By Kalwinder Kaur
Queen Mary, University of London researchers have unveiled a fun new smartphone app. Based on LIREC approach, which is a recent European robotics research project, the app allows users to interact and manage their proprietary emotional pet robot.
Racing Robots
Robot Road Run is being offered as a free to download iPhone game app. In this game, the user will direct a fun robot dubbed ‘FLASH’. With the help of this app, the user can direct and control the robot as he navigates down the road against the clock, followed by gathering bolts and batteries. FLASH will then interact with people and avoid pesky cats and dogs.
This game app offers a variety of playing scenarios with increasing levels of difficulty. It also provides access to social network links.
While navigating, FLASH can make out the expression on individuals’ faces, and using his turtle-inspired robot head he would expressively respond to the people. In order to score bonus points, the player need to make FLASH achieve these social challenges.
Queen Mary’s app development group, QApps joined hands with Portugal-based software firm, Stand Clear for developing this interactive Robot Road Run. Based on Living with Robots and intEractive Companions (LIREC) research project technology, this game was upgraded.
FLASH’s design was inspired from the real-world EMYS robot head created by the Poland-based Wroclaw University of Technology that forms a part of the LIREC project. LIREC robotics research in Europe inspired the development of face recognition software and the behavior of the animated dogs.
Source: http://www.qmul.ac.uk/