Towards Speech-Based Human-Robot Interaction

Abstract

Notwithstanding the success of contemporary spoken language technology in a range of practical applications, it is widely acknowledged that serious shortfalls in performance limit its wider deployment. Unconstrained speech-based interaction with embodied agents- such as robots- remains outside the scope of current technology and thus presents key challenges to the research community. However, it is argued that the solutions lie, not only outside the field of speech technology, but also outside current theories of human spoken language processing. Instead, it is proposed that research into spoken language by mind or machine now needs to draw inspiration from areas as widely dispersed as cognitive neuroscience and control engineering. Following such an approach, this paper describes a theoretical framework known as ‘PREdictive SENsorimotor Control and Emulation ’ (PRESENCE), and experiments using a PRESENCE-inspired architecture to enable a robot to clap in synchrony with a user’s voice illustrate the power of the paradigm. It is concluded that future research in spoken language processing is likely to benefit greatly from PRESENCE and from greater emphasis on the challenges raised in situated and embodied environments, the evolution and acquisition of spoken language, and appropriate and intuitive speech-based human-robot interaction.