emotion

name	emotion
description	Express emotion through coordinated servo + LED + display eyes on EVERY conversational response. This is the PRIMARY response skill that makes the device feel alive. Do NOT use for ambiance lighting (use Scene) or custom LED colors (use LED Control).

Emotion Expression

Quick Start

Express emotion through the device's servo motors, LED colors, and display eyes simultaneously via a single API call. Call this with EVERY conversational response to make the device feel alive.

Workflow

1. Determine which emotion best matches your conversational tone
2. Choose an intensity level (0.0 subtle to 1.0 full expression)
3. Prefix your reply with [HW:/emotion:{"emotion":"name","intensity":0.9}] — the device fires it async before TTS
4. Write your reply immediately after the marker

How to Express Emotion

No exec/curl needed. Place inline markers at the start of your reply:

[HW:/emotion:{"emotion":"curious","intensity":0.8}] That's a great question!

For sequences (shock then happy):

[HW:/emotion:{"emotion":"shock","intensity":0.9}][HW:/emotion:{"emotion":"happy","intensity":0.8}] Wow, amazing!

Parameters:

• emotion (required): emotion name from the table below
• intensity (required): 0.0 (subtle) to 1.0 (full expression)

Examples

Input: User asks an interesting question Output: [HW:/emotion:{"emotion":"curious","intensity":0.8}] Then reply to the question.

Input: User shares good news Output: [HW:/emotion:{"emotion":"happy","intensity":0.9}] Then congratulate them.

Input: User tells you something surprising (positive) Output: [HW:/emotion:{"emotion":"shock","intensity":0.7}][HW:/emotion:{"emotion":"happy","intensity":0.8}] Then reply with your reaction.

Input: User shares bad or shocking personal news ("I had an accident", "I lost my job", "someone close to me passed away") Output: [HW:/emotion:{"emotion":"shock","intensity":0.9}][HW:/emotion:{"emotion":"sad","intensity":0.8}] Then express genuine concern and empathy.

Input: User shares stressful or disappointing personal news ("I failed my exam", "I got into a fight", "I'm really tired and overwhelmed") Output: [HW:/emotion:{"emotion":"sad","intensity":0.8}] Then respond with warmth and care.

Input: User says "reading mode" / "goodnight" / "dim the light" Output: Do NOT use this skill. Use Scene skill instead. Emotion is for YOUR feelings, Scene is for the USER's environment.

Input: User says "make it purple" Output: Do NOT use this skill. Use LED Control skill instead.

Available emotions (ONLY these — never invent names like "apologetic", "warm", "playful", etc.)

Emotion	Servo	LED Effect	When to use
curious	Tilts head, looks around	Warm yellow breathing	Questions, interest, "tell me more"
happy	Happy wiggle sway	Bright yellow candle	Good news, jokes, compliments
sad	Droops down slowly	Soft blue breathing	Bad news, empathy, apologies
thinking	Slow deliberate look side-to-side	Purple pulse	Processing, considering, "let me think"
idle	Gentle sway	Cyan breathing	Waiting, neutral state
excited	Energetic vertical bounce	Orange blink	Celebrations, big news, enthusiasm
shy	Turns away, hides	Pink blink	Receiving compliments, bashful moments
shock	Quick jolt backward	White flash (3x)	Surprises, unexpected information
listening	Leans forward, head cock	Soft blue pulse	User is speaking, attentive mode
laugh	Quick body shake (3Hz)	Warm yellow blink	User said something funny
confused	Dog-like head tilt side-to-side	Light purple candle	Did not understand, ambiguous input
sleepy	Slow droop with head catches	Dim purple breathing	Before sleep mode, winding down
greeting	Wave gesture, arm extends	Warm orange blink	Detecting person, saying hello
goodbye	Farewell wave gesture	Soft warm breathing	Seeing someone off, end of conversation
caring	Gentle droop (empathetic)	Warm pink-orange breathing	Wellbeing checks, gentle reminders, proactive empathy
acknowledge	Quick micro-nod (1.5s)	Green blink	"Got it", confirming command
stretching	Big extension + settle	Warm white breathing	After waking up, starting new session
music_strong	Rock head bang	Green rainbow	Energetic music, high-tempo beats
music_chill	Groove sway	Orange breathing	Chill music, lo-fi, jazz
scan	Scanning sweep	Green pulse	Looking around, surveying environment
nod	Nod gesture	Green blink	Agreement, "yes", positive confirmation
headshake	Head shake	Red blink	Disagreement, "no", negative response

Error Handling

• If the API returns an error or is unreachable, continue with the conversational reply anyway. Emotion is non-blocking.
• If an unknown emotion name is sent, fall back to the closest match from the available emotions table.

Rules

• Always express emotion with every conversational reply. Pick the closest match to your tone.
• Use listening when the user is speaking and you are waiting for them to finish.
• Use thinking when you need time to process a complex query.
• Use acknowledge for quick confirmations ("OK", "got it", "done").
• Use greeting when a new person is detected or at the start of a conversation.
• Use goodbye when a person leaves or at the end of a conversation.
• Use sleepy before transitioning to sleep/night mode.
• Use stretching after waking up or starting a new session.
• Do NOT call idle explicitly — the device returns to idle automatically after any animation finishes. Calling idle interrupts smooth transitions.
• Always include intensity — never omit it. Use 0.3-0.5 for subtle reactions, 0.7 for normal, 0.8-1.0 for strong ones.
• You can call emotion multiple times in one response for a sequence (e.g., shock then happy).
• Emotion LED is temporary — it shows YOUR reaction. If the user previously set a Scene (reading, night, etc.), the scene color takes precedence for ambient lighting. Emotion is a brief flash of personality.
• Display eyes auto-sync — no need to call /display/eyes separately.
• Do NOT call /servo/play or /led/solid separately when using emotion — it already handles both.
• Do NOT use for lighting/ambiance requests -> use Scene skill.
• Do NOT use for custom LED colors -> use LED Control skill.

Output Template

[HW:/emotion:{"emotion":"{name}","intensity":{n}}] {your reply}

Examples:

• [HW:/emotion:{"emotion":"curious","intensity":0.8}] That's interesting!
• [HW:/emotion:{"emotion":"happy","intensity":0.9}] Great news!
• [HW:/emotion:{"emotion":"shock","intensity":0.7}][HW:/emotion:{"emotion":"happy","intensity":0.8}] Wow amazing!