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• MotionBuddy: Exploring Tactile-Based Motion Learning with a Tabletop Humanoid Robot for Blind People

  Kengo Tanaka, Xiyue Wang, Hironobu Takagi, Yoichi Ochiai, Chieko Asakawa · 2026 · Proceedings of the 21st ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI '26)

  This HRI 2026 study by the same team behind the earlier 3D tactile-pose work asks whether a tabletop humanoid robot can convey dynamic body movements to blind learners more effectively than audio instruction alone. The motivation is that physical 3D models and tactile graphics…

  human-robot interaction · humanoid robot · assistive robotics · blindness and low vision · visual impairment

• How Does Delegation in Social Interaction Evolve Over Time? Navigation with a Robot for Blind People

  Rayna Hata, Masaki Kuribayashi, Allan Wang, Hironobu Takagi, Chieko Asakawa · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  Hata and colleagues run a three-week longitudinal study of how six blind participants delegate social navigation tasks to a guide robot in the Miraikan science museum. The paper pushes back against the default assumption that accessible navigation robots should be as autonomous…

  assistive robotics · navigation · blindness and low vision · visual impairment · shared control

• Robot-Assisted Group Tours for Blind People

  Yaxin Hu, Masaki Kuribayashi, Allan Wang, Seita Kayukawa, Daisuke Sato, Bilge Mutlu, Hironobu Takagi, Chieko Asakawa · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  Hu and colleagues investigate how an assistive mobile robot can support blind people's participation in mixed-visual group tours, where blind and sighted visitors share the same guided experience. The motivation is that group activities are central to social life, but blind…

  assistive robotics · museum accessibility · blindness and low vision · visual impairment · group activities

• Anthropomorphism in Human-Robot Interactions with Adults with Intellectual Disabilities and Robots

  Saminda Sundeepa Balasuriya, Laurianne Sitbon, Alicia Mitchell · 2026 · Journal of Human-Robot Interaction

  This qualitative study re-analyses video data from two prior field studies with an Australian disability service organisation, in which adults with intellectual disabilities interacted with two commercially available social robots: Pepper, a 120 cm humanoid with articulated…

  intellectual disability · human-robot interaction · social robots · anthropomorphism · inclusive design

• Eye-Tracking-Driven Shared Control for Robotic Arms: Wizard of Oz Studies to Assess Design Choices

  Anke Fischer-Janzen, Thomas M. Wendt, Daniel Görlich, Kristof Van Laerhoven · 2026 · ACM Transactions on Human-Robot Interaction

  The paper presents two Wizard of Oz studies evaluating an eye-tracking-driven shared-control system for an assistive robotic arm — the 7-DoF Kinova Gen3 — designed for People with Severe Motor Disabilities (PSMD). PSMD here includes people with locked-in syndrome, cerebral…

  assistive robotics · eye tracking · gaze input · shared control · motor disability

• Robot Characters: Co-Designing Dynamic Personalities for Cognitively Assistive Robots

  Dagoberto Cruz-Sandoval, Alyssa Kubota, Connie Guan, Soyon Kim, Laurel D. Riek · 2026 · ACM Transactions on Human-Robot Interaction

  The paper introduces the concept of a "robot character" — a holistic, context-sensitive framing of robot personality that extends beyond trait-based models such as Big Five by incorporating shared interests, cultural background, lived experiences, and environmental factors. To…

  cognitively assistive robots · robot personality · co-design · inclusive design · dementia

• Robots for Older Adults: A Scoping Review

  Samuel A. Olatunji, Yao-Lin Tsai, Saathveek A. Gowrishankar, Megan A. Bayles, Wendy A. Rogers · 2026 · ACM Transactions on Human-Robot Interaction

  This mixed-method scoping review in the ACM Journal of Human-Robot Interaction establishes the state of the science for robots supporting older adults, covering 205 empirical studies published from 2010 through 2022. The review follows PRISMA reporting guidelines and the Budgen…

  human-robot interaction · robots · older adults · aging · assistive technology

• DiG-Net: Enhancing Human–Robot Interaction through Hyper-Range Dynamic Gesture Recognition in Assistive Robotics

  Eran Bamani Beeri, Eden Nissinman, Avishai Sintov · 2026 · ACM Transactions on Human-Robot Interaction

  DiG-Net (Distance-aware Gesture Network) addresses a fundamental limitation in gesture-controlled assistive robotics: existing dynamic gesture recognition systems work reliably only within about seven metres of the camera, severely constraining their usefulness in real-world…

  assistive robotics · gesture recognition · human-robot interaction · mobility impairment · accessibility

• Designing Socially Assistive Robots for Perinatal Depression Screening: Insights and Ethical Considerations from Two Exploratory Studies

