Implementation of Obtaining User's Biometric Information for Huggable Robot

Hugging provides a sense of psychological security and is an essential form of support contributing to stress relief. Studies are being conducted to reproduce this effect using robots in human-robot interaction. In this study, we developed a prototype that acquired the user's biometric information using the huggable robot Moffuly-MS and tested its operation. The robot was equipped with a touch sensor, IMU, ultrasonic sensor, and temperature and humidity sensor. We confirmed that it was possible to use these to acquire information on the user's behavior, movements during the hug, and physiological changes. In the future, it is hoped that by improving the system's accuracy and integrating it with dialogue systems, new possibilities will be opened for stress relief and psychological care in the medical and welfare fields.