Embedded auditory system for small mobile robots

Auditory capabilities would allow small robots interacting with people to act according to vocal cues. In our recent work, we have demonstrated AUDIBLE, an auditory system capable of sound source localization, tracking and separation in real-time, using an array of eight microphones and running on a laptop computer. The system is able to localize and track up to four sources, while separating up to three sources in real-time in noisy environments. Signal processing techniques can be quite computer intensive, and the question of making it possible for this system to run on platforms that cannot carry a laptop computer onboard can be raised. This paper reports our investigation of the appropriate compromises to be made to AUDIBLE's implementation in order to port the system on an embedded DSP (Digital Signal Processor) platform. The DSP implementation is fully functional and performs well with minor limitations compared to the original system i.e., limitations on sound source duration and on the number of sources that can be processed simultaneously. Results demonstrate that it is feasible to port AUDIBLE on embedded platforms, opening up its use in field applications such as human-robot interaction in real life settings.