Personal robot enabled surround sound

A robot for providing one or more sound components to a viewer within a media presentation space, the robot comprising:

• a communications link configured for establishing a connection with a media device, the media device configured for presenting media content to a display screen disposed at a viewing location within the media presentation space, the viewing location provides for a separation space between the viewer and the display screen;
• a plurality of sensors for obtaining data associated with the media presentation space, the plurality of sensors including one or more cameras, the data associated with the media presentation space usable for constructing a map of the media presentation space, for identifying a position of the viewer within the media presentation space, for identifying a speaker configuration present in the media presentation space, and for identifying an obstacle within the media presentation space that is in addition to the display screen;
• a processor configured for processing the data associated with the media presentation space for determining a location within the media presentation space that the robot is to move, the location to which the robot moves is one that approximates a location of a sound component visually depicted in the media content relative to a position of the viewer in the media presentation space viewing the media content;
• a locomotion unit for moving the robot to the location within the media presentation space, while avoiding the obstacle, so that a sound output by one or more speakers of the robot, together with the speaker configuration in the media presentation space, appears to correspond to said sound component visually depicted in the media content relative to the position of the viewer in the media presentation space viewing the media content;
• wherein the robot is configured to move to one or more additional locations within the media presentation space responsive to changes of the location of said sound components visually depicted on the display screen for the sound component as corresponding changes occur in the media content, and one of said locations is one that enables outputting the sound in the separation space between the viewer and the display screen.

A method for providing one or more sound components to a viewer within a media presentation space by a robot having one or more speakers, comprising:

• establishing a connection with a media device, the media device for presenting media content to a display screen disposed at a viewing location within the media presentation space and being in connection with one or more existing speakers for presenting a first audio component to the viewer, the viewing location provides for a separation space between the viewer and the display screen;
• capturing input from a plurality of sensors for identifying a position of the viewer, the one or more existing speakers and an obstacle in the media presentation space that is in addition to the display screen, the viewer and the one or more speakers;
• determining a location within the media presentation space the robot is to move to provide a second audio component to the viewer, that augments the first audio component to provide a three-dimensional sound environment, the location to which the robot moves is one that approximates a location of a sound component visually depicted in the media content relative to a position of the viewer in the media presentation space viewing the media content, receiving, from the media device, the second audio component;
• moving the robot to the location;
• and
• outputting at least part of the second audio component by the one or more speakers of the robot when the robot has moved to the location;
• wherein the robot is configured to move to one or more additional locations within the media presentation space responsive to changes of the location of said sound components visually depicted on the display screen for the sound component as corresponding changes occur in the media content, and one of said locations is one that enables outputting the sound in the separation space between the viewer and the display screen.