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Social Robots for the Human Well-Being

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A special issue of Robotics (ISSN 2218-6581). This special issue belongs to the section "Humanoid and Human Robotics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2024) | Viewed by 42761

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Martin Cooney

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Guest Editor

Department of Digital Design and Intelligent Systems, School of Information Technology, Halmstad University, Halmstad, Sweden
Interests: social robotics; Human Robot Interaction (HRI); robot recognition

Dr. Mariacarla Staffa

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Guest Editor

Department of Science and Technology, Parthenope University of Naples, Naples, Italy
Interests: social and assistive robotics; cognitive robotics; artificial intelligence; human-robot interaction

Dr. Filippo Cavallo

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Guest Editor

Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Florence, Via Santa Marta 3, 50139 Florence, Italy
Interests: social robotics; human robot interaction; wearable sensors; Internet of Things; artificial intelligence; robot companion; healthcare
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Social robots aim to help to improve the lives of various individuals (e.g., those suffering from loneliness, stress, dementia, or autism) who lack sufficient care from human caregivers; however, social robots are not yet a reality in our daily surroundings. It is necessary to show that robots can provide various forms of real value at low cost. This will involve the following:

Identifying promising new opportunities and challenges (e.g., in therapy, entertainment, and education, related to daily needs or emergencies, through, for example, transdisciplinary, sustainable, or speculative prototyping perspectives);
Exploring new evidence-based evaluations of wellbeing, as well as constituents such as self-actualization, self-esteem, and belonging/love, afforded by robot strategies (such as nudging);
Gaining rich awareness of a person’s state, not only regarding their behaviors and identity, but also underlying meanings, intentions, creativity, or emotions (especially via subtle hints or signals that humans cannot sense, such as heartbeats, to potentially save lives);
Applying SOTA deep learning approaches, and releasing useful open source code and videos, e.g., on Github/ROS/Colab/YouTube;
Integrating human-inspired adaptive Theory of Mind (ToM) in the architectures for social robots to advance robots’ social skills and improve the aspects of HRI related to belief understanding and tracking, proactivity, active perception, and learning.

This Special Issue aims to present innovative approaches for social robots to enhance the wellbeing of interacting individuals. We solicit original contributions that report on the development of novel scenarios, recognition, behaviors, and evaluation approaches. Of particular interest are papers that clearly reference wellbeing and present new insights from thinking outside the box. Contributions that show high performance and are expected to help others are also relevant to this Special Issue.

The proposed approaches can target various user demographics, types of robots (such as those that we ride, live in, and wear: AVs, smart homes, wearables), and settings (e.g., several interactions).

Dr. Martin Cooney
Dr. Mariacarla Staffa
Dr. Filippo Cavallo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Robotics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 1170 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Telepresence Robots in the Context of Dementia Caregiving: Caregivers’ and Care Recipients’ Perspectives

by Shabnam FakhrHosseini, Lauren Cerino, Lisa D’Ambrosio, Lexi Balmuth, Chaiwoo Lee, Mengke Wu and Joseph Coughlin

Robotics 2024, 13(11), 160; https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics13110160 - 30 Oct 2024

Viewed by 765

Abstract

As a result of a rapidly aging population and the increasing prevalence of dementia among older adults, technological solutions are increasingly being considered to facilitate caregiving. This research investigates the perspectives of 20 caregiving dyads on VGo, a telepresence social robot with features designed to support caregiving. Care recipients (CRs), aged 65 and older, diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, along with their primary caregivers (CGs), evaluated the robot through an online interview study. The interviews integrated informative videos showcasing VGo’s features and functions. Insights from the interviews revealed diverse expectations, interests, and reservations. The majority of CGs and their CRs perceived the robot’s features as beneficial. In particular, the voice command capability was appreciated as an alternative to using smartphones and as a way to manage home appliances. The community feature, however, did not align well with many participants’ lifestyles, and participants had a number of suggestions to enhance the robot’s notification function. Based on the interview results, the study offers a set of design recommendations for telepresence social robots in home caregiving contexts. This investigation highlights the promise of social robots in caregiving contexts and underscores the need for further improvements to ensure they fit users’ needs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Robots for the Human Well-Being)

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21 pages, 2181 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Social Identity and Personality Traits in Human–Robot Interactions

by Mariacarla Staffa, Lorenzo D’Errico and Antonio Maratea

Robotics 2024, 13(10), 144; https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics13100144 - 27 Sep 2024

