robotouch
Inspired by the painting The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo, the moments in which God created humanity through touch, I wanted to explore this notion in robots. Like the painting, the robot is created by the "touch" of humans. They would not exist without us.
Touch is an essential sense that humans (and animals) develop during birth. It is an intimate and emotional way to interact and communicate with the environment (Okuda, 2022).
Although robots do not yet completely possess the ability to feel and react to touch, recent developments in sensory are empowering robots with the capability to sense touch, enabling them to promptly and effectively respond to changes in their environment. Currently, touch-sensing capabilities in robots enable them to distinguish shape, texture, weight, pressure, and temperature of objects (International Telecommunication Union, 2023). This capability enables them to perform a range of touch-based tasks, such as object classification, packaging, or handling. They would also be able to detect humans and touch them safely (International Telecommunication Union, 2023). In the future, as these capabilities are enhanced, they will be involved more in human and robot interaction, not only physical ability tasks (such as object handling) but also in social communication, such as hand-holding or touching shoulders. (Okuda et al., 2022, Hu & Hoffman (2023).
Robotsweater
Robotsweater a machine-knitted textile, developed by a research team in the Robotics Institute, that can react and sense contact and pressure like a skin (Federoff, 2023)
Exploring the incorporation of a sense of touch into robots presents a fascinating avenue. Not only does it incorporate them with a semblance of "organic" qualities, but it also introduces a novel mode of interaction and connection. Through tactile engagement, a profound emotional bond can be forged between humans and robots. While some studies have delved into the physical interactions with robots, fewer have delved into the psychological ramifications of the types of touch experienced by these robots. For instance, Okuda (2022) delved into how the robot's response to touch from a participant influences perceptions of its likability, intelligence, and the satisfaction derived from communication. As we increasingly integrate robots into our daily lives, the ability to engage in tactile interaction becomes paramount in fostering meaningful connections with them. By studying how robots perceive and interact with their environment through touch, researchers can also gain insights into human perception and develop better robotic systems.
Some researcher's have found ways to mimic human skin and reactivity. I really like the example of the Robotsweater. A research team in Carnegie Mellon’s University’s Robotics Insitute created a machine-knitted textile that can react to contact and pressure like a “skin”. With the sweater, the robot's entire "body" can be covered to detect collisions, instead of having robust metallic materials that cover the robot.
cat reacting to touch!! very happy
In my approach, I would incorporate all these features. Touch becomes an essential way of communication for the robot, it does not have any "facial" features or"human parts", it cannot speak or interact through other means. However, when touched upon, it would create a physical response, for example, by vibrations, folding/wrapping itself against the touch or simply mimicking the touch. The type of response to the touch is essential in determining and establishing an emotional connection between humans/robots.
References
Okuda, M., Takahashi, Y., & Tsuichihara, S. (2022). Human response to humanoid robot that responds to social touch. Applied Sciences, 12(18), 9193. https://doi.org/10.3390/app12189193
International Telecommunication Union. (2023, February 23). Reaching a new level in robots’ touch sensitivity - AI for Good. AI For Good. https://aiforgood.itu.int/event/reaching-a-new-level-in-robots-touch-sensitivity/
Federoff, S. (2023, June 2). Sweater-Wrapped robots can feel and react to human touch. CMU News. https://www.cmu.edu/news/stories/archives/2023/may/sweater-wrapped-robots-can-feel-and-react-to-human-touch
Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute (2023, June 11) RobotSweater: Scalable, Generalizable, and Customizable Machine-knitted Tactile Skins for Robots. RoboTouch. https://labs.ri.cmu.edu/robotouch/robotsweater/
Hu, Y., Hoffman, G. (2023). What Can a Robot's Skin Be? Designing Texture-changing Skin for Human–Robot Social Interaction. CM Trans. Hum.-Robot Interact., 12(2):26. https://doi.org/10.1145/3532772