Symbiosis between humans and networked communication robots

This paper discusses symbiosis between humans and networked communication robots from the viewpoint of communication media. The "network robot system" integrating ubiquitous networking and robot technologies, is introduced in order to improve performance for sensing and human robot interaction and create brand new markets in the robot services. The communication robots in the system have come into greater use by being networked with humans, mobile phones and ubiquitous sensors (cameras, tags, wearable computers, etc.). This paper also introduces several field experiments with the system at elementary schools, at a science museum, at a train station. The results of field experiments indicate the potential of networked communication robots as next-generation communication media.