Effects of Robotic Touch on Older Users During Walking Guidance by a Humanoid Robot

2026-07-10

AI Summary

This study addresses the critical challenge of workforce shortages in elderly care by systematically comparing, for the first time, four haptic interaction modalities—no contact, wrist-holding, arm-linking, and forearm resting—during walking guidance with humanoid robots and their effects on older adults’ psychological and behavioral responses. Employing a multimodal assessment framework that integrates electrocardiography, electrodermal activity, contact force sensing, human–robot distance tracking, and structured questionnaires, the research demonstrates that stable, gentle physical contact—particularly wrist-holding and forearm resting—significantly enhances participants’ feelings of safety, trust, and comfort while reducing interpersonal distance. These findings indicate a clear preference among older adults for mild and consistent tactile guidance, offering empirical support for the design of socially assistive robots tailored to geriatric care settings.

Abstract

The shortage of healthcare staff is a challenge in geriatric care. To address this, robots can be integrated into care settings to provide assistance and emotional support. A promising application is walking guidance, particularly benefiting older adults as navigation skills deteriorate with aging. As walking guidance involves direct contact, the aim of this study is to understand how older adults perceive and respond to different touch modes during guided walking. 24 older adults (68 - 88 yrs.) walked four times a ten-meter trajectory guided by the robot TIAGo Pro in four contact conditions: no physical contact (NC); physical contact through holding the robot's wrist with the hand (HH); physical interaction through linking arms with the robot (LA); and physical contact through resting the forearm on the robots forearm (FC). A multimodal assessment approach included electrocardiogram, electrodermal activity, contact force, distance to robot, and questionnaires. Physiological results reveal a slight increase in stress levels during robot interaction. Behavioural and subjective measures, however, show overall acceptance of robotic touch. The two conditions corresponding to larger interaction forces (HH and FC) were associated with lower relative distances between participant and robot, indicating a higher trust and confidence. Questionnaire responses supported these findings, evidencing greater perceived safety, trust and comfort in these conditions. This study provides insights for the design of robotic walking guidance assistance, indicating that gentle, stable touch is preferred by older adults in comparison to contactless interaction.

Problem

• robotic touch
• older adults
• walking guidance
• human-robot interaction
• geriatric care

Innovation

• robotic touch
• walking guidance
• human-robot interaction
• older adults
• multimodal assessment