Beyond Emotions: Affective Computing, VR, and Robotics in Mutual Awareness and Safe Interaction

This talk explores the evolution of human-machine interaction, emphasizing affective computing for enhanced user experiences. Beyond basic emotion detection, it introduces “emotional activations” as crucial for intuitive, engaging systems. Humans naturally respond with attraction or rejection to stimuli based on emotions, guiding interaction design toward simplicity and fidelity to foster trust and reduce frustration. This principle has influenced game-based approaches in VR/AR and robotics, enhancing engagement in learning, therapy, and wellbeing.Trust is key to interactive systems, mirroring human-animal relationships where predictability and mutual awareness ensure safe coexistence. Just as pets recognize human presence and adapt, robots must perceive human cuessuch as gaze and body languageand express internal states. The talk presents applications in therapeutic and industrial contexts, emphasizing mutual awareness as a foundation for safer, more trustworthy, and engaging intelligent systems