ETRI) and Yujin Robot Company Ltd. of Korea. Vital signs measurement, medication management, entertainment and falls detection were implemented as service applications of Cafero. In the design process, UML and UMLi modelling diagrams were used to model the robot’s multi-modal and interactive behaviour. Interaction design patterns were defined to represent recurring interactions or social cues in HRI using UMLi notations. The proposed design approach emphaI- sises an iterative process to allow discovery of additional HRI requirements in the early design stage and to implement through Component-Based Software Engineering (CBSE). The design of communication initiation and user identification by Cafero is presented as a case study, in order to evaluate the proposed design approach. In this case study, enabling a service robot to act proactively to the presence of a potential user and identifying the user prior to providing healthcare services is presented. For the implementation, Open-RTM component-oriented framework was used.Publication Open Access Controlling a robot manipulator with fuzzy voice commands using a probabilistic neural network(Springer-Verlag, 2006-07-06) Jayawardena, C; Watanabe, K; Izumi, KNatural language commands are generated by intelligent human beings. As a result, they contain a lot of information. Therefore, if it is possible to learn from such commands and reuse that knowledge, it will be a very efficient process. In this paper, learning from such information rich voice commands for controlling a robot is studied. First, new concepts of fuzzy coachplayer system and sub-coach are proposed for controlling robots with natural language commands. Then, the characteristics of the subjective human decision making process are discussed and a Probabilistic Neural Network (PNN) based learning method is proposed to learn from such commands and to reuse the acquired knowledge. Finally, the proposed concept is demonstrated and confirmed with experiments conducted using a PA-10 redundant manipulator.Publication Open Access Feasibility study of a robotic medication assistant for the elderly(Academia, 2011-01-17) Tiwari, P; Warren, J; Day, K; MacDonald, B; Jayawardena, C; Kuo, I.H; Igic, A; Datta, CManagement of complex medication regimens by older people poses a significant challenge wherein use of information technology could play a role in improving clinical efficacy and safety of treatment. The use of computing devices, however, presents a special challenge to older people given their physical and cognitive limitations. Robotic platforms show promise for extending the functionality of the user interface to make personalized interaction engaging and empowering, and for proactively reaching out to older users to support their healthcare delivery. We believe that a robot combining a touch screen and voice based interface could offer an effective platform to meet these requirements. This paper reports on a feasibility study of such a system for helping older people with their medications. We exposed 10 relatively independent residents of an aged care facility to our robot running a medication reminding application while they took their medications. The interaction was followed by a questionnaire and structured interview to elicit their opinions and feedback. We found the application to be well received as all users could successfully complete the session, and most subjects found it easy to use, appropriately designed and felt confident using it. A number of technical errors were uncovered, and the results suggest opportunities to refine the equipment and dialog design to provide a better robotic medication assistant.Publication Open Access Human-Robot Interaction Research to Improve Quality of Life in Elder Care—An Approach and Issues(Workshops at the Twenty-Fifth AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence, 2011-08-24) Broadbent, E; Jayawardena, C; Kerse, N; Stafford, R. Q; MacDonald, B. AThis paper describes a program of research that aims to develop and test healthcare robots for elder care. We describe the aims of the project, the robots developed, and studies we have performed in HRI in elder care. We highlight research design issues that have become apparent in the retirement home setting when testing robots. These issues are relevant to robotics researchers wishing to evaluate the effects of robotic care on older people’s quality of life.Publication Open Access Robots in older people’s homes to improve medication adherence and quality of life: a randomised cross-over trial(Springer, Cham, 2014-10-27) Broadbent, E; Peri, K; Kerse, N; Jayawardena, C; Kuo, I; Datta, C; MacDonald, BHealthcare robots are being developed to help older people maintain independence. This randomised cross-over trial aimed to investigate whether healthcare robots were acceptable and feasible and whether the robots could impact quality of life, depression and medication adherence. 29 older adults living in independent units within a retirement village were given robots in their homes for 6 weeks and had a non-robot 6-week control period, in a randomised order. The robots reminded people to take medication, provided memory games, entertainment, skype calls, and blood pressure measurement. The robots were found to be acceptable and feasible, and many participants described them as useful and as friends although not all comments were positive. There were relatively few problems with robot functions. The participants’ perceptions of the robots’ agency reduced over time. The robots had no significant impact on adherence, depression or quality of life. While the robots were feasible and acceptable, improvements in their reliability and functionality may increase their efficacy.Publication Embargo Does the Robot Have a Mind? Mind Perception and Attitudes Towards Robots Predict Use of an Eldercare Robot(Springer Netherlands, 2014-01-01) Stafford, R. Q; MacDonald, B. A; Jayawardena, C; Wegner, D.M; Broadbent, ERobots are starting to be developed for aged care populations and some of these have been made into commercial products that have been well received. However, little is known about the psychological factors that promote acceptance or rejection of robots by older people. Finding out more about these psychological determinants of robot uptake and acceptance is the primary focus of the study described in this paper. A healthcare robot feasibility study was conducted in a retirement village. Older people (n=25) were invited to use a prototype robot with healthcare functions over a two week period. Questionnaires were completed before and after the period. It was found that residents who held significantly more positive attitudes towards robots, and perceived robot minds to have less agency (ability to do things) were more likely to use the robot. It was also found that attitudes towards robots improved over time in robot-users. Our results suggest that the cognitions older people hold about robots may influence their decisions to use robots. The study results also validate participants’ subjective self-reports of attitudes towards robots and perceptions of robot mind, against the objective measure of robot use. Interventions to foster adaptive cognitions could be developed and applied in the design, deployment and marketing of robots to promote their use and acceptance.Publication Open Access Benefits and problems of health-care robots in aged care settings: A comparison trial(WILEY, 2015-09-13) Broadbent, E; Kerse, N; Peri, K; Robinson, H; Jayawardena, C; Kuo, T; Datta, C; Stafford, R; Butler, H; MacDonald, B. A; Robins, BAim This study investigated whether multiple health-care robots could have any benefits or cause any problems in an aged care facility. Method Fifty-three residents and 53 staff participated in a non-randomised controlled trial over 12 weeks. Six robots provided entertainment, communication and health-monitoring functions in staff rooms and activity lounges. These settings were compared to control settings without robots. Results There were no significant differences between groups in resident or staff outcomes, except a significant increase in job satisfaction in the control group only. The intervention group perceived the robots had more agency and experience than the control group did. Perceived agency of the robots decreased over time in both groups. Overall, we received very mixed responses with positive, neutral and negative comments. Conclusions The robots had no major benefits or problems. Future research could give robots stronger operational roles, use more specific outcome measures, and perform cost–benefit analyses.