Emotional Robotics Research Articles

Social Robotics in Children With Autism Disorders

Social robotics is a subfield of robotics in which intensive research has been going on for 20 years now. Until now, we have known robots that are used in mechanics to relieve humans of work. What distinguishes social robots from these is that they are capable of establishing relationships with people and can adhere to social rules. This is why we often speak of "emotional and social robotics".

Emotional Intelligence and Educational Robotics: The Development of the EI-EDUROBOT

In recent years, ICT has become a fundamental element of almost all aspects of formal and non-formal education. Educational Robotics (ER) as an ICT subfield has triggered many studies of ER educational utilization. Furthermore, there is also a growing interest in studies in Special Education with ER and ICT in general, usually focusing on emotional intelligence, especially in social skills’ development and empathy training. This paper presents the development of a Robotic Platform, the EI-EDUROBOT, which aims to cultivate empathy and social skills of typically developed children, aged 4 to 9 years, but also children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), among these two social groups.

The Mechanics of Fear. Re-envisioning Anxiety through Emerging Technologies of Affect/Funktionsweisen der Furcht. Neue Konzepte von Angst im Kontext der emotionalen Robotik

While there has been ample research in the fields of psychology and human- robot interaction on humans’ fear toward robots, advancements in artificial emotional intelligence and emotional robotics suggest the need to investigate not only the mechanisms by which humans in different social contexts de- velop anxiety toward robots but also the mechanics by which robots might develop anxiety themselves. Based on a year of ethnographic research among engineers in Japan modeling emotion in robots, this article contends that exploring how robots are both designed and imagined to sense anxiety reveals productive feedback loops between entertainment robotics, artificial intelligence research, and an evolving psychology of human-robot relations in Japan. By outlining some of the social, scientific, and political implications of these feedback loops, the essay aims to help answer the question of how recent technological strategies to realize robots that not only read, perform, but also in a philosophical and social sense have emotion are reshaping the designs of psychological research on fear and anxiety in contemporary Japan.

Simulated Despondency for Robots in Distress

It is widely accepted that increased human interaction with natural systems is responsible for complex environmental issues, with most current thinking centered on the provision of advanced technological solutions. One response emerging from current bioinspired robotics research proposes artificial neural networks (ANNs) enhanced with artificial hormones for increased performance and efficiency. Here the authors discuss their artistic project concept, developed in collaboration with a bioinspired artificial life lab, considering the affordance of emotional robotics to develop despondency in the field.

COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS AND STEREOPSIS IN PATIENTS WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE AND ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

outpatient nursing facilities and nursing homes, as well as a simultaneously increasing number of older people needing assistance and care, are major factors causing workplace stress, emotional exhaustion, and burnout. In the future, however, social and emotional robots might support caregivers in their work. Although there is a paucity of empirical evidence it has been suggested that this could contribute both to their relief, and to improving the quality of life of people with dementia and other disabled elders. Methods: As part of the pilot study “Emotional robotics in old age”, detailed and in-depth multilevel expert interviews with informal caregivers (n1⁄4 15) and professional nurses (n1⁄4 15) are followed up in order to explore the needs and possible applications of specific robotic artifacts in different care contexts. To investigate possible indicators of acceptance and intention to use, a mixed-methods-design is used to determine the participants’ burden of care and experience with new technologies, as well as their emotional assessment and views on the usefulness of the artifacts. Results: The initial results of the study are expected to provide important information on conditions of acceptance and future application areas for social-emotional robots in the support of informal and professional caregivers in elder and dementia care. Conclusions: In addition to the similarities, it may be precisely the differences between the two groups that are particularly informative for further research developments in this field.

Robotics and Design: An Interdisciplinary Crash Course

The authors designed and ran a crash course on emotional robotics involving students from both the Information Engineering School and the Design School of Politecnico di Milano , Milan, Italy. The course consisted of two intensive days of short introductory lessons and lab activity, done in interdisciplinary groups and supported by a well-equipped prototyping and modeling lab. People from very different backgrounds had to work efficiently together, going from problem setting through the demonstration of the physical implementation of an object able to show four different emotional states. Both teacher evaluation and questionnaire-based feedback from the students show that it was successful and useful to set up this type of intensive experience in which students share their abilities to achieve a common goal. Key aspects for the success of the course were the short time the students had to reach a well-defined, yet general, goal, the students' ability to find efficient ways of cooperating and sharing their competences, students' motivation to arrive at a working prototype, and the strong support from teachers and lab personnel.

