Subjective and Physiological Evaluation of Gentle Stroke Motion Using a Human-Imitation Hand

Abstract

Human touch skills are expected to provide emotional responses. In this study, we develop a human-imitation hand and generate gentle stroke motions on the back of a human to consider that the stroke motion of the robot provides a human emotion responses. By comparing with a stroke motion of a human, we evaluate the stroke motion of the robot and the human with subjective (valence and arousal) and physiological (facial electromyography and skin conductance level) indices. From the results, we suggest that the subjective and physiological indices show the effect of speed commonly on the robot and the human. Furthermore, we suggest that the fast stroke motion (30cm/s) of the robot and human provides a subject with an emotion of valence.