Abstract:
A robot, known as Badar, was created in this project with the aim of bridging the gap between an average citizen and robots. The robot is an interactive one since it expresses four basic emotions based on what the observer does. The logic fed into the robot has been realized by a program running on a computer. A digital camera has been used as an image sensor. The program has been written in MATLAB and the code involves modules like skin detection, motion detection, segmentation, face detection, region of interest, emotion calculation, etc. This logic of the program has been transferred to the robot via parallel interfacing. It transfers the code in the physical sense since it actuates some motors and moves them into the desired positions. Motor driver circuits have also been designed to help in this process. Stepper motors have been used for the eyebrows and the horizontal movement of the eyes, while electromagnets have been used for vertical movement of the eyes and a DC motor for the jaw.
The results of the project are more than satisfactory with a success rate of around 83% for face detection, under good lighting conditions. Similarly the success rate for a person recognizing an emotion display is around 64%. The robot is the first of its kind in Pakistan and one we hope will inspire others to work and develop more in this field.
