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PLEA is an interactive, biomimetic robotic head with non-verbal communication capabilities. PLEA reasoning is based on a multimodal approach combining video and audio inputs to determine the current emotional state of a person. PLEA expresses emotions using facial expressions generated in real-time, which are projected onto a 3D face surface. In this paper, a more sophisticated computation mechanism is developed and evaluated. The model for audio-visual person separation can locate a talking person in a crowded place by combining input from the ResNet network with input from a hand-crafted algorithm. The first input is used to find human faces in the room, and the second input is used to determine the direction of the sound and to focus attention on a single person. After an information fusion procedure is performed, the face of the person speaking is matched with the corresponding sound direction. As a result of this procedure, the robot could start an interaction with the person based on non-verbal signals. The model was tested and evaluated under laboratory conditions by interaction with users. The results suggest that the methodology can be used efficiently to focus a robot’s attention on a localized person.

An approach to the design of learning environments where a social robot plays a role of a teacher is discussed in this study. Built-in robot functionalities provide a degree of situational embodiment, self-explainability, and context-driven interaction. The concept of embodiment enables immersion of the teacher into distant 3D environments. In that way the level of mutual understanding between participants is increased compared to a 2D world. Moreover, the tools that accompany the interaction empower augmentation by revealing the additional information present in gestures, facial expressions, or gaze direction. We use three distinct sources fused in a multimodal approach (face emotion recognition, level of loudness, and body movement intensity). The change in one modality can change the overall system reasoning. The teacher can benefit from this information by adapting a presentation style and achieve a better rapport with students. The theoretical basis is provided by studies of human communication in psycholinguistics and social psychology. Usability evaluation is based on the Wizard of Oz approach, allowing a teacher to interact with students through an interface. The conducted experiments show encouraging responses. Future studies will show in what way and to what extent a cognitive robot can be truly effective in technology-enhanced learning.

Perceptual uncertainty and environmental volatility are among the most enduring challenges in robotic research today. Contemporary robotic systems are usually designed to work in specific and controlled domains where a total number of variables is defined. Traditional solutions therefore often result in over-constrained interaction spaces or rigid system architectures where any unexpected change can result in system failure. The focus of this work is set on achieving a constant adaptation of the system to changes through interaction. A computational mechanism based on the entropy reduction method is integrated along with the three-component control model. This model is seen as a context-to-data interpreter used to provide context-aware reasoning to the technical system. The mechanism is using a decrease in interaction uncertainties when proofs are provided to the system. In this way, the robot can choose the right interaction strategy that resolves reasoning ambiguities most efficiently