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Related Experiment Videos

Speech-touch integration for affective human-robot interaction: a scoping review.

Alastair Howcroft1, Maria Elena Giannaccini1, Steve Benford1

  • 1School of Computer Science, University of Nottingham, Jubilee Campus, Nottingham, United Kingdom.

Frontiers in Robotics and AI
|May 25, 2026
PubMed
Summary

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Combining speech and touch in social robots can enhance human-robot interaction (HRI), making robots appear more empathetic and fostering user attachment. However, the effectiveness of this integration depends on the specific implementation and robot design.

Area of Science:

  • Human-Robot Interaction (HRI)
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI)
  • Affective Computing

Background:

  • AI's empathetic language capabilities are advancing, but integrating physical touch for social connection remains limited.
  • Few systems effectively coordinate spoken language and tactile interaction, potentially hindering affective HRI.
  • This review maps social robots combining speech and touch, analyzing their coordination and user outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To map social robots that combine spoken language and tactile interaction.
  • To examine the coordination of speech and touch modalities in existing systems.
  • To synthesize reported user outcomes and design implications for affective HRI.

Main Methods:

  • A scoping review following PRISMA-ScR guidelines was conducted.
Keywords:
affective touchartificial intelligencecare robotsempathyhealthcare social robotsscoping reviewsocial robotics

Related Experiment Videos

  • Searches across five major databases and supplementary web sources identified 11 HRI implementations.
  • Eight implementations allowed for assessment of the added value of combined modalities through comparison conditions.

    • Main Results:

    • Combining speech and touch shows potential for more effective HRI than single modalities, enhancing perceived empathy and user attachment.
    • Positive outcomes include increased user self-disclosure and calmness, with warm, naturalistic touch yielding better results than cold, mechanical touch.
    • Outcomes are implementation-dependent, and the evidence base is dominated by short, lab-based studies on rigid robotic platforms.

    Conclusions:

    • Speech-touch integration in social HRI is a promising area, especially for healthcare and emotional support.
    • Few robots are purpose-built for coordinated speech and touch, presenting psychological, socio-cultural, and engineering challenges.
    • Future progress requires soft, safe, warm, and autonomous systems beyond repurposed rigid platforms.