Humanoid Robot Head with Real-Time Voice Interaction Using Ingescape

General Overview

This project, part of a distributed interaction course at UPSSITECH, aims to integrate Ingescape into a humanoid robot head's voice interaction interface. The head, designed in SolidWorks, incorporates 3D-printed components and multiple hardware and software integrations.

Key Features

• Voice Interaction: Real-time response to vocal commands and questions using speech recognition, transcription and speech synthesis with gTTS (Google Text-To-Speech).
• Dynamic Eye and Head Movements: Animated eyes on circular RGB LCD screens and head movements via MyActuator RMD-L-5005 Brushless Servomotors with CAN communication.
• Real-Time Transcription with Whisper: Integration of OpenAI's Whisper for seamless audio transcription.
• Future Development: Facial and gesture recognition via OpenCV and MediaPipe, leveraging a Raspberry Pi Camera Module v2 8MP.

Hardware Setup

• Core Components:

  • 1x Raspberry Pi 4 Model B - 8GB (running Ubuntu 24.04 LTS Server)
  • 3x Waveshare 1.28inch Round LCD Module Displays for animated eyes
  • 1x Raspberry Pi Camera Module v2 8MP for facial and gesture recognition in future iterations
  • 3x MyActuator RMD-L-5005 brushless servomotors for head movement
  • 1x USB to CAN Converter for servomotor communication
  • 1x USB 2.0 Mini Microphone for audio input
  • 1x USB Mini Speaker for sound output

• Mechanical Components:

  • Design: SolidWorks
  • Slicing: PrusaSlicer
  • Printing: Original Prusa MINI+ (180 x 180 x 180 mm volume)
  • Materials: PETG filaments (Polymaker PolyLite PETG Black & Grey)
  • Additional: Tinted visor

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Software Setup

To ensure seamless installation and configuration, use the provided setup_software.sh script. This script handles all necessary installations, including Python 3.11, Ingescape, and other dependencies.

Key Software

• Operating System: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS Server
• Voice and Interaction Libraries:
  • Ingescape (Circle & Whiteboard)
  • OpenAI's Whisper
• Python Version:
  • Python 3.11

System Architecture

Installation

Please use the following command to install the dependencies :

sudo bash setup_laptop.sh

You can also modify all the parameters of the devices into the main.py file

# CONFIG RASPBERRY PI
"""
simulation_mode = False
device = "wlan0"
playback_device_name = "UACDemoV1.0"
sample_rate = 48000
speed_factor_tts = 1.15
recording_device_name = "USB PnP Sound Device"
mic_sample_rate = 44100
silence_threshold = 0.02
silence_duration = 0.5
"""

# YOUR LAPTOP CONFIG
simulation_mode = True
device = "wlo1"
playback_device_name = "UACDemoV1.0"
sample_rate = 48000
speed_factor_tts = 1.15
recording_device_name = "USB PnP Sound Device"
mic_sample_rate = 44100
silence_threshold = 0.02
silence_duration = 0.5

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How It Works

The robot head is controlled by a Python-based system that listens to user input (voice commands) and responds with dynamic actions. The core functionalities are:

1. Voice Interaction:

   • Whisper is used to transcribe speech in real-time.
   • gTTS is used to generate speech responses from text.

2. Dynamic Eye and Mouth & Head Movements:

   • Eye and mouth animations are shown using Waveshare LCD displays and on the Whiteboard simultaneously.

   2.1. Whiteboard Interface: Animated Visual Feedback The whiteboard is a visual interface where animated graphics (GIFs) are displayed to represent the robot's "expressions." This interface leverages the LCD screens for a more engaging interaction experience. Key aspects include:

• Dynamic Eye Movements: - Depending on the robot's emotional state or context, the eyes can blink, look left or right, and even display special animations (e.g., "amoureux" for love or "animal" for playful expressions). - The animations are displayed on Waveshare 1.28inch Round LCD modules, with GIFs or specific visuals representing the state.

• Mouth Animations: - Along with eye movements, mouth visuals change to reflect emotions (e.g., smile, wide open). - These animations provide non-verbal feedback that complements voice responses.

• Integration with Decisions: - The Decision class drives the updates on the whiteboard interface by selecting appropriate GIFs or animations based on user input and predefined responses.

  Example Workflow:

  • If the user says, "heureux," the robot's eyes will display the "star" GIF, and the mouth will show a "moving mouth."

2.2. Chat Interface: Voice Interaction and Transcription The chat interface provides real-time transcription of user speech and displays the robot's textual responses. It simulates a conversation log, making it easy for users to follow the interaction. Key components include:

• Speech Recognition: - The Whisper model transcribes user speech into text, which is displayed in the chat. - Example: If the user says, "Bonjour, robot !", the chat log will show: User: Bonjour, robot !

• Text-to-Speech Responses: - The robot generates a voice response using gTTS and simultaneously displays the response text in the chat. - Example: If the robot responds, "Bonjour, comment puis-je vous aider ?", the chat log will show: Robot: Bonjour, comment puis-je vous aider ?

  • Seamless Integration with Decisions: - The Decision class matches the transcription to a predefined response and updates both the whiteboard and chat interfaces accordingly.

4. Decision-Making Class:

   • The Decision class, using pre-programmed responses (e.g., greetings, commands), decides how the robot should respond based on the input.
   • The get_response function processes the message, checks for greetings and keywords, and updates the robot’s movements and facial expressions accordingly.

5. Future Enhancements:

   • Facial and gesture recognition using OpenCV and MediaPipe.
   • Integration of the Raspberry Pi Camera for improved interaction.

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V&V (Verification and Validation)

This section describes the testing strategy implemented to ensure proper functionality of the humanoid robot head.

1. Integration Testing

To perform integration testing:

• Run the main.py script.
• Ensure to adjust the device parameter to match your hardware setup. Replace "wlan0" with your specific device (e.g., "Wi-Fi") by modifying line 38 in the main script:

  decision = Decision(device="wlan0", simulation_mode=simulation_mode)

2. Unit Testing

For unit testing:

• Run the Python scripts for each module or file individually.
• Adjust the device configuration in the agent initialization at the start of each script. Replace "Wi-Fi" with your specific device (e.g., "wlan0") as follows:

  agent = RobotHead(device="Wi-Fi", simulation_mode=True)

3. Agent Testing

To evaluate the agent's performance:

• Execute the test_robothead.igsscript script: This script contains predefined scenarios to test the agent’s behavior.

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Project Goals

The main goals of this project are:

• Real-time voice interaction: Provide a smooth, conversational interaction with the robot using voice commands.
• Dynamic feedback: Display visual feedback through dynamic eye movements and animated facial expressions.
• Extendable platform: Build a foundation for further features like facial recognition, gesture tracking, and more complex interactions.

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For installation and setup, please refer to the setup_software.sh script. Follow its execution steps to prepare your environment.