System for controlling robotic characters to enhance photographic results

Controls a robotic/animatronic apparatus via a motor controller to animate it and time its pose to produce desirable results when a photo is captured.

A method for controlling a robotic apparatus to produce desirable photographic results. The method includes, with a motor controller, first operating a robotics assembly to animate the robotic apparatus and, then, detecting an upcoming image capture. The method further includes, with the motor controller in response to the detecting of the upcoming image capture, second operating the robotics assembly to pose the robotic apparatus for the upcoming image capture. In some embodiments, the detecting includes a sensor mounted on the robotic apparatus sensing a pre-flash of light from a red-eye effect reduction mechanism of a camera. In other cases, the detecting includes a sensor mounted on the robotics apparatus sensing a range finder signal from a range finder of acamera. The posing may include opening eyes, moving a mouth into a smile, or otherwise striking a pose that is held temporarily to facilitate image capture with a camera.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS(1) FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a robot or object such as a character with a portion that is robotic adapted for control to enhance photography result obtained by a viewer (shown as a camera operator in the figure);(2) FIG. 2 illustrates a flow diagram of a method of controlling a robot or robotic assembly to enhance photography results for that robot/robotic assembly such as may be implemented through operation of the robot/robotic character of FIG. 1;(3) FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram similar to that of FIG. 1 showing another embodiment of a robot or robotic object/character operating to select and provide animations/poses to a motor controller to enhance photographic results;(4) FIG. 4 illustrates a flow diagram of a method of controlling a robot or robotic assembly, such as that shown in FIG. 3, to selectively animate or pose a robot or robotics portion of an object/character in response to detectionof pre-image capturing operations;(5) FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram of another methodof controlling a robot or robotic assembly, such as that shown in FIG. 3, to selectively animate or pose a robot or robotics portion of an object/character in response to receiving or sensing an image capture signal (or alert/warning signal) from camera operator (humanor automated operator);(6) FIG. 6 illustrates a functional block diagram similar to that of FIGS. 1 and 3 showing an additional embodiment of a robot or robotic object/cha