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Voice Command Specifications

Overview​

This document specifies the voice command interface for the autonomous humanoid robot capstone project. The voice command system enables natural interaction between humans and the robot, allowing users to control robot behavior through spoken language.

Command Categories​

Navigation commands instruct the robot to move to specific locations or objects in the environment.

Basic Navigation​

  • "Go to [location]" - Move to a named location

    • Example: "Go to the kitchen", "Go to the table", "Go to the door"
    • Parameters: Location name or descriptor

  • "Move to [object]" - Approach a specific object

    • Example: "Move to the red ball", "Move to the blue chair"
    • Parameters: Object description and color

  • "Come here" - Move to the speaker's location

    • Example: "Come here", "Come to me"
    • Parameters: Speaker location (determined by robot)

Advanced Navigation​

  • "Navigate around [obstacle]" - Plan path avoiding specific obstacles

    • Example: "Navigate around the chair", "Go around the table"
    • Parameters: Obstacle description

  • "Follow [entity]" - Follow a moving entity

    • Example: "Follow me", "Follow the person", "Follow the robot"
    • Parameters: Entity to follow

Manipulation Commands​

Manipulation commands instruct the robot to interact with objects in the environment.

Object Interaction​

  • "Pick up [object]" - Grasp and lift an object

    • Example: "Pick up the cup", "Pick up the book", "Pick up the red ball"
    • Parameters: Object description and location

  • "Put [object] on [surface]" - Place an object on a surface

    • Example: "Put the cup on the table", "Put the book on the shelf"
    • Parameters: Object to place, destination surface

  • "Move [object] to [location]" - Transport an object to a location

    • Example: "Move the box to the kitchen", "Move the cup to the counter"
    • Parameters: Object to move, destination location

Complex Manipulation​

  • "Open [container]" - Open doors, drawers, or containers

    • Example: "Open the door", "Open the drawer", "Open the box"
    • Parameters: Container to open

  • "Close [container]" - Close doors, drawers, or containers

    • Example: "Close the door", "Close the drawer", "Close the box"
    • Parameters: Container to close

Interaction Commands​

Interaction commands enable social behaviors and communication between the robot and humans.

Social Behaviors​

  • "Wave to [person]" - Perform waving gesture

    • Example: "Wave to me", "Wave to John", "Wave to the person"
    • Parameters: Person to wave to

  • "Point to [object]" - Point to a specific object

    • Example: "Point to the door", "Point to the red ball", "Point to the exit"
    • Parameters: Object to point to

  • "Look at [object/person]" - Direct attention to a specific target

    • Example: "Look at me", "Look at the door", "Look at the person"
    • Parameters: Target to look at

Communication​

  • "Say [message]" - Speak a specific message

    • Example: "Say hello", "Say I am ready", "Say thank you"
    • Parameters: Message to speak

  • "Ask [question]" - Pose a question to nearby humans

    • Example: "Ask who is there", "Ask what time it is"
    • Parameters: Question to ask

Complex Commands​

Complex commands combine multiple actions or include conditional logic.

Sequential Commands​

  • "[Command 1] and then [Command 2]" - Execute commands in sequence

    • Example: "Go to the kitchen and then pick up the cup"
    • Parameters: Two or more commands to execute in order

  • "Do [Action] while [Condition]" - Execute action with condition

    • Example: "Move forward while avoiding obstacles"
    • Parameters: Action to perform, condition to maintain

Conditional Commands​

  • "If [Condition] then [Action]" - Conditional execution
    • Example: "If you see a red ball then pick it up"
    • Parameters: Condition to check, action to perform

Command Grammar​

Basic Grammar Structure​

[Action] [Object/Location] [Modifiers]

Action Types​

  • Navigation: go, move, navigate, come, approach, follow
  • Manipulation: pick, put, move, open, close, grab, place
  • Interaction: wave, point, look, say, ask, gesture, respond

Object Descriptors​

  • Color: red, blue, green, yellow, black, white, etc.
  • Size: big, small, large, medium, tiny, huge
  • Shape: ball, box, cup, book, chair, table
  • Location: left, right, front, back, near, far

Command Processing Pipeline​

1. Audio Input​

  • Capture audio from microphone array
  • Apply noise reduction and filtering
  • Detect speech activity

2. Speech-to-Text​

  • Convert audio to text using speech recognition
  • Apply confidence scoring to results
  • Handle multiple language models if needed

3. Natural Language Processing​

  • Parse text for command structure
  • Extract entities (objects, locations, actions)
  • Resolve references and pronouns

4. Intent Classification​

  • Classify command into category (navigation, manipulation, etc.)
  • Extract parameters and modifiers
  • Validate command feasibility

5. Command Execution​

  • Generate appropriate ROS 2 messages
  • Coordinate with other robot systems
  • Monitor execution and provide feedback

Implementation Requirements​

Speech Recognition​

  • Support for multiple languages (English as primary)
  • Real-time processing capability
  • Noise tolerance for real-world environments
  • Confidence scoring for recognition quality

Natural Language Understanding​

  • Robust parsing of varied command structures
  • Context-aware interpretation
  • Error recovery and clarification requests
  • Learning from corrections

Command Validation​

  • Verify command feasibility in current state
  • Check for safety constraints
  • Validate object and location existence
  • Handle ambiguous commands gracefully

Error Handling​

Recognition Errors​

  • Low Confidence: Request repetition with prompt
  • Unknown Command: Provide available command list
  • Ambiguous Command: Ask for clarification

Execution Errors​

  • Failed Navigation: Report obstacle or path issue
  • Failed Manipulation: Report grasp failure or object properties
  • Safety Violation: Abort and report safety concern

Recovery Strategies​

  • Repetition: Ask user to repeat command
  • Clarification: Request more specific information
  • Alternative: Suggest similar valid commands
  • Fallback: Provide manual control option

Testing and Validation​

Unit Testing​

  • Test individual command recognition
  • Validate parameter extraction
  • Verify intent classification accuracy

Integration Testing​

  • Test complete command processing pipeline
  • Validate system responses to commands
  • Verify safety constraint enforcement

User Testing​

  • Evaluate naturalness of command interface
  • Assess recognition accuracy with different speakers
  • Gather feedback on command structure and vocabulary

Advanced Features​

Context Awareness​

  • Remember previous commands and states
  • Use environmental context for disambiguation
  • Maintain conversation history for reference resolution

Learning Capabilities​

  • Adapt to user's command style
  • Learn new location and object names
  • Improve recognition based on corrections

Multi-Modal Integration​

  • Combine voice with gesture input
  • Use visual feedback for confirmation
  • Integrate with other interaction modalities

This specification provides a comprehensive framework for implementing the voice command interface of the autonomous humanoid robot, ensuring natural and effective human-robot interaction.