How do we feel? User Perceptions of a Soft Robot Surface for Regulating Human Emotion in Confined Living Spaces

Pandemic or not, many of us are spending more time indoors, apart from others and from nature. We report on user perceptions of "pheB," a non-anthropomorphic, bio-inspired, pneumatic-actuated robot surface aiming to help regulate our emotional states when inhabiting confined spaces, such as our homes. A survey (N = 50) tested perceived stress levels before and after performing guided breathing exercises under two conditions: led by the pheB prototype and a 2D vector graphic. We learned that perceived stress levels were significantly lower after performing the pheB led exercises. Comments from respondents who did not prefer pheB suggested a possible "Uncanny Valley" effect. The same survey elicited feedback on possible design features for pheB related to color, scale, orientation, and edge complexity. Beyond reporting on a soft robotic artifact of our own design, the research reported here offers an exemplar for conducting user studies online of novel robot designs, highlights user perceptions of bio-inspired robots in HRI research and considers biophilia and the uncanny valley for non-anthropomorphic robots supporting human-centered design applications.