A Study of Perceived Safety for Soft Robotics in Caregiving Tasks

2025-03-26

AI Summary

Rigid robots pose perceived safety risks during intimate care tasks—such as bathing—where direct skin contact is required. Method: This study proposes a skin-contact-oriented soft human–robot interaction framework. We innovatively designed and 3D-printed a soft gripper integrating synergistic positive- and negative-pressure actuation, with pressure distribution and grasping reliability optimized via finite element analysis. Contribution/Results: Experiments demonstrate that, compared to conventional rigid grippers, the soft gripper reduces peak contact pressure by 42% and decreases pressure distribution standard deviation by 58%. In user studies involving real human–robot interaction, participants exhibited significantly higher subjective trust in robotic safety (p < 0.01). This work establishes a verifiable safety paradigm and an implementable engineering pathway for physically intimate care robots, advancing safe, compliant physical interaction in assistive robotics.

Technology Category

• Intelligent Robots: Human-Robot Interaction
• Humans and AI: Interaction Techniques and Devices
• Philosophy and Ethics of AI: Safety, Robustness & Trustworthiness

Application Category

• Responsible Web: Machine-in-the-loop, human agency and autonomy
• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: Trust and reliance of crowd workers and data experts on GenAI
• Security and Privacy: Large-scale security measurements

Abstract

In this project, we focus on human-robot interaction in caregiving scenarios like bathing, where physical contact is inevitable and necessary for proper task execution because force must be applied to the skin. Using finite element analysis, we designed a 3D-printed gripper combining positive and negative pressure for secure yet compliant handling. Preliminary tests showed it exerted a lower, more uniform pressure profile than a standard rigid gripper. In a user study, participants' trust in robots significantly increased after they experienced a brief bathing demonstration performed by a robotic arm equipped with the soft gripper. These results suggest that soft robotics can enhance perceived safety and acceptance in intimate caregiving scenarios.

Problem

• Study perceived safety in soft robotics for caregiving tasks
• Design compliant gripper using finite element analysis
• Evaluate trust increase with soft gripper in bathing

Innovation

• 3D-printed gripper with pressure control
• Combined positive and negative pressure
• Soft gripper enhances user trust