Individual adaptation and social attributes in a handshake robot with CPG control

Abstract

In a diverse society, a crucial aspect of developing social robots is their ability to adapt to each individual's characteristics. There are two types of adaptation: physical and social. In pHRI, attention is paid to physical adaptation, but by investigating the social meaning of physical adaptation, we can extend it to social adaptation. Although it is a physical interaction, a handshake is a social action with complex meanings. We realized a handshaking robot with a Rowat-Selverston CPG controller that can synchronize with human movements. This study aims to clarify the relationship between physical and social adaptation by examining individual characteristics inferred from the internal state of the robot and human-robotic social attributes. Our finding is that there is a correlation between the internal state of the robot and some robotic social attributes. It was also found that the length of the handshake had little effect on these social perceptions. This study highlights the complex interplay between robot physical adaptability and social attribution, providing a foundation for developing robots capable of personalized and socially meaningful interactions.