Evaluation of the Human-Like Robotic Touch : a user study

Tang, Yucheng, Chand, Tara, Mamaev, Ilshat, Hein, Björn and Croy, Ilona (2025) Evaluation of the Human-Like Robotic Touch : a user study. In: 2025 International Conference On Rehabilitation Robotics (ICORR), 12-16 May 2025, Chicago, IL, USA.

Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)

Abstract

Affective touch is crucial for human development, social bonding, and emotional support, while physical interaction plays a key role in rehabilitation, aiding motor recovery and well-being. Although AI has advanced verbal and non-verbal communication, replicating human-like physical interaction remains a challenge. This paper explores whether robots can convey emotional touch. Using a soft brush as a haptic transfer mediator, we isolated temporal and spatial touch characteristics to assess their impact on human perception. We implemented Cartesian dynamic movement primitives to replicate the human touch and adapt it to individuals by sampling geometric points on the forearm. Questionnaire analysis revealed that robotic touch at 3 cm/s was more effective in replicating the pleasurable sensations of human touch compared to 0.3 cm/s. Our findings indicate that the human-like quality of robotic touch depends more on temporal factors than spatial trajectories. However, robotic touch was still distinguishable from human touch, with 75.71% of participants correctly identifying it as robotic. These results contribute to robotic rehabilitation by improving the understanding of affective touch, with potential applications in motor recovery, sensory stimulation, and emotional well-being.

Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Keywords: Brushes | Human-robot interaction | Robot sensing systems | Motors
Subjects: Physical, Life and Health Sciences > Medicine
Physical, Life and Health Sciences > Neuroscience
Physical, Life and Health Sciences > Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Physical, Life and Health Sciences > Computer Science
Physical, Life and Health Sciences > Engineering and Technology
JGU School/Centre: Jindal Institute of Behavioural Sciences
Depositing User: Mr. Gautam Kumar
Date Deposited: 01 Oct 2025 16:16
Last Modified: 01 Oct 2025 16:16
Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1109/ICORR66766.2025.11063003
URI: https://pure.jgu.edu.in/id/eprint/10178

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

Actions (login required)

View Item
View Item