  Mengyu Zhong, Lux Miranda, Fotios C. Papadopoulos, Katie Winkle, Alkistis Skalkidou, Ginevra Castellano · 2026 · ACM Transactions on Human-Robot Interaction

  This paper reports two exploratory studies investigating the use of Socially Assistive Robots (SARs) for Perinatal Depression (PND) screening. PND affects up to 10% of individuals during pregnancy or postpartum, yet 50% of antenatal depression cases and 69% of PND cases go…

  socially assistive robots · mental health · perinatal depression · participatory design · human-robot interaction

• Towards LLM-powered Assistive Drone for Blind and Low Vision Users

  Yize Wei, Ibnu Taimiyyah Bin Adam, Hanjun Wu, Moritz Messerschmidt, Wei Tsang Ooi, Christophe Jouffrais, Suranga Nanayakkara · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  Wei and colleagues built and evaluated a voice-based assistive drone prototype for blind and low-vision (BLV) users that leverages GPT-4o in two stages: generating step-by-step Python drone-control code from natural-language commands, and interpreting images captured by the…

  blind and low vision · assistive technology · drone · LLM · large language models

• AT@Work: Intelligent Assistive Technologies for Enabling Workplace Inclusion

  Mario Heinz-Jakobs, Sinem Görmez, Hailey L Johnson, Jens Gerken, Max Pascher, Giulia Barbareschi, Saminda Sundeepa Balasuriya, Laurianne Sitbon, Carsten Röcker · 2025 · ASSETS 2025: 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This workshop paper examines the role of digital assistive technologies (ATs) in advancing vocational inclusion for people with disabilities. Despite increasing policy efforts such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and…

  assistive technology · workplace inclusion · vocational rehabilitation · collaborative robots · cognitive disability

• WanderGuide: Indoor Map-less Robotic Guide for Exploration by Blind People

  Masaki Kuribayashi, Kohei Uehara, Allan Wang, Shigeo Morishima, Chieko Asakawa · 2025 · Proceedings of the 2025 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '25)

  Kuribayashi and colleagues design WanderGuide, a suitcase-shaped robotic guide that supports blind people in recreational, open-ended exploration of indoor environments — wandering, browsing, window-shopping — rather than getting from A to B. The team frames a clear gap in the…

  assistive robotics · indoor navigation · blindness and low vision · visual impairment · recreational exploration

• Field Trials of Autonomous Navigation Robot for Visually Impaired People

  Hironobu Takagi, Kakuya Naito, Daisuke Sato, Masayuki Murata, Seita Kayukawa, Chieko Asakawa · 2025 · Extended Abstracts of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '25)

  This paper reports field trials of AI Suitcase, an autonomous navigation robot shaped like a conventional carry-on suitcase and designed to guide blind and visually impaired (BVI) travellers safely through unfamiliar public spaces. The system traces its origins to the CaBot…

  assistive robotics · blindness and low vision · navigation · indoor navigation · wayfinding

• Beyond Omakase: Designing Shared Control for Navigation Robots with Blind People

  Rie Kamikubo, Seita Kayukawa, Yuka Kaniwa, Allan Wang, Hernisa Kacorri, Hironobu Takagi, Chieko Asakawa · 2025 · Proceedings of the 2025 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '25)

  Kamikubo and colleagues investigate how autonomous navigation robots for blind users should balance robot autonomy against user control, arguing that current systems default to what they call 'omakase' — a Japanese term meaning 'I leave it to you' — in which the robot makes all…

  assistive robotics · blindness and low vision · human-robot interaction · social robot navigation · shared control

• Ethical Concerns when Working with Mixed-Ability Groups of Children

  Ana O. Henriques, Patricia Piedade, Filipa Rocha, Isabel Neto, Hugo Nicolau · 2024 · Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '24)

  This paper critically examines the ethical challenges researchers face when conducting studies involving mixed-ability groups of children — groups that include both children with and without disabilities working together. The authors draw on two case studies from their own…

  ethics · mixed-ability groups · children · participatory design · inclusive research

• Co-designing Robot Dogs with and for Neurodivergent Individuals: Opportunities and Challenges

  Ha-Kyung Kong, Derek Xie, Ankith Chandra, Rachel Lowy, Arielle F Maignan, Sehoon Ha, Chung Hyuk Park, Jennifer G Kim · 2024 · ASSETS '24: Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper explores how robot dogs might support the daily lives of neurodivergent individuals through a series of three co-design workshops conducted over five weeks. While social robots have been studied in clinical and educational settings for neurodivergent populations,…

  neurodiversity · social robotics · co-design · participatory design · autism

• Co-design of Robotic Technology with Care Home Residents and Care Workers

  Helena Anna Frijns, Ralf Vetter, Matthias Hirschmanner, Reinhard Grabler, Laura Vogel, Sabine Theresia Koeszegi · 2024 · Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on PErvasive Technologies Related to Assistive Environments (PETRA)

