# US 10,864,453 B2 · Automatic mobile robot for facilitating activities to improve child development > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,864,453 B2 - Document ID: US10864453B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/087,502 - Filed: 2017-03-21 - Published: 2019-09-05 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-21 - Assignees: King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi - Applicants: King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi - Inventors: Boonserm Kaewkamnerdpong; Wisanu Jutharee; Settapon Santatiwongchai - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10864453B2 ## CPC - A63H 33/005: {Motorised rolling toys} - A63H 3/365: {allowing a choice of facial features, e.g. to change the facial expression (change of expression through animation A63H3/48, self-moving A63H13/005; movable eyes A63H3/40)} - B25J 11/0015: {Face robots, animated artificial faces for imitating human expressions} - G05D 1/0011: {associated with a remote control arrangement} - G09B 5/06: with both visual and audible presentation of the material to be studied - A63H 2200/00: Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls - A63H: TOYS, e.g. TOPS, DOLLS, HOOPS OR BUILDING BLOCKS - 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}) - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - G09B: EDUCATIONAL OR DEMONSTRATION APPLIANCES; APPLIANCES FOR TEACHING, OR COMMUNICATING WITH, THE BLIND, DEAF OR MUTE; MODELS; PLANETARIA; GLOBES; MAPS; DIAGRAMS (devices for psychotechnics or for testing reaction times A61B5/16; games, sports, amusements A63; projectors, projector screens G03B) ## Abstract An automatic mobile robot for facilitating activities to improve both neurotypical and autistic children's intellectual and emotional development is disclosed. The mobile robot has a non-humanoid toy shape but includes an expressive face perceived as friendly and approachable by autistic children. The mobile robot is durable and safe for children. It includes auto-play, game, and occupational therapy modes, each of which may be used by a one or more child users at a time. Games and therapeutic activities may be customized to suit each child user's developmental level. The mobile robot includes multiple sensors and components configured to process and express emotion in response to data received from the sensing units and the patterns of child users' interactions with the robot. The robot is programmed to show only limited amounts of negative behavior or emotions to children so that the children do not become afraid and decide not to interact with the robot. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An automated, therapeutic, mobile robot, comprising: wheels, consisting of a left wheel and a right wheel, each wheel having a diameter equal to a maximum height of the robot; a sturdy, substantially cylindrical body, substantially disposed between the two wheels and having a maximum body height less than the diameter of the two wheels, and having components including a front face with two display screens situated thereon in positions indicative of eyes, and two actuated eyebrows disposed above the two display screens; two transparent domes, a left dome disposed outside of the left wheel and a right dome disposed outside of the right wheel, each dome having colored lights therein; colored lights and a speaker attached to a lower portion of the front face; and a main-microcontroller module for receiving data from multiple sensing units, processing the data, and sending commands to multiple sub-modules for controlling the sensing units, components of the robot, and motion of the robot, wherein the sensing units include a touch sensor located on the body of the robot, a displacement sensor located on the front face of the robot, a gyroscope sensor, and an RFID reader, and wherein the components include the two display screens, the two actuated eyebrows, the colored lights, and the speaker, and wherein there are at least four sub-modules for controlling components of the robot, configured to send instructions to the components for expressing emotion in response to data received from the sensing units, said emotion is expressed by a combination of a display of eye images on the two display screens, associated motion of the two actuated eyebrows, an associated display pattern of colored lights, and an associated playback of sound on the speaker. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The automated, therapeutic, mobile robot of claim 1, wherein the data received from the sensing units includes data received from the touch sensor and the emotion is expressed based on the data received from the touch sensor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The automated, therapeutic, mobile robot of claim 1, wherein the components express emotion customized for a child user. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The automated, therapeutic, mobile robot of claim 3, wherein the emotion expressed is customized based on the data received from the sensing units while interacting with the child user. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The automated, therapeutic, mobile robot of claim 1, further comprising instructions for the robot to facilitate educational and therapeutic activities. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The automated, therapeutic, mobile robot of claim 5, wherein data is collected during the educational and therapeutic activities and the collected data is used for therapeutic analysis. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The automated, therapeutic, mobile robot of claim 5, wherein the data received from the sensing units includes data received during at least one of the educational and therapeutic activities and the emotion is expressed based on the data received during at least one of the educational and therapeutic activities. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The automated, therapeutic, mobile robot of claim 7, wherein the RFID reader is located on a top portion of the body and further comprising a second RFID reader located on a bottom portion of the body. