This study from the University of Cambridge shows that robots can be a useful tool to promote mental wellbeing in the workplace. Researchers compared the effects of a toy-like robot and a humanoid robot on participants’ mental wellbeing and found that those who interacted with the toy-like robot reported higher levels of wellbeing than those who interacted with the humanoid robot. This could be because participants had lower expectations of the toy-like robot, and thus found it easier to connect with. The results of the study will be presented at the ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction in Stockholm.
Robots can be a useful tool for promoting mental wellbeing in the workplace, according to a new study by Dr Micol Spitale and colleagues. The study took robots out of the lab and into the real world to see how they could help employers address the lack of resources and personnel for implementing wellbeing practices. The findings suggest that robots can help employers to better support their employees by providing a range of services, such as providing reminders about mental health resources, monitoring employee wellbeing, and providing personalized advice. Robots can also help to reduce the stigma associated with mental health issues in the workplace, and can help to create a more supportive environment for employees.
This research project explored the use of robots to improve workplace wellbeing. Researchers collaborated with Cambridge Consultants to design and implement a four-week programme using two robots: the QTRobot (QT) and the Misty II robot (Misty). The programme guided employees through four different wellbeing exercises, helping to improve their mental health and overall wellbeing. Results suggest that robots can be a useful tool for promoting workplace wellbeing, as employees reported feeling more relaxed and less stressed after the programme. The robots’ facial expressions were also found to be effective in helping to create a more positive atmosphere. This study demonstrates the potential of robots to help improve workplace wellbeing.
Participants for this research were guided through positive psychology exercises by a robot with a coach-like personality, facial expressions, and voice. Results showed that participants found the robot to be a helpful and supportive coach, creating a safe and comfortable environment. This suggests that robots could be used as effective wellbeing coaches in the future, providing a unique and innovative way to support people’s mental health and wellbeing.
Research from the University of Cambridge has found that people’s expectations of robots don’t always match reality. Professor Hatice Gunes from Cambridge’s Department of Computer Science and Technology believes that new developments in large language models could help create robots that are capable of natural conversation, bridging the gap between people’s expectations and the reality of robots. This could help increase the uptake of robotics in areas where they could be useful, such as healthcare, education, and customer service. By creating robots that are more interactive and capable of natural conversation, people’s expectations of robots could be met, leading to more widespread use of robotics in everyday life.
This study shows that robots can be used to help people with their mental health. In a recent experiment, researchers found that talking to a robot can be beneficial for mental wellbeing. Participants said they found the wellbeing exercises helpful and were open to the idea of talking to a robot in future. The robot served as a physical reminder to commit to the practice of wellbeing exercises, and just saying things out loud, even to a robot, can be helpful when trying to improve mental wellbeing. This study suggests that robots could be a useful tool for those struggling with mental health issues, providing a physical reminder to commit to wellbeing exercises and helping to improve mental wellbeing.
This research, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and led by Hatice Gunes of Trinity Hall, Cambridge, has developed a robot coach to help people learn new skills. The robot coach is designed to interact with people in a natural way, providing feedback and guidance. The team is now working to enhance the robot coach’s responsiveness during coaching practices and interactions, so that it can provide effective and personalized feedback to help people learn new skills more quickly and efficiently. The robot coach is expected to revolutionize the way people learn, providing an efficient and personalized learning experience.
