Mixed Reality and Social Robots for Meditation: A Review and Recommendation

Mixed Reality (MR) technology seamlessly integrates virtual and physical environments, offering new possibilities for human interaction. This paper reviews the synergistic convergence of MR with social robots, agents designed for natural and engaging human interaction, to create a new paradigm for meditation. This approach addresses the challenges of traditional meditation, such as the need for a quiet environment and sustained attention. It achieves this by leveraging MR to provide personalized, immersive virtual worlds while using social robots to offer embodied guidance, haptic feedback, and a sense of social co-presence. The integration of biofeedback, including heart rate monitoring and Electroencephalogram (EEG) analysis, allows real-time personalization that can improve user engagement and reduce barriers to practice. Through an analysis of empirical evidence, this review highlights the efficacy of this combined approach in mental health interventions for conditions such as anxiety and stress. The paper also provides a comprehensive study of the applicability, user acceptance, and significant technical and ethical challenges inherent in the integration of robotic agents with immersive therapeutic technologies.