Papers
23
Total Citations
318
H-Index
9
About
Masayuki Kanbara is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of human-robot interaction and affective computing, best known for his groundbreaking work on the psychological and social effects of robotic touch. His core research explores how physical contact—particularly hugs from robots—can influence human behavior and emotion. In his highly cited 2017 study (67 citations), Kanbara demonstrated that a robot’s hug can trigger the “Midas touch” effect, encouraging prosocial behavior in humans. He further showed that robot reciprocation of hugs increases both interaction times and self-disclosures (56 citations, 2020), and that such touch, combined with speech, boosts positive emotions (2022). Beyond physical interaction, Kanbara has developed chat robots that couple machine responses with social media comments to sustain conversation, particularly for isolated elderly users. His work also extends to augmented telepresence using autonomous airships and omni-directional cameras, as well as comfortable autonomous navigation for robotic wheelchairs. With over 300 total citations, Kanbara’s research is shaping the future of socially assistive robots, offering compelling evidence that robots can foster genuine emotional connection and well-being.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1A hug from a robot encourages prosocial behavior67 citations · 2017
- 2
- 3A Robot that Encourages Self-disclosure by Hug41 citations · 2017
- 4
- 5Augmented telepresence using autopilot airship and omni-directional camera17 citations · 2010
- 6Robot touch with speech boosts positive emotions16 citations · 2022
- 7
- 8Toward End-User Programming for Robots in Stores15 citations · 2017
- 9Does Being Hugged by a Robot Encourage Prosocial Behavior?10 citations · 2017
- 10A TV Chat Robot with Time-Shifting Function for Daily-Use Communication9 citations · 2017