An Eye Greeting Design in Returning Home Using a Pupil Response Robot for Reducing Loneliness

Abstract

People who live alone often feel loneliness when they return home. Previous research has been conducted to reduce loneliness using social robots. However, there is little previous research on how to reduce loneliness in returning home. Therefore, it is expected to develop a social robot that creates warm atmosphere in returning home with non-verbal greeting, as if it is formed in welcoming by the family. In this study, we focused on the returning home when people tend to feel loneliness and designed an eye greeting expression using the pupil response robot. In addition, we investigated impression of these designed expressions, and indicated that the pupil dilation response may be effective in reducing loneliness.