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Human-mimetic binaural ear design and sound source direction estimation for task realization of musculoskeletal humanoids

Yusuke Omura, Kento Kawaharazuka, Yuya Nagamatsu, Yuya Koga, Manabu Nishiura, Yasunori Toshimitsu, Yuki Asano, Kei Okada, Koji Kawasaki, Masayuki Inaba

TL;DR

This research proposes a human mimetic auditory information processing system, which consists of three components: thehuman mimetic binaural ear unit, which mimics human ear structure and characteristics, the sound source direction estimation system, and the environmental sound detection system,which mimics processing in the central nervous system.

Abstract

Human-like environment recognition by musculoskeletal humanoids is important for task realization in real complex environments and for use as dummies for test subjects. Humans integrate various sensory information to perceive their surroundings, and hearing is particularly useful for recognizing objects out of view or out of touch. In this research, we aim to realize human-like auditory environmental recognition and task realization for musculoskeletal humanoids by equipping them with a human-like auditory processing system. Humans realize sound-based environmental recognition by estimating directions of the sound sources and detecting environmental sounds based on changes in the time and frequency domain of incoming sounds and the integration of auditory information in the central nervous system. We propose a human mimetic auditory information processing system, which consists of three components: the human mimetic binaural ear unit, which mimics human ear structure and characteristics, the sound source direction estimation system, and the environmental sound detection system, which mimics processing in the central nervous system. We apply it to Musashi, a human mimetic musculoskeletal humanoid, and have it perform tasks that require sound information outside of view in real noisy environments to confirm the usefulness of the proposed methods.

Human-mimetic binaural ear design and sound source direction estimation for task realization of musculoskeletal humanoids

TL;DR

This research proposes a human mimetic auditory information processing system, which consists of three components: thehuman mimetic binaural ear unit, which mimics human ear structure and characteristics, the sound source direction estimation system, and the environmental sound detection system,which mimics processing in the central nervous system.

Abstract

Human-like environment recognition by musculoskeletal humanoids is important for task realization in real complex environments and for use as dummies for test subjects. Humans integrate various sensory information to perceive their surroundings, and hearing is particularly useful for recognizing objects out of view or out of touch. In this research, we aim to realize human-like auditory environmental recognition and task realization for musculoskeletal humanoids by equipping them with a human-like auditory processing system. Humans realize sound-based environmental recognition by estimating directions of the sound sources and detecting environmental sounds based on changes in the time and frequency domain of incoming sounds and the integration of auditory information in the central nervous system. We propose a human mimetic auditory information processing system, which consists of three components: the human mimetic binaural ear unit, which mimics human ear structure and characteristics, the sound source direction estimation system, and the environmental sound detection system, which mimics processing in the central nervous system. We apply it to Musashi, a human mimetic musculoskeletal humanoid, and have it perform tasks that require sound information outside of view in real noisy environments to confirm the usefulness of the proposed methods.
Paper Structure (24 sections, 7 equations, 15 figures, 1 table)

This paper contains 24 sections, 7 equations, 15 figures, 1 table.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Method of human mimetic environmental sound recognition system
  3. Experimental results
  4. Discussion
  5. Conclusion
  6. Declarations

Figures (15)

  • Figure 1: (a) Pathways of acoustic information in mammals. (b) ILD and ITD detection circuit in SOC. Red wires mean excitatory projection. Blue wires mean inhibitory projection. MSOs detect ITD and LSOs detect ILD.
  • Figure 2: The concept of this study
  • Figure 3: Overview of proposed system for Human mimetic environmental sound recognition system.
  • Figure 4: (a) Overview of developed human mimetic binaural ear unit. (b) Human mimetic outer ear structure. (c) Microphone board. (d) Acoustic processing board.
  • Figure 5: Structure of SSDENet.
  • ...and 10 more figures