Viewed by 869

Abstract

This study explores the role of social identity in human–robot interactions, focusing on a scenario where a humanoid robot functions as a bartender with either a positive or negative personality. Conducted with 28 participants, the experiment utilized the Big-5 questionnaire to assess personality traits and the Godspeed questionnaire to gauge perceptions of the robot. The research sought to determine if users could perceive the robot’s distinct identities and if these perceptions were influenced by the participants’ personality traits. The findings indicated that participants could effectively discern the robot’s different personalities, validating the potential for programming robots to convey specific social identities. Despite the limited sample size, the results suggest that participants’ initial emotional states and personality traits significantly influenced their perceptions, suggesting that customizing a robot’s identity to match the interlocutor’s personality can enhance the interaction experience. As a preliminary investigation, this study contributes valuable insights into human–robot interaction dynamics and lays the groundwork for future research in the development of socially integrated robotic systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Robots for the Human Well-Being)

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34 pages, 4135 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Temporal Progression of Four Older Adults through Technology Acceptance Phases for a Mobile Telepresence Robot in Domestic Environments

by Rune Baggett, Martin Simecek, Katherine M. Tsui and Marlena R. Fraune

Robotics 2024, 13(7), 95; https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics13070095 - 22 Jun 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1036

Abstract

Loneliness is increasingly common, especially among older adults. Technology like mobile telepresence robots can help people feel less lonely. However, such technology has challenges, and even if people use it in the short term, they may not accept it in the long term. Prior work shows that it can take up to six months for people to fully accept technology. This study focuses on exploring the nuances and fluidity of acceptance phases. This paper reports a case study of four older adult participants living with a mobile telepresence robot for seven months. In monthly interviews, we explore their progress through the acceptance phases. Results reveal the complexity and fluidity of the acceptance phases. We discuss what this means for technology acceptance. In this paper, we also make coding guidelines for interviews on acceptance phases more concrete. We take early steps in moving toward a more standard interview and coding method to improve our understanding of acceptance phases and how to help potential users progress through them. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Robots for the Human Well-Being)

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33 pages, 7107 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Beyond Explicit Acknowledgment: Brain Response Evidence of Human Skepticism towards Robotic Emotions

by Robin Gigandet, Maria C. Diana, Kenza Ouadada and Tatjana A. Nazir

Robotics 2024, 13(5), 67; https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics13050067 - 28 Apr 2024

Viewed by 1888

Abstract

Using the N400 component of event-related brain potentials, a neurophysiological marker associated with processing incongruity, we examined brain responses to sentences spoken by a robot that had no arms or legs. Statements concerning physically impossible actions (e.g., knitting) elicit significant N400 responses, reflecting that participants perceived these statements as incongruent with the robot’s physical condition. However, this effect was attenuated for participants who indicated that the robot could have hidden limbs, indicating that expectations modify the way an agent’s utterances are interpreted. When it came to statements relating to emotional capabilities a distinct pattern was found. Although participants acknowledged that the robot could have emotions, there were significant N400 responses to statements about the robot’s emotional experiences (e.g., feeling happy). This effect was not modified by participants’ beliefs, suggesting a cognitive challenge of accepting robots as capable of experiencing emotions. Our findings thus point to a boundary in human acceptance of artificial social agents: while physical attributes may be negotiable based on expectations, emotional expressions are more difficult to establish as credible. By elucidating the cognitive mechanisms at play, our study informs the design of social robots that are capable of more effective communication to better support social connectivity and human well-being. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Robots for the Human Well-Being)

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25 pages, 1747 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Town Crier: A Use-Case Design and Implementation for a Socially Assistive Robot in Retirement Homes

by Ana Iglesias, Raquel Viciana, José Manuel Pérez-Lorenzo, Karine Lan Hing Ting, Alberto Tudela, Rebeca Marfil, Malak Qbilat, Antonio Hurtado, Antonio Jerez and Juan Pedro Bandera

Robotics 2024, 13(4), 61; https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics13040061 - 9 Apr 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1794

