English
Related papers

Related papers: Toward Anxiety-Reducing Pocket Robots for Children

200 papers

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience deficits in verbal and nonverbal communication skills including motor control, turn-taking, and emotion recognition. Innovative technology, such as socially assistive robots, has shown…

Human-Computer Interaction · Computer Science 2022-05-10 Huanghao Fengr , Mohammad H. Mahoor , Francesca Dino

Robot Assisted Therapy is a new paradigm in many therapies such as the therapy of children with autism spectrum disorder. In this paper we present the use of a parrot-like robot as an assistive tool in turn taking therapy. The therapy is…

Robotics · Computer Science 2021-02-01 Pegah Soleiman , Hadi Moradi , Maryam Mahmoudi , Mohyeddin Teymouri , Hamid Reza Pouretemad

We present an ongoing project that aims to develop a social robot to help children cope with painful and distressing medical procedures in a clinical setting. Our approach uses automated planning as a core component for action selection in…

Robotics · Computer Science 2022-10-19 Alan Lindsay , Andres Ramirez-Duque , Ronald P. A. Petrick , Mary Ellen Foster

We aim to design robotic educational support systems that can promote socially and intellectually meaningful learning experiences for students while they complete school work outside of class. To pursue this goal, we conducted participatory…

Human-Computer Interaction · Computer Science 2023-05-05 Bengisu Cagiltay , Bilge Mutlu , Joseph E Michaelis

This study examines whether engagement with social robots translates into improved human-directed social abilities in autistic children. We conducted an 8-week home-based randomized controlled trial with 40 children aged 5--9 using a…

Human-Computer Interaction · Computer Science 2026-04-06 Yibo Meng , Guangrui Fan , Bingyi Liu , Yingfangzhong Sun , Ruiqi Chen , Haipeng Mi

Learning companion robots for young children are increasingly adopted in informal learning environments. Although parents play a pivotal role in their children's learning, very little is known about how parents prefer to incorporate robots…

Human-Computer Interaction · Computer Science 2024-03-22 Hui-Ru Ho , Edward Hubbard , Bilge Mutlu

Mindfulness is the state of paying attention to the present moment on purpose and meditation is the technique to obtain this state. This study aims to develop a robot assistant that facilitates mindfulness training by means of a Brain…

Human-Computer Interaction · Computer Science 2020-08-13 Maryam Alimardani , Linda Kemmeren , Kazuki Okumura , Kazuo Hiraki

Anxiety is a common health issue that can occur throughout one's existence. In this pilot study we explore an alternative technique to regulate it: biofeedback. The long-term objective is to offer an ecological device that could help people…

Human-Computer Interaction · Computer Science 2018-08-28 Morgane Hamon , Rémy Ramadour , Jérémy Frey

Social anxiety is a prevalent condition that affects interpersonal interactions and social functioning. Recent advances in artificial intelligence and social robotics offer new opportunities to examine social anxiety in the human-robot…

Robotics · Computer Science 2025-11-18 Vesna Poprcova , Iulia Lefter , Matthias Wieser , Martijn Warnier , Frances Brazier

Emotion regulation (ER) is essential to mental well-being but often difficult to access, especially in high-intensity moments or for individuals with clinical vulnerabilities. While existing technology-based ER tools offer value, they…

Human-Computer Interaction · Computer Science 2026-02-10 Preeti Vyas , Bereket Guta , Tim G. Zhou , Noor Naila Himam , Andero Uusberg , Karon E. MacLean

Social robots are increasingly being explored as tools to support emotional wellbeing, particularly in non-clinical settings. Drawing on a range of empirical studies and practical deployments, this paper outlines six key insights that…

Robotics · Computer Science 2025-06-17 Guy Laban , Micol Spitale , Minja Axelsson , Nida Itrat Abbasi , Hatice Gunes

Robots are increasingly entering the daily lives of families, yet their successful integration into domestic life remains a challenge. We explore family routines as a critical entry point for understanding how robots might find a…

Robotics · Computer Science 2026-02-27 Michael F. Xu , Enhui Zhao , Yawen Zhang , Joseph E. Michaelis , Sarah Sebo , Bilge Mutlu

This article introduces "Baby Robot", a robot aiming to improve motor skills of babies and toddlers. Authors developed a car-like toy that moves autonomously using reinforcement learning and computer vision techniques. The robot behaviour…

Robotics · Computer Science 2023-03-17 Eric Canas , Alba M. G. Garcia , Anais Garrell , Cecilio Angulo

Social anxiety is a prevalent mental health condition that can significantly impact overall well-being and quality of life. Despite its widespread effects, adequate support or treatment for social anxiety is often insufficient. Advances in…

Robotics · Computer Science 2025-11-06 Vesna Poprcova , Iulia Lefter , Martijn Warnier , Frances Brazier

The sense of family connectedness may support positive outcomes including individual well-being, resilience, and healthy family functioning. However, as technologies advance, they often replace human-human interactions instead of nurturing…

Robotics · Computer Science 2026-04-28 Michael F Xu , Bengisu Cagiltay , Yaxin Hu , Anjun Zhu , Bilge Mutlu

The diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in children is commonly accompanied by a diagnosis of sensory processing disorders as well. Abnormalities are usually reported in multiple sensory processing domains, showing a higher…

Robotics · Computer Science 2019-01-07 Hifza Javed , Rachael Burns , Myounghoon Jeon , Ayanna M. Howard , Chung Hyuk Park

Job interview anxiety is a prevalent challenge among university students and can undermine both performance and confidence in high-stakes evaluative situations. Social robots have shown promise in reducing anxiety through emotional support,…

Human-Computer Interaction · Computer Science 2026-01-23 Wanqi Zhang , Jiangen He , Marielle Santos

Recent studies have revealed that using social robots can accelerate the learning process of several skills in areas where autistic children typically show deficits. However, most early research studies conducted interactions via free play.…

Robotics · Computer Science 2024-06-18 Christian Giannetti

Affective touch offers positive psychological and physiological benefits such as the mitigation of stress and pain. If a robot could realize human-like affective touch, it would open up new application areas, including supporting care work.…

Workload often triggers anxiety for office workers. While a variety of stress intervention and management techniques have been explored, there exist only a few of portable tangible interfaces for anxiety reduction. Contributing to the body…

Human-Computer Interaction · Computer Science 2023-10-24 Lingqian Yang , Katherine Wang , Youngjun Cho