A new study in Germany has found that people who were touched by a humanoid robot while conversing reported a better emotional state.
The study carried out by the Ruhr University Bochum, and the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany, was published in the journal PLOS ONE.
Interpersonal touch between humans is known to have positive effects, such as reduced stress or improved immune-system function. But the recent study investigated the effects of robot touch.
In the new study, 48 students engaged in a school counseling conversation with a humanoid robot. In the course of the conversation, for some participants, the robot briefly and seemingly spontaneously patted the back of the participant's hand.
In response to the robot's touch, most participants smiled and laughed, and none pulled away.
Participants were also asked to complete a questionnaire after their conversation with the robot. Those who were touched reported a better emotional state after their conversation. Still, the authors caution, human-robot interactions are complex, and much remains to be learned about the differences between human and robot touch.
.png?w=600)
