Pose Training for Robotic Toys
Integration Engineering Laboratory
University of California, Davis
(US Patent Pending)

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Pose training allows users to dynamically generate behaviors by physically manipulating the device, recording poses, and playing recorded poses back in succession. A good way to describe this method to someone not familiar is relating the process to clay-mation. Clay is moved into an initial position and a picture is taken, then the clay is moved a small amount and photographed again, and so-on. Our idea could be thought of as "robo-mation", but instead of miniscule changes, main poses are recorded within the robot and played back. Software evens out the movements and you're left with a complex motion that would take days to code by hand. This method of motion control doesn't require a computer and is easily learned without any prior programming knowledge. There isn't a limit to the number of poses that can make up a behavior. Some behaviors can be looped to create repeating motions like walking or driving forward. The more poses that make up a behavior the smoother the output motion and the closer the robot follows the intended path.


First pose to create a flapping motion for the robot. Second pose to create a flapping motion for the robot.

When the two above poses are combined using the pose training, the robotic toy will flap its arms. This is a simple example of the possible motions that can be created using the pose training controls.