Designing for a Wearable Affective Interface for the NAO Robot: A Study of Emotion Conveyance by Touch

Abstract

Abstract:We here present results and analysis from a study of affective tactile communication between human and humanoid robot (the NAO robot). In the present work, participants conveyed eight emotions to the NAO via touch. In this study, we sought to understand the potential for using a wearable affective (tactile) interface, or WAffI. The aims of our study were to address the following: (i) how emotions and affective states can be conveyed (encoded) to such a humanoid robot, (ii) what are the effects of dressing the NAO in the WAffI on emotion conveyance and (iii) what is the potential for decoding emotion and affective states. We found that subjects conveyed touch for longer duration and over more locations on the robot when the NAO was dressed with WAffI than when it was not. Our analysis illuminates ways by which affective valence, and separate emotions, might be decoded by a humanoid robot according to the different features of touch: intensity, duration, location, type. Finally, we discuss the types of sensors and their distribution as they may be embedded within the WAffI and that would likely benefit Human-NAO (and Human-Humanoid) interaction along the affective tactile dimension.

Affective Touch in Human–Robot Interaction: Conveying Emotion to the Nao Robot

“…We also plan to utilize smart textile sensors [14,30] on the robot (e.g. Nao) distributing the sensors on a wearable (Wearable Affective Interface, or WAffI-see Lowe et al [34]) in accordance with our findings. Different textiles may also affect the extent to which human subjects utilize particular touch types, e.g.…”

“…Further studies are required to also take into account the mitigating effects of environmental settings for the HRI. Nevertheless, we believe that our findings, presented in this article, as well as those in Lowe et al [34], can directly influence the positioning, selection, and development of tactile sensors for robots, and possibly other artefacts. Finally, we see potential to investigate in more depth interaction regarding specific emotions.…”

“…Gender was balanced across the two groups (32 males and 32 females for each condition). The results concerning analysis of the effects of the robot wearing (or not) the textile garments is to be reported elsewhere [34]. The use of Nao in a clothed interface is here considered a controlled variable since the effects of interacting with a 'naked' versus an 'attired' robot are not clear or well documented in the HRI literature.…”

“…Further design considerations concern the use of fabrics embedded with sensors that provide a robot wearable/interface (see Lowe et al [34]). Such wearables need not only have the sensors appropriately distributed on the robot's body, but should also allow for the sensor properties to be utilized.…”

Conveying Emotions by Touch to the Nao Robot: A User Experience Perspective

“…The recordings of tactile displays were analyzed and the four main touch components were coded for each individual subject interactions following Hertenstein et al [16]: touch intensity, touch duration, touch type, and touch location. The outcome from this has been reported in other papers [21,22,60].…”