This paper presents a novel human-machine interface, named invisible messenger. It integrates real time visual tracking of face and sound beam forming by speaker array, and realizes remote whispering effect as if an invisible messenger were standing by you. Construction of a working prototype system and actual measurement using the system prove the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed idea.

This paper presents a method of visually steerable sound beam forming. The method is a combination of face detection and tracking by motion image processing and sound beam forming by speaker array. Direction towards a target person can be obtained by the face tracking in real-time. By continuously updating the sound beam direction with the result of the face detection and tracking, the system is possible to keep transmitting sounds towards the target person selectively, even if he or she moves around. Experimental results prove the feasibility and effectiveness of the method.

This paper describes sound beam generation and capture by speaker array and microphone array system. 16ch online speaker array system generates sound beam towards appropriate directions. 128ch square speaker array system generates sound spot towards appropriate positions. Since it transmits necessary sound information to only a specific person, it can be used in quiet places, such as a museum. 8ch online microphone array system captures sound from appropriate direction. It can be used as ears of a humanoid robot. The authors call a position to want to generate/capture sound "focus". Focusing is achieved by sum and delay beam former. (SDBF) More than two focuses can be simultaneously generated/captured by speaker array/microphone array. Speaker array system is evaluated by using gantry and sound level meter that are controlled by PC system. Microphone array system is evaluated by using frequency ingredient of the sound.

We are trying to realize a humanoid which has flexibility. If humanoids have a flexible structure, safety and posture variety can be achieved. We focus on the role of the human spine and muscle-driven system. By having a flexible spine, a humanoid will have safety and many degrees of freedom to realize a variety of postures. By driving joints by tension-controllable tendons, flexibility of the joints can be controlled. We developed a whole-body tendon-driven flexible-spine humanoid named "Kenta". This paper describes the design and control of Kenta, focusing on the design of the spine. The spine consists of ten joints, vertebrae and rubber disks, ribs, and forty muscles equipped with tension sensors. We also propose control methods of the spine. One uses a geometric virtual robot model and another is based on direct teaching. Using these methods, some whole-body motions are presented.

In this paper, we propose an environmental description for robots to memorize temporality and spatiality of wide-range environment. The description is region-based and the environment is described as a mosaic of regions. The description consists of three components: panoramic labelled image that is a segmented color panoramic image, region database that has spatial and temporal information about each region, and regions relation network that describes adjacency state between regions. The description is constantly updated in the background of other visual processing. The description enables robots to detect changes in the environment, to grasp their characteristics, and to memorize them. Moreover, we implement the environmental description on the humanoid robot Saika and show how it expands the robot's behavior.

This article addresses the development of a light-weight, human-size and low-cost developing humanoid robot named Saika. Saika has a 2-DOF neck, two 5-DOF upper arms, a torso and a head. Several types of hands and forearms are developed. They are chosen depending upon the tasks to perform. The features of Saika are: (a) Saika as modularized to reduce the developing cost and to make maintenance easy, (b) the total weight of the head, the neck, the two upper arms and the torso is only eight kilograms and (c) most of the motors are installed inside the arms and the torso.