タッピングとストローキングの切り替えが可能なタッチケアロボットの開発とリラクセーション効果の比較

抄録

This study developed a compact, portable robot that provides two types of touch care—tapping and stroking. Their psychological and physiological effects were experimentally compared using multiple indices: heart rate, LF/HF ratio, salivary amylase, the Temporary Mood Scale (TMS), and the Emotional Relaxation Scale (ERS). Both tapping and stroking significantly decreased heart rate and LF/HF ratio, indicating similar parasympathetic activation. In contrast, salivary amylase, an index of sympathetic activity, showed a significant difference in its change between the two conditions; tapping induced a decreasing trend, while stroking induced an increasing trend. However, subjective ratings on all 28 TMS and ERS items showed no significant differences between the two modalities. This divergence between the significant sympathetic difference and the lack of subjective difference suggests distinct emotional mechanisms. We hypothesize that the increase in amylase during stroking reflects “positive arousal” rather than stress, as it was not accompanied by negative subjective reports. Overall, these findings highlight the importance of evaluating affective robotics for relaxation support using multi-modal indices that capture sympathetic, parasympathetic, and subjective responses.