Embodied Speech and Facial Expression Avatar Critical Design Review  Dan Harbin - Evan Zoss - Jaclyn Tech - Brent Sicking  March 10, 2004

Problem Background/Needs Statement There has been a great deal of research trying to understand how a person interacts with a computer. Messages of the face help illustrate verbal communication by revealing what the expresser is feeling or trying to convey. The ability to generate animated facial expressions together with speech is important to many diverse application areas. –A deaf person could use an animated face as a lip- reading system. –An autistic child could be positively affected from a robotic face in terms of social interaction, language development, and learning through structure and repetition.

Goals and Objectives The overall goal of this project is to create a robotic face capable of displaying human emotion accompanied with speech.

Goals and Objectives Reverse engineer Yano’s motors and sensors so we are able to move them to any desired position. Develop a GUI that allows the user to move each motor in both directions to a desired position. Research the psychology behind the use of facial expressions to convey emotion and mimic these facial expressions with the Yano face. Develop a GUI that allows the user to select and display real human facial expressions. Add a microphone input in which we will develop software to mimic speech based on a measure of intensity. Incorporate facial expressions with speech input to complete the avatar.

Yano Control System

Note: In the future a speech dialog box will be added to the menu. User Interface Flow Chart

MenuDlg ManualControlDlgCYanoDlg YanoEngine Motor (3 instances) CComm SpeechControlDlg User Interface Class Diagram

SetProgressValues() CheckEndSwitches() YanoEngine::CalibrateMotor(int) YanoEngine:: adjustMotors(int destX, int destY, int destZ) Goes back to menu ManualControlDlg (.cpp) Class

YanoEngine:: adjustMotors(int destX, int destY, int destZ) YanoEngine:: conveyEmotion(int destX, int destY, int destZ) Goes back to menu CYanoDlg (.cpp) Class

Command Examples Open Mouth: “PC5PS6D200PS5PS6\r” Close Mouth: “PS5PC6D200PS5PS6\r” Raise Cheeks: “PS3PC4D200PS3PS4\r” Lower Cheeks: “PC3PS4D200PS3PS4\r” Open Mouth and Lower Cheeks: “PC5PS6PC3PS4D200PS3PS4PS5PS6\r”

SV203 Microcontroller Circuit Description Input Port: AD1 AD5 Power: Gnd Vcc Serial Port Motor Control Port: SV6 SV1

SV203 Microcontroller Functional Description Receives command through the serial port Set or Clear the appropriate Motor Control Pin(s) Read an analogue voltage off of the desired Input Pin(s) Transmit a value representing the voltage back up the serial line

SV203 Microcontroller Interface Description Serial Port – ASCII text commands are sent to the board via the serial port to tell it what to do. Values from the input pins are also sent back to the computer via the serial port –List of commands we use: SVxM0 – initialize pin x to use digital logic PSx – set pin x high PCx – clear pin x to low Dn – delay for n milliseconds before next command PC1PC3PC5D300PS1PS3PS5 – typical motor control command ADy – read the voltage of input pin y, transmit up serial port Motor Control Port – sends the logic controls for the motors to the Yano I/O Board. When a pin is set high with PSx, it is set to 6V, PCx will set it to 0V. We use six pins, SV1 through SV6 A/D Input Port – receives the status of Yano’s switches from the Yano I/O Board. We use 5 pins, AD1 through AD5. Each pin will have 6V on it if it’s switch is open, and near 0V if it is closed. The SV203 converts these voltages to the numbers 0 – 255 for 0V-6V.

SV203 Microcontroller Logic Description

Yano I/O Board Circuit Description SV203 Microcontroller Yano Switch Circuit:

Yano I/O Board Functional Description Receives logic controls for the motors from SV203 Converts them into powered control for Yano’s motors Reads in status of Yano’s switches, open or closed Converts this to a voltage, 6V for open, 0V for closed, and sends back to SV203

Yano I/O Board Interface Description Motor Control Input – the logic input for the H-Bridges that determines motor direction and movement. They are paired off, 2 pins per H-Bridge, 1 Bridge per motor: –Mouth: SV5 and SV6 –Cheeks: SV3 and SV4 –Eyes: SV1 and SV2 Motor Outputs – 3 two pin ports, one for each motor, each pin will have either Vcc or Gnd. If both pins are Vcc (default state) there is no potential between them and the motor will not turn. If one pin drops to Gnd, the motor will turn one way, vice-versa for the other pin. Sensor Inputs – these ports connect directly to Yano’s switches. Each motor has two limit switches to determine when it runs far enough in each direction. Sensor Outputs - the interface back to the SV203 that has 5 pins, each of which are set to 6V for open switch and 0V for closed switch. They are paired off according to which motor they are the limit switches for: –Mouth: AD3 and AD4 –Cheeks: AD1 and AD2 –Eyes: AD5

Yano I/O Board Logic Description

Yano Circuit Description

Yano Functional Description Yano has 3 motors powered by the Yano I/O Board. One for each the mouth, one for the cheeks, and one to control the eyelids, eyebrows, and ears. When the mouth and cheek motors reach their endpoints (ie. fully open or fully closed), they close a switch to indicate that limit is reached. These switches are read by the Yano I/O Board.

Yano Interface Description Yano’s interfaces are the motor controls, and the switch feedbacks. The wires are coded as follows: –Motors: Red/Black – Eyes – SV1/SV2 Green/Black – Cheeks – SV3/SV4 White/Black – Mouth – SV5/SV6 –Sensors: Red/Green/Brown – Mouth – Gnd/AD4/AD3 Gray/Yellow/Pink – Cheeks – Gnd/AD2/AD1 Green/Yellow/Red/Brown – Eyes – Vcc/AD5/Gnd/Gnd

Yano Logic Description

Tasks and Accomplishments Completed: –Disassemble Yano –Reverse engineer motors and end switches –Create control circuit –Simple computer interface for motor control In Progress: –Motor calibration –Reverse engineer eye motor IR switch To Do: –Facial expressions –Sound analysis software –Complete GUI

Validation and Testing Procedures Calibration Test - Calibrate the motors, then run the motors to its limits and back to see if it stays calibrated. Expression Test - Change from any one expression to any other expression, and the face should show the desired expression each time. Speech Test - Using a sample sound file, make sure Yano produces the right mouth movements for the differences in sound volume consistently and accurately.

Validation and Testing Procedures Complete Project Validation – When we are successfully able to calibrate Yano’s motors and change between various facial expressions, as well as produce mouth movements that mimic human speech intensity, we will know we have been successful in accomplishing our goal.

Itemized Budget PartQuantityCost Computer1N/A Yano1$65.49 SV203 Microcontroller1$59.98 TC4424 H-bridges3$3.11 Serial Cable1$11.99 Breadboard1$ pin.100" Female Locking Connector6$ pin.100" Female Locking Connector1$ pin.100" Female Locking Connector1$ pin.100" Female Locking Connector2$ pin.100" Male Locking Connector4$ pin.100" Male Locking Connector3$ pin.100" Male Locking Connector1$ pin.100" Male Locking Connector1$1.49 1kΩ Resistor5$ µF Capacitor1$ µF Capacitor1$0.10 Green Wire24$1.00 Red Wire17$1.00 Black Wire12$1.00 Total $193.04

Schedule of Tasks

Questions?