  This paper documents a co-design workshop series conducted at two care homes in Austria, involving 25 participants: 13 care workers (mean age 43.5) and 12 care home residents (mean age 80.6). The research question was whether introducing technology components — rather than…

  co-design · participatory design · older adults · care homes · robotics

• Navigating the Cyborg Classroom: Telepresence Robots, Accessibility Challenges, and Inclusivity in the Classroom

  Houda Elmimouni, Selma Šabanović, Jennifer A. Rode · 2024 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This field study examines how telepresence robots—mobile robots with screens that allow remote users to move through physical spaces—facilitate or hinder accessibility and inclusivity in university classrooms. The researchers conducted participatory observations, surveys, and…

  telepresence robots · remote learning · classroom accessibility · robotics · cyborg

• Enhancing Blind Visitor's Autonomy in a Science Museum Using an Autonomous Navigation Robot

  Seita Kayukawa, Daisuke Sato, Masayuki Murata, Tatsuya Ishihara, Hironobu Takagi, Shigeo Morishima, Chieko Asakawa · 2023 · Proceedings of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

  Museums have historically struggled to offer blind visitors the same self-directed, exploratory experience that sighted visitors take for granted. Prior solutions — tactile tours, audio guides, or pre-fixed navigation routes — either require a human escort or constrain visitors…

  blind navigation · autonomous navigation robot · museum accessibility · visual impairment · indoor navigation

• Comparing Two Safe Distance Maintenance Algorithms for a Gaze-Controlled HRI Involving Users with SSMI

  Vinay Krishna Sharma, L. R. D. Murthy, Pradipta Biswas · 2022 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper presents an eye gaze-controlled augmented reality interface for operating a tabletop robotic arm, designed specifically for people with severe speech and motor impairment (SSMI). Users with SSMI often cannot manipulate physical objects due to spasticity but are…

  eye gaze tracking · robotics · severe motor impairment · human-robot interaction · augmented reality

• Co-designing Socially Assistive Sidekicks for Motion-based AAC

  Stephanie Valencia, Michal Luria, Amy Pavel, Jeffrey P. Bigham, Henny Admoni · 2021 · Proceedings of the 2021 ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI '21)

  This paper explores how socially assistive robots, framed as "sidekicks," could provide AAC users with a nonverbal channel of communication to support their conversational goals. While AAC devices enable speech-based communication through synthesized speech, they do not support…

  AAC · nonverbal communication · socially assistive robots · co-design · human-robot interaction

• Go That Way: Exploring Supplementary Physical Movements by a Stationary Robot When Providing Navigation Instructions

  Xiang Zhi Tan, Elizabeth J. Carter, Samantha Reig, Aaron Steinfeld · 2019 · Proceedings of the 21st International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2019)

  This paper explores how stationary kiosk-type robots might provide navigation instructions to blind people by supplementing verbal directions with physical movements. The work is inspired by a technique used by Orientation and Mobility (O&M) experts called Palm Drawing, in which…

  blindness · human-robot interaction · navigation · haptic feedback · orientation and mobility

• CaBot: Designing and Evaluating an Autonomous Navigation Robot for Blind People

  João Guerreiro, Daisuke Sato, Saki Asakawa, Huixu Dong, Kris M. Kitani, Chieko Asakawa · 2019 · Proceedings of the 21st International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2019)

  This paper presents CaBot (Carry-on roBot), an autonomous suitcase-shaped navigation robot designed to guide blind people to destinations in unfamiliar indoor environments while avoiding obstacles. Unlike smartphone navigation apps that provide turn-by-turn instructions but…

  navigation robot · blind · orientation and mobility · haptic feedback · LiDAR

• What My Eyes Can't See, A Robot Can Show Me: Exploring the Collaboration Between Blind People and Robots

  Mayara Bonani, Raquel Oliveira, Filipa Correia, André Rodrigues, Tiago Guerreiro, Ana Paiva · 2018 · Proceedings of the 20th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2018)

  This University of Lisbon and University of São Paulo study explores how assistive robots can go beyond information-giving technologies (like screen readers) by physically collaborating with blind people. The research consists of two studies. Study 1 conducted four focus groups…

  blindness · robotics · human-robot interaction · assistive robotics · collaboration

• Speech Interaction with Personal Assistive Robots Supporting Aging at Home for Individuals with Alzheimer's Disease

  Frank Rudzicz, Rosalie Wang, Momotaz Begum, Alex Mihailidis · 2015 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing (TACCESS)

  This study examines speech-based interaction between older adults with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and a mobile assistive robot called ED, designed to help with activities of daily living. The research addresses a critical healthcare challenge: many nations lack capacity to support…

  Alzheimer's disease · dementia · assistive robotics · speech recognition · aging in place