Paper ID: 2407.02957

Past, Present, and Future: A Survey of The Evolution of Affective Robotics For Well-being

Micol Spitale, Minja Axelsson, Sooyeon Jeong, Paige Tuttosı, Caitlin A. Stamatis, Guy Laban, Angelica Lim, Hatice Gunes

Recent research in affective robots has recognized their potential in supporting human well-being. Due to rapidly developing affective and artificial intelligence technologies, this field of research has undergone explosive expansion and advancement in recent years. In order to develop a deeper understanding of recent advancements, we present a systematic review of the past 10 years of research in affective robotics for wellbeing. In this review, we identify the domains of well-being that have been studied, the methods used to investigate affective robots for well-being, and how these have evolved over time. We also examine the evolution of the multifaceted research topic from three lenses: technical, design, and ethical. Finally, we discuss future opportunities for research based on the gaps we have identified in our review -- proposing pathways to take affective robotics from the past and present to the future. The results of our review are of interest to human-robot interaction and affective computing researchers, as well as clinicians and well-being professionals who may wish to examine and incorporate affective robotics in their practices.

Submitted: Jul 3, 2024