# US 10,120,386 B2 · Robotic creature and method of operation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,120,386 B2 - Document ID: US10120386B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/817,035 - Filed: 2017-11-17 - Published: 2018-05-24 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-11-18 - Assignees: Robert Bosch Start-Up Platform North America, LLC, Series 1 - Applicants: Robert Bosch Start-Up Platform North America, LLC, Series 1 - Inventors: Stephanie Lee; Douglas Dooley; Sarah Osentoski; Kaijen Hsiao - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10120386B2 ## CPC - G05D 1/0246: {using a video camera in combination with image processing means} - B25J 11/001: {with emotions simulating means} - B25J 11/0015: {Face robots, animated artificial faces for imitating human expressions} - G05D 1/024: {in combination with a laser (lasers per se H01S)} - G05D 1/0255: {using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals (sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93)} - G05D 1/0274: {using mapping information stored in a memory device (navigation using map-matching G01C21/30)} - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) ## Abstract A robotic creature system includes an actuatable head defining eyes, an eyelid mechanism, a body, a drivetrain, and a set of sensors. A method for robotic creature operation includes: detecting an event associated with a technological imperfection and automatically performing a set of expressive actions associated with the event. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for responding to a technological imperfection associated with a task of a robot, comprising: receiving a command to perform a first action; sampling sensor signals associated with the first action from a sensor; attempting performance of the first action based on the sensor signals; in response to failure to perform the first action: performing a data-acquiring action associated with the failure, comprising sampling auxiliary signals with an on-board sensor; performing an expressive action, associated with the failure, according to instructions determined based on a technical requirement of the data-acquiring action; and performing the first action, wherein the first action is performed based on the auxiliary signals. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the sensor comprises an audio sensor; failure to perform the first action comprises receiving a voice command omitted from a library of known commands; the expressive action comprises a head actuation; and the data-acquiring action comprises movement toward a user. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the head actuation comprises a side-to-side movement performed at a predetermined frequency. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the sensor comprises a location sensor; failure to perform the first action comprises detecting a delocalization event; the data-acquiring action comprises sampling a feature of an ambient environment using an on-board mapping system over a predetermined time period; and the expressive action comprises a head actuation animation having a duration substantially equal to the predetermined time period. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein detecting the delocalization event comprises detecting a pickup event, comprising detecting wheel unloading and re-loading. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the sensor comprises a contact sensor arranged in a front bumper of the robot; the first action comprises traversal along a navigation route, wherein failure to perform the first action comprises detecting a collision between the front bumper and an external obstacle; the expressive action comprises a head actuation downward toward the obstacle; and the data-acquiring action comprises movement away from the obstacle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the front bumper is mounted to the robot at a predetermined height relative to the ground. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising: concurrently sampling an image of the external obstacle with a camera arranged within the head while the head is actuated downward; and determining an obstacle dimension based on the image; wherein performing the first action based on the auxiliary signals comprises: generating a second navigation route based on the navigation route and the obstacle dimension; and controlling the robot to traverse along the second navigation route. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the data-acquiring action and the expressive action are performed concurrently. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the expressive action comprises a string of non-verbal sounds. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the robot determines a pitch of the non-verbal sounds based on the failure to perform the first action, wherein the robot subsequently plays the non-verbal sounds with said pitch to a user. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving a user input, wherein the user input is assigned a positivity score based on a predetermined positivity scale; determining a robot mood score based on the positivity score; and performing the first action based on the robot mood score, wherein the first action is associated with a set of operation parameters, wherein a magnitude of an operation parameter within the set of operation parameters is determined based on the robot mood score. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the robot mood score degrades with time. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the user input comprises a touch received by a capacitive touch sensor on a head of the robot. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising identifying a specific user, wherein the robot mood score is further determined based on a history of user interactions associated with the specific user.