With Every Breath: Testing the Effects of Soft Robotic Surfaces on Attention and Stress

We report on the impact of a soft robot of our design on emotional wellbeing using a mixed methods approach. Participants (N=93) engaged with our soft robotic surface designed to simulate the benefits of nature and provide therapeutic behavioral interventions to reduce stress. The study assessed sustained attention, perceived restorativeness, and self-reported stress. While significant differences in sustained attention were not found between intervention groups, observed patterns suggested a minor positive effect, with the Breathing Group exhibiting the greatest improvement. Stress emerged as a significant predictor of accuracy on the attention task, supporting the merit of using a robotic surface for guided breathing exercises to reduce stress. Ratings from the Perceived Restorativeness Scale revealed that the Ocean and Breathing Groups experienced the environment as more restorative than the Control after engaging with the prototype, yet group differences lacked statistical significance. Participants were favorable to the surface’s behavior, characterizing it as soothing and fascinating. These findings suggest the promise of soft robots to support emotional wellbeing and improve quality of life.