Patent ID: 7366309

Claim:
A robot comprising: first sound gathering means for generating a first sound reception signal by gathering mainly a target signal; second sound gathering means for generating a second reception sound signal by gathering mainly noise other than the target signal; and first operation means which operates on the basis of the first sound reception signal output from said first sound gathering means and the second sound reception signal output from said second sound gathering means; noise reduction means for generating a low-noise signal by reducing the noise components of the target signal on the basis of the first sound reception signal output from said first sound gathering means and the second sound reception signal output from said second sound gathering means; target signal source direction detection means for detecting a direction of a target signal source and outputting direction information indicating the direction, and input switching means for inputting the first sound reception signal and the second sound reception signal to said noise reduction means and to perform switching of the first and second sound reception signals, when a direction of said second sound gathering means is closer to the direction of the target signal source than a direction of said first sound gathering means on the basis of the direction information output from said target signal source direction detection means, wherein the switching results in the first sound aathering means gathering mainly noise other than the target signal and the second sound gathering means gathering mainly the target signal, wherein said first and second sound gathering means are placed to face different directions on an outer housing of said robot, and wherein said first operation means operates on the basis of the low-noise signal output from said noise reduction means.