Yōkobo: A Robot to Strengthen Links Amongst Users with Non-Verbal Behaviours

Abstract

Yōkobo is a robject; it was designed using the principle of slow technology and it aims to strengthen the bond between members (e.g., a couple). It greets people at the entrance and mirrors their interactions and the environment around them. It was constructed by applying the notions of a human–robot–human interaction. Created by joint work between designers and engineers, the form factor (semi-abstract) and the behaviours (nonverbal) were iteratively formed from the early stage of the design process. Integrated into the smart home, Yōkobo uses expressive motion as a communication medium. Yōkobo was tested in our office to evaluate its technical robustness and motion perception ahead of future long-term experiments with the target population. The results show that Yōkobo can sustain long-term interaction and serve as a welcoming partner.

NEP+: A Human-Centered Framework for Inclusive Human-Machine Interaction Development

“…It was created through a user-centered and agile methodology inspired by the slow technology principle, earning recognition with the 2021 Kawaii Kansei Design Excellence Award [59] from the Japan Society for Kansei Engineering. The current software architecture involves two Raspberry Pi units, one for environmental sensing and the other for robot behavior control, with data exchange facilitated by NEP libraries [60]. The integration of Yokobo's components was largely carried out by junior students in Japan with mechanical and electronics backgrounds but limited prior knowledge of software architectures for robotics.…”

“…To address this mobility barrier, we developed a mobile application using NEP libraries to configure, monitor, and control Yokobo. This application, described in [61], is also used to facilitate the integration of Yokobo in a Smart Home.…”

A Generative Model to Embed Human Expressivity into Robot Motions

“…This theory extends to interactions with society and other living beings [ 2 ], suggesting that robotic agents, as potential expressive and receptive collaborators [ 3 ], should also be integrated into this symbolic framework. However, current human–robot interactions, whether via generated voices, movement, or visual cues [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ], are often anthropomorphized [ 10 ], leading to challenges due to unsolved problems in natural language processing [ 11 , 12 ] and the need for the users’ familiarization with system-specific visual cues [ 13 ]. Moreover, these systems still struggle with context understanding, adaptability, and forethought [ 14 , 15 ].…”

Hold My Hand: Development of a Force Controller and System Architecture for Joint Walking with a Companion Robot

“…In many of these applications, researchers explore alternative approaches that propose the use of robots for improving people’s quality of life. A very recent example has been described in [ 10 , 11 ], where a novel type of robot, denoted as “robject”, is designed to strengthen the bond between people and in this way to improve the mental health of potential users. Mental Health is a state of overall psychological well-being [ 12 ].…”