Development of a soft avatar robot using soft pneumatic actuators for an exhibition hall

Abstract:
Telepresence avatar robots are used to facilitate communication between people in remote locations. In this study, we have developed a soft avatar robot suitable for exhibitions. Specifically, the robot is installed in an exhibition booth to facilitate communication between exhibition visitors and individuals in remote locations. The soft avatar robot is equipped with a monitor for video chatting and an arm with bellows-type pneumatic soft actuators. The functioning arm allows for skin-to-skin conversations. The exterior of the robot is made of soft urethane foam. We conducted the communication tests with two types of soft avatar robots with different exteriors and examined the effects of the robots.