Social and Emotional Robots for Aging Well?

Nowadays it is widely accepted that information and communication technologies can open up new lines of support and enrich later life. But what about robots? In 1985, the book A Robot in Every Home by Mike Higgins was published. It provided an overview of the available first-generation personal robots such as Topo, Hero 1, RB5X, Hubot, Hero Jr., Turtle Tot, FED, Dingbot, Verbot, and Omnibot. Although they were restricted in use, Higgins took up the issue of whether “robots can be companions” and forecasted that pet robots would in the future provide companionship – without the constraints of a living animal or a human being. Robots may be suitable for people with all kinds of restrictions and disabilities (e.g., dementia): They never get tired, they never complain, they are “patient,” and they never take personal offense. In the meantime, these ideas have found their way into reality. For about 15 years, Paro, a cuddly therapeutic seal, has been tested in different pilot projects around the world and is now available internationally. Paro was designed for therapeutic purposes and is a good example of a social and emotional robot, defined as a technical system able to interact with human beings in such a way that these interactions can be regarded as “emotional.” Its main purpose is to be a companion, of course, though not exclusively, for people with cognitive impairments. Personal and service robotics is advancing quickly, and a variety of prototypes have already been tested in real-life settings. The abilities of these robots are far beyond those of Paro. Both types of robot have in common that people tend to deal with them as if they are real living “subjects.” On the other hand, these developments raise concerns and issues that need to be discussed from a scientific perspective. What empirical evidence is available that social and emotional robots do in fact enrich or facilitate daily life, as measured in terms of an outcome related to aging well, such as communication, social exchange, independence, or well-being? Is it ethical to use robots in the provision of care for the elderly? Do these devices really contribute to better care? Can they be regarded as providing a therapeutic intervention? Will they replace professional staff? What outcomes have been postulated, and how can the effects be measured? What will happen to caring processes and society if human interaction is replaced by human-robot interaction? These questions should be dealt with as soon as possible, particularly in view of today’s international discussions: China, for example, expects every second household to be equipped with social robots in the very near future (see the discussion at the International Conference of Social Robotics ICSR 2012 in Chengdu, China; Chen, 2012). The debate is necessary in order to participate in and shape robotic developments and their fields of application – especially when these are vulnerable groups. The present issue of GeroPsych sheds some light on these topics by giving an overview of ongoing research and discussions on emotional and social robotics. The first contribution on evidence and deploymentbased research into care for the elderly using socially assistive robots by Thorsten Kolling and colleagues presents a review of evaluation studies on Paro as well as an insight into their shortcomings, and develops ideas to overcome these. The experiences gathered to date with Paro as a therapeutic robot in nursing care homes in Denmark, Germany, and the UK are highlighted in the contribution of Barbara Klein and colleagues. Unlike Paro, Care-O-Bot looks like a robot and has many more functions and capabilities. Patrizia Marti and Jelle Stienstra have studied the extent to which interaction with this robot companion helps elderly people to live independently in their homes in Italy. The difficulties of developing an adequate research design for robot interventions in care homes specialized in psychogeriatric care are reflected in the contribution of Roger Bemelmans and colleagues. Dealing with robots evokes many ethical concerns, which are systematically analyzed in the contribution by Catrin Misselhorn and colleagues. GeroPsych, 26 (2), 2013, 81–82

Emotional robotics in promoting wellbeing in nursing care homes

Emotional robotics in promoting wellbeing in nursing care homes

‘Heart Robot’, a public engagement project

Heart Robot was a public engagement project funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The aim of the project was to challenge cultural perceptions of robots, and to stimulate thought and debate in members of the general public around research in the field of social and emotional robotics. Fusing the traditions of Bunraku puppetry, the technology of animatronics and the field of artificial emotion and social intelligence, Heart Robot presented a series of entertaining, thought-provoking, and moving performances at fourteen events in the south-west region of the UK between May and December 2008. This paper presents a summary of the independent evaluation of the project. Keywords: Robot, Puppet, Public Engagement, Social Robots, Science-art collaboration