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The automated, therapeutic, mobile robot of claim 8, wherein at least one of the educational and therapeutic activities includes using RFID accessories with at least one of the RFID readers. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The automated, therapeutic, mobile robot of claim 1, wherein the sub-modules for controlling the motion of the robot include an actuator sub-module for controlling the wheels based on data received from the gyroscope sensor and the displacement sensor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The automated, therapeutic, mobile robot of claim 10, further comprising a movement balance system configured to provide a counter force so that the wheels can overcome stationary friction, said movement balance system further configured to ensure that a top portion of the body faces substantially upwards. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The automated, therapeutic, mobile robot of claim 1, further comprising a wireless-communication module configured to receive data from an external device and send the received data to the main-microcontroller module. ### Claim 13 An automated, therapeutic system, comprising: a mobile robot, comprising two wheels, a left wheel and a right wheel, each wheel having a diameter equal to a maximum height of the robot; a sturdy, generally cylindrical body, substantially disposed between the two wheels and having a maximum body height less than the diameter of the two wheels, and having components including a front face with two display screens situated thereon in positions indicative of eyes, and two actuated eyebrows disposed above the two display screens; two transparent domes, a left dome disposed outside of the left wheel and a right dome disposed outside of the right wheel, each dome having colored lights disposed therein; colored lights and a speaker attached to a lower portion of the front face; and a main-microcontroller module for receiving data from multiple sensing units, processing the data, and sending commands to multiple sub-modules for controlling the sensing units, components of the robot, and locomotion of the robot, wherein the sensing units include a touch sensor located on the body of the robot, a displacement sensor located on the front face, a gyroscope sensor, and an RFID reader, and wherein the components include the two display screens, the two actuated eyebrows, the colored lights, and the speaker, and wherein there are at least four sub-modules for controlling components of the robot, configured to send instructions to the components for expressing emotion in response to data received from the sensing units, said emotion is expressed by a combination of a display of eye images on the two display screens, associated motion of the two actuated eyebrows, an associated display pattern of colored lights, and an associated playback of sound on the speaker; an external device for controlling the robot via a wireless-communication module configured to send data to the main-microcontroller module; and at least one accessory for using with the robot as a part of a therapeutic activity, the accessory selected from RFID accessories, wireless remote controls, and joysticks. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The automated, therapeutic system of claim 13, wherein the sub-modules for controlling the locomotion of the robot include an actuator sub-module for controlling the wheels based on data received from the gyroscope sensor and the displacement sensor; and wherein the external device is configured to send commands and receive data responses, via the wireless-communication module, for directing the locomotion of the robot and initiating the therapeutic activity. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The automated, therapeutic system of claim 14, wherein the external device is selected from a computer, a tablet, a remote control, a smartphone, and any combination thereof and the external device is capable of selectively commanding the robot and selecting a program to be carried out by the robot. ### Claim 16 A method, performed by a robot, of facilitating activities to improve child development, comprising: performing a stimulating action with the robot, the robot having two actuated eyebrows disposed above two display screens, the stimulating action selected from locomotion, playing a sound, moving the two actuated eyebrows, displaying images on the two display screens, displaying colored lights, and any combination thereof; sensing initial interaction of at least one child user with the robot; initiating a learning activity program having structured rules and turn-based play wherein players include the at least one child user, the robot, and a tertiary user; detecting interaction of the at least one child user with the robot; and based on the detected interaction, processing emotional responses of the robot wherein the emotional response is expressed by a combination of a display of eye images on each of the two display screens on the robot, associated motion of the two actuated eyebrows above the two display screens, an associated display pattern of colored lights from the robot, and an associated playback of sound on a speaker on the robot. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the stimulating action is a greeting including a positive emotional display comprising a combination of a display of eye images on the two display screens, associated motion of the two actuated eyebrows, an associated display pattern of the colored lights, and an associated playback of sound. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the greeting includes locomotion. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein detecting interaction of the at least one child user with the robot comprises detecting touch on the robot using a touch-sensing sub-module including a touch sensor located on the body of the robot, and sending detected touch data from the touch-sensing sub-module to a main-microcontroller module, wherein the main-microcontroller module analyzes the detected touch. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein processing emotional responses of the robot includes analyzing touch patterns and selecting a corresponding emotional response of the robot based on the touch patterns.