System design and hardware integration of social robot Nancy

Abstract

This paper gives insight into the system design and hardware architecture of Nancy, which is a social robot in humanoid form that is currently being developed in Social Robotics Lab (SRL), Interactive and Digital Media Institute, National University of Singapore. In contrast to industrial robots, the design of Nancy focuses on safety issue, social interaction and attractive appearance. In order to achieve these objectives, Nancy is designed to be user-friendly and approachable. The mechanical structure of Nancy is presented in the beginning. After that, the hardware architecture which includes processor system, vision system, audio system, communication system, power system, and motion system, is described systematically. Finally, the roles of integrated sensors are described and implemented works are summarized. © 2011 IEEE.