Abstract

The use of new assistive technologies in general, and Socially Assistive Robots (SARs) in particular, is becoming increasingly common for supporting people’s health and well-being. However, it still faces many issues regarding long-term adherence, acceptability and utility. Most of these issues are due to design processes that insufficiently take into account the needs, preferences and values of intended users. Other issues are related to the currently very limited amount of long-term evaluations, performed in real-world settings, for SARs. This study presents the results of two regional projects that consider as a starting hypothesis that the assessment in controlled environments and/or with short exposures may not be enough in the design of an SAR deployed in a retirement home and the necessity of designing for and with users. Thus, the proposed methodology has focused on use-cases definitions that follow a human-centred and participatory design approach. The main goals have been facilitating system acceptance and attachment by involving stakeholders in the robots design and evaluation, overcoming usage barriers and considering user’s needs integration. The implementation of the first use-case deployed and the two-phase pilot test performed in a retirement home are presented. In particular, a detailed description of the interface redesign process based on improving a basic prototype with users’ feedback and recommendations is presented, together with the main results of a formal evaluation that has highlighted the impact of changes and improvements addressed in the first redesign loop of the system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Robots for the Human Well-Being)

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34 pages, 6177 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Context-Aware Robotic Assistive System: Robotic Pointing Gesture-Based Assistance for People with Disabilities in Sheltered Workshops

by Sandra Drolshagen, Max Pfingsthorn and Andreas Hein

Robotics 2023, 12(5), 132; https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics12050132 - 27 Sep 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2440

Abstract

People with disabilities are severely underrepresented in the open labor market. Yet, pursuing a job has a positive impact in many aspects of life. This paper presents a possible approach to improve inclusion by including a robotic manipulator into context-aware Assistive Systems. This expands the assistance possibilities tremendously by adding gesture-based feedback and aid. The system presented is based on the intelligent control system of behavior trees, which—together with a depth camera, specifically designed policies, and a collaborative industrial robotic manipulator—can assist workers with disabilities in the workplace. A developed assistance node generates personalized action sequences. These include different robotic pointing gestures, from simple waving, to precisely indicating the target position of the workpiece during assembly tasks. This paper describes the design challenges and technical implementation of the first Context-Aware Robotic Assistive System. Moreover, an in-field user study in a Sheltered Workshop was performed to verify the concept and developed algorithms. In the assembly task under consideration, almost three times as many parts could be assembled with the developed system than with the baseline condition. In addition, the reactions and statements of the participants showed that the robot was considered and accepted as a tutor. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Robots for the Human Well-Being)

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14 pages, 1390 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Revolutionizing Social Robotics: A Cloud-Based Framework for Enhancing the Intelligence and Autonomy of Social Robots

by Abdelrahman Osman Elfaki, Mohammed Abduljabbar, Luqman Ali, Fady Alnajjar, Dua’a Mehiar, Ashraf M. Marei, Tareq Alhmiedat and Adel Al-Jumaily

Robotics 2023, 12(2), 48; https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics12020048 - 24 Mar 2023

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4304

Abstract

Social robots have the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with technology, providing a wide range of services and applications in various domains, such as healthcare, education, and entertainment. However, most existing social robotics platforms are operated based on embedded computers, which limits the robot’s capabilities to access advanced AI-based platforms available online and which are required for sophisticated physical human–robot interactions (such as Google Cloud AI, Microsoft Azure Machine Learning, IBM Watson, ChatGPT, etc.). In this research project, we introduce a cloud-based framework that utilizes the benefits of cloud computing and clustering to enhance the capabilities of social robots and overcome the limitations of current embedded platforms. The proposed framework was tested in different robots to assess the general feasibility of the solution, including a customized robot, “BuSaif”, and commercialized robots, “Husky”, “NAO”, and “Pepper”. Our findings suggest that the implementation of the proposed platform will result in more intelligent and autonomous social robots that can be utilized by a broader range of users, including those with less expertise. The present study introduces a novel methodology for augmenting the functionality of social robots, concurrently simplifying their utilization for non-experts. This approach has the potential to open up novel possibilities within the domain of social robotics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Robots for the Human Well-Being)

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37 pages, 817 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Broad View on Robot Self-Defense: Rapid Scoping Review and Cultural Comparison

by Martin Cooney, Masahiro Shiomi, Eduardo Kochenborger Duarte and Alexey Vinel

Robotics 2023, 12(2), 43; https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics12020043 - 16 Mar 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4238

