Configuration

Editing the Config File

Dialog System is configured using the config.properties file in the root of the project.

ROS configuration

Dialog outsources many tasks to other modules implemented in Pyhton or C++ as ROS packages. In the config file you can enabled/disable ROS modules, choose which packages to use, and set the ROS_MASTER_URI.

Available ROS packages are:
  • roboy_gnlp (generative model for answer generation)
  • roboy_memory (Neo4j graph-based memory)
  • roboy_speech_synthesis (text to speech using Cerevoice)
  • roboy_speech_recognition (speech to text using Bing Speech API)
  • roboy_audio (audio source localization)
  • roboy_vision (face recogntion & object classification and localization)
  • roboy_face (triggers emotions)
  • roboy_filters (triggers snapchat-filters)

Example ROS config:

ROS_ENABLED: true
ROS_MASTER_IP: 10.183.49.162
ROS_ACTIVE_PKGS:
  - roboy_memory
  - roboy_speech_synthesis

Inputs and Outputs

A developer can choose how to interact with the dialog system. For example, for debugging purposes there are command line input and output. Importantly, there can be only one input, but many outputs.

Available inputs are:
  • cmdline
  • upd (listens for incoming udp packets in the port specified below)
  • bing (requires Internet connection and the roboy_speech_recognition ROS package)
  • telegram (requires Internet connection and a prepared telegram bot, see 1. Getting Started for more details. For the standard usecase, telegram should be set as both, in- and output.)
Arbitraty of the following outputs can be used simultaniously at the runtime::
  • cmdline
  • cerevoice (requires roboy_speech_synthesis ROS package)
  • ibm (uses IBM Bluemix, requires Internet connection, user & pass configured below)
  • emotions (requires roboy_face ROS package)
  • udp (sends packets on the port configure below)
  • telegram (requires Internet connection and a prepared telegram bot, see Installation for more information. For the standard usecase, telegram should be set as both, in- and output.)

Example IO config:

INPUT: cmdline
OUTPUTS:
 - cmdline
 - ibm
 - cerevoice

Additional configuration from the “Utilities” paragraph may be required.

System behaviour flags

Debug flag for en/disabling debug specific behaviour:

DEBUG = false

Demo mode flag for en/disabling demo mode. This is for fairs and such where one would prepare the system for showing whilst giving a talk.

DEMO_MODE: false

Infinite repitition flag: For input that require a single instance of the dialog system (like command line or on the roboy). En/disables beginning a new conversation after one has ended or ending the dialog system when the conversation has ended.

INFINITE_REPETITION: true

Personality

Here you specify the state machine description store in the JSON file containing personality, i.e. states and transitions between them:

PERSONALITY_FILE: "resources/personalityFiles/OrdinaryPersonality.json"

Utilities

Configure third party communication ports, credentials, etc.

UDP in-output

UDP_IN_SOCKET: 55555
UDP_OUT_SOCKET: 55556
UDP_HOST_ADDRESS: 127.0.0.1

IBM Watson text-to-speech

IBM_TTS_USER: x
IBM_TTS_PASS: x

Telegram JSON-File path (see JSON Resources)

TELEGRAM_API_TOKENS_FILE: "/path/to/example.json"

Configuring a telegram bot

If you’d like to use the telegram in- or output registering your own bot is necessary. Please proceed as follows:

  1. Register a bot as described on the telegram website.
  2. Place your telegram-bot authentification token in a JSON-File as described in JSON Resources.
  3. Configure the Dialog System to use your file and to interact with the world via telegram as described above.