Biomimetic pupils for augmenting eye emulation in humanoid robots

Artificial Eyes with Emotion and Light Responsive Pupils for Realistic Humanoid Robots

This study employs a novel 3D engineered robotic eye system with dielectric elastomer actuator (DEA) pupils and a 3D sculpted and colourised gelatin iris membrane to replicate the appearance and materiality of the human eye. A camera system for facial expression analysis (FEA) was installed in the left eye, and a photo-resistor for measuring light frequencies in the right. Unlike previous prototypes, this configuration permits the robotic eyes to respond to both light and emotion proximal to a human eye. A series of experiments were undertaken using a pupil tracking headset to monitor test subjects when observing positive and negative video stimuli. A second test measured pupil dilation ranges to high and low light frequencies using a high-powered artificial light. This data was converted into a series of algorithms for servomotor triangulation to control the photosensitive and emotive pupil dilation sequences. The robotic eyes were evaluated against the pupillometric data and video feeds of the human eyes to determine operational accuracy. Finally, the dilating robotic eye system was installed in a realistic humanoid robot (RHR) and comparatively evaluated in a human-robot interaction (HRI) experiment. The results of this study show that the robotic eyes can emulate the average pupil reflex of the human eye under typical light conditions and to positive and negative emotive stimuli. However, the results of the HRI experiment indicate that replicating natural eye contact behaviour was more significant than emulating pupil dilation.

Redefining Safety in Light of Human-Robot Interaction: A Critical Review of Current Standards and Regulations

Policymakers need to consider the impacts that robots and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have on humans beyond physical safety. Traditionally, the definition of safety has been interpreted to exclusively apply to risks that have a physical impact on persons’ safety, such as, among others, mechanical or chemical risks. However, the current understanding is that the integration of AI in cyber-physical systems such as robots, thus increasing interconnectivity with several devices and cloud services, and influencing the growing human-robot interaction challenges how safety is currently conceptualised rather narrowly. Thus, to address safety comprehensively, AI demands a broader understanding of safety, extending beyond physical interaction, but covering aspects such as cybersecurity, and mental health. Moreover, the expanding use of machine learning techniques will more frequently demand evolving safety mechanisms to safeguard the substantial modifications taking place over time as robots embed more AI features. In this sense, our contribution brings forward the different dimensions of the concept of safety, including interaction (physical and social), psychosocial, cybersecurity, temporal, and societal. These dimensions aim to help policy and standard makers redefine the concept of safety in light of robots and AI’s increasing capabilities, including human-robot interactions, cybersecurity, and machine learning.