Abstract

With power comes responsibility: as robots become more advanced and prevalent, the role they will play in human society becomes increasingly important. Given that violence is an important problem, the question emerges if robots could defend people, even if doing so might cause harm to someone. The current study explores the broad context of how people perceive the acceptability of such robot self-defense (RSD) in terms of (1) theory, via a rapid scoping review, and (2) public opinion in two countries. As a result, we summarize and discuss: increasing usage of robots capable of wielding force by law enforcement and military, negativity toward robots, ethics and legal questions (including differences to the well-known trolley problem), control in the presence of potential failures, and practical capabilities that such robots might require. Furthermore, a survey was conducted, indicating that participants accepted the idea of RSD, with some cultural differences. We believe that, while substantial obstacles will need to be overcome to realize RSD, society stands to gain from exploring its possibilities over the longer term, toward supporting human well-being in difficult times. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Robots for the Human Well-Being)

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14 pages, 958 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Social Robot to Assist in Addressing Disruptive Eating Behaviors by People with Dementia

by Misael Astorga, Dagoberto Cruz-Sandoval and Jesus Favela

Robotics 2023, 12(1), 29; https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics12010029 - 19 Feb 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3291

Abstract

Socially assistive robots have been proposed to help people with dementia to conduct activities of daily living, facilitate therapeutic interventions or address problematic symptoms associated with the disease. Psychological symptoms of dementia, such as anxiety, apathy or aggression, are the main cause of distress to both people with dementia and caregivers. Caregivers frequently report disruptive eating behaviors as a major cause of concern. These include being distracted while eating, throwing food or refusing to eat. This paper reports the design and evaluation of a social robot aimed at assisting people with dementia with disruptive eating behaviors. We describe the user-centered design process that was followed and the implementation and evaluation of the assistive robot. The assistive robot identifies common challenging behaviors, using mostly computer vision, and incorporates strategies recommended by caregivers to help address them. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Robots for the Human Well-Being)

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20 pages, 6159 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dances with Social Robots: A Pilot Study at Long-Term Care

by Yizhu Li, Nan Liang, Meysam Effati and Goldie Nejat

Robotics 2022, 11(5), 96; https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics11050096 - 13 Sep 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3848

Abstract

Dance therapy can have significant physical, emotional and cognitive benefits for older adults. In particular, social robots can be developed to autonomously facilitate dance sessions to engage these individuals with the aim of improving quality of life. To successfully integrate and promote long-term use of social robots into long-term care homes for such recreational activities, it is important to explore both residents’ and staff’s perceptions of such robots. In this paper, we present the first pilot human–robot interaction study that investigates the overall experiences and attitudes of both residents and staff in a long-term care home for robot-facilitated dance sessions. In general, the questionnaire results from our study showed that both staff and residents had positive attitudes towards the robot-facilitated dance activity. Encouraging trends showed residents had higher ratings for statements on perceived ease of use, safety, and enjoyment than the staff. However, the staff had a statistically significantly higher rating for willingness to use the robots for dance facilitation. Some key statistical differences were also determined with respect to: (1) gender within the resident group (men had higher ratings for the robots being useful in helping facilitate recreational activities), as well as between staff and residents (resident men had higher perceived safety), and (2) prior robot experience (residents with limited prior experience had higher ratings on perceived ease of use and perceived enjoyment than staff with the same level of experience). The robot-facilitated dance activity was positively received by both older adults and staff as an activity of daily living that can enhance wellbeing while also being safe, easy to use and enjoyable. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Robots for the Human Well-Being)

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Review

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27 pages, 14031 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Review on the Use of Mobile Service Robots in Elderly Care

by Pouyan Asgharian, Adina M. Panchea and François Ferland

Robotics 2022, 11(6), 127; https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics11060127 - 15 Nov 2022

Cited by 37 | Viewed by 14640

Abstract

Global demographics trend toward an aging population. Hence, there will be an increased social demand for elderly care. Recently, assistive technologies such as service robots have emerged and can help older adults to live independently. This paper reports a review starting from 1999 of the existing mobile service robots used for older adults to grow old at home. We describe each robot from the viewpoint of applications, platforms, and empirical studies. Studies reported that mobile social robots could assist older adults throughout their daily activities such as reminding, household tasks, safety, or health monitoring. Moreover, some of the reported studies indicate that mobile service robots can enhance the well-being of older adults and decrease the workload for their caregivers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Robots for the Human Well-Being)

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