Ommie: The Design and Development of a Social Robot for Anxiety Reduction

Abstract

This article discusses the design, development, and evaluation of Ommie, a novel socially assistive robot that supports deep breathing practices for the purposes of anxiety reduction. Research has shown that practicing deep breathing (breathing while extending one's inhales, holds, and exhales) has a strong capacity to calm the autonomic nervous system and reduce anxiety. The robot's primary function is to guide users through a series of deep breaths by way of haptic interactions and audio cues. We utilized a user-centered design approach and present our design methodology in addition to core decisions across robot morphology, tactility, and interactivity. As reported in prior work, the final robot prototype was tested with a two-cohort usability study (n = 43) at a local university wellness center, including participants with anxiety and those with varying levels of experience with deep breathing. Interacting with Ommie resulted in a significant reduction in STAI-6 anxiety measures across all participants, who also found the robot intuitive, approachable, and engaging. Participants also reported feelings of focus and companionship when using the robot, often elicited by the haptic interaction. This article describes how our design process and design goals contributed to these results showing Ommie's capacity for supporting those with anxiety. Our work also serves as an example of how researchers can design robots for behavioral practices for mental health.