AUDIO-VISUAL PERCEPTION SYSTEM AND APPARATUS AND ROBOT SYSTEM

An audio-visual perception system includes an audio perception module and a visual perception module, respectively receiving sounds and images of a subject and converting them into audio and visual signals. At least one of the above two modules is a first perception module having more than one working mode. A processing and control module controls the first perception module to switch a working mode thereof based on the audio or visual signals received from one of the two above modules other than the first perception module. An audio-visual perception apparatus having the audio-visual perception system is also disclosed, which can be used as a robot control unit (RCU) mounted onto a robot, allowing a human-in-the-loop robot operator to visually and audibly monitor the subject in a surrounding of the robot. The RCU can switch between a RCU mode and a cell phone mode.