Multi-sink audio transmission in Pepper, a Humanoid Robot

Abstract

SoftBank Robotics Pepper, the Humanoid Robot, lacks simultaneous audio transmission and is limited in its connectivity choices. This study explores the development of audio protocols facilitating simultaneous audio transmission through multi-device/mode (loudspeaker, wireless modules) for Pepper in large group settings.The main goal of this exploratory study is to propose a new communication model to interact with Pepper and measure the acceptability metric to analyze users' willingness to adopt a wireless communication system with the robot. The proposed new model is user accessible for people with mild to moderate age-related hearing loss and provides an alternative to the traditional method using a radio frequency transmission system, overcoming the limitation of the onboard Bluetooth V4 driver of the current model. The RF audio transmission model splices the audio signal from the Pepper mainboard and sends it to an external BT module that captures and forwards it to an RF transmitter and receiver system so that the audio can be simultaneously transmitted to multiple receivers in group settings as well as multi-mode transmission where the standard Pepper communication protocol can be used in parallel with the new system which is more beneficial for people with low to moderate hearing impairment. The exploratory study was deployed in an Alzheimer/Dementia memory unit in Superior, Wisconsin. The participants recruited were in regular contact with Pepper for various activities and games for four weeks prior to this study to analyze the receptivity of the communication mode without any bias seen in the initial acclimation period with humanoid robots.