A Study on Robot Mask to Support and Enhance Facial Expressions

• Project/Area Number: 21650040
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Perception information processing/Intelligent robotics
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: SUZUKI Kenji 筑波大学, システム情報系, 講師 (30350474)
• Project Period (FY): 2009 – 2011
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2011)
• Budget Amount: ¥3,340,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥240,000); Fiscal Year 2011: ¥1,040,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥240,000); Fiscal Year 2010: ¥1,000,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000); Fiscal Year 2009: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000)
• Keywords: 人支援技術 / 知能ロボティックス / 生体電位信号 / 表情生成 / 装着型ロボット / 認知科学 / 人工知能 / 顔 / ウェアラブル・インタフェース

Research Abstract

This study presents a novel robotic technology based supporting device, the Robot Mask, to assist expressions on the face. It is mainly designed to assist the expressive function of facial paralyzed patients. The robot, namely the Robot Mask, is the wearable device, which has been developed to realize expression assistance for the face. The anatomy based exoskeletal device relies on mechanical manipulations to assist the facial expressiveness. In this study, new shape memory alloy based actuators were developed to power the Robot Mask. The designed actuators are equipped with embedded controllers to realize feedback position control. In the Robot Mask, bioelectrical signal based real time biorobotic control has been used to seamlessly control the assisted expressions according to the intentions of the wearer.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] A Wearable Robot Mask to Support Rehabilitation of Facial Paralysis (2012)
  • Author(s): Jayatilake, D., Isezaki, T., Gruebler, A., Teramoto, Y., Eguchi, K., Suzuki, K.
  • Journal Title: Proc.of IEEE/RAS-EMBS International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics Volume: (掲載決定)
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Robot Assisted Facial Expressions with Segmented Shape Memory Alloy Actuators (2011)
  • Author(s): Jayatilake, D. and Suzuki, K.
  • Journal Title: International Journal of Mechatronics and Automation Volume: 1(3/4) Issue: 3/4 Pages: 224-235
  • DOI: 10.1504/ijma.2011.045254
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Kinematic and Physiological Cues for Human System Interaction (2011)
  • Author(s): Suzuki, K., Kadone, H., and Gruebler, A.
  • Journal Title: Proc. of 4th International Conference on Human System Interactions Pages: 415-418
  • DOI: 10.1109/hsi.2011.5937402
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Selective Facial Nerve Stimulation with an Array Electrode (2011)
  • Author(s): Jayatilake, D., Suzuki, K., Ka-mibayashi, K
  • Journal Title: Proc. of the Biomedical Engineering
  • DOI: 10.2316/p.2011.723-134
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Selective Facial Nerve Stimulation with an Array Electrode (2011)
  • Author(s): Jayatilake, D., Suzuki, K, Kamibayashi, K.
  • Journal Title: Proc. of the Biomedical Engineering 2011(DOI:10.2316/P.2011.723-134) Volume: in press
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] A Multiple SMA Hybrid Actuator to Generate Ex-pressions on the Face (2010)
  • Author(s): Jayatilake, D., Suzuki, K.
  • Journal Title: Proc. of 2010 IEEE Intl. Conf. on Robotics and Automation Pages: 2203-2208
  • DOI: 10.1109/robot.2010.5509449
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] A Multiple SMA Hybrid Actuator to Generate Expressions on the Face (2010)
  • Author(s): Jayatilake, D., Suzuki, K.
  • Journal Title: Proc. of 2010 IEEE Intl. Conf. on Robotics and Automation Pages: 2203-2208
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] An assistive mask with bioro-botic control to enhance facial ex-pressiveness (2009)
  • Author(s): D. Jayatilake, K. Takahashi, K. Su-zuki
  • Journal Title: Proc of IEEE/RSJ In-ternational Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems Pages: 3568-3573
  • DOI: 10.1109/iros.2009.5354124
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] An assistive mask with biorobotic control to enhance facial expressiveness (2009)
  • Author(s): D.Jayatilake, K.Takahashi, K.Suzuki
  • Journal Title: Proc.of IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems Pages: 3568-3573
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] Kinematic and Physiological Cues for Human System Interaction (2011)
  • Author(s): Suzuki, K., Kadone, H., and Gruebler, A.
  • Organizer: 4th International Conference on Human System Interactions
  • Place of Presentation: 慶應義塾大学,神奈川県
  • Year and Date: 2011-05-21
• [Presentation] Kinematic and Physiological Cues for Human System Interaction (2011)
  • Author(s): Suzuki, K.
  • Organizer: 4th International Conference on Human System Interactions
  • Place of Presentation: 慶応大学(神奈川県)
  • Year and Date: 2011-05-21
• [Presentation] Selective Facial Nerve Stimulation with an Array Electrode (2011)
  • Author(s): Jayatilake, D., Suzuki, K., Ka-mibayashi, K.
  • Organizer: the Biomedical Engineering
  • Place of Presentation: Innsbruck
  • Year and Date: 2011-02-16
• [Presentation] A Multiple SMA Hybrid Actuator to Generate Ex-pressions on the Face, 2010 IEEE Intl (2010)
  • Author(s): Jayatilake, D., Suzuki, K.
  • Organizer: Conf. on Robotics and Automation
  • Place of Presentation: Anchorage, Alaska,米国
  • Year and Date: 2010-05-05
• [Presentation] An assistive mask with bioro-botic control to enhance facial ex-pressiveness (2009)
  • Author(s): D. Jayatilake, K. Takahashi, K. Su-zuki
  • Organizer: IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems
  • Place of Presentation: St. Louis, Missouri,米国
  • Year and Date: 2009-10-14
• [Book] Robot Assisted Smile Recovery, Cutting Edge Robotics 2010 (Kordic, V. ed.) (2010)
  • Author(s): Jayatilake, D., Gruebler, A., and Suzuki, K.
  • Publisher: InTech
• [Remarks]
  • URL: http://www.ai.iit.tsukuba.ac.jp/research/005-j.html