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arXiv · 2604.23976

Designing Robots to Support Parent-Child Connections: Opportunities Through Robot-Mediated Communication

Michael F Xu·Bengisu Cagiltay·Yaxin Hu·Anjun Zhu·Bilge Mutlu
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Abstract

The sense of family connectedness may support positive outcomes including individual well-being, resilience, and healthy family functioning. However, as technologies advance, they often replace human-human interactions instead of nurturing them. In this work, we investigate how robot-facilitated communication tools might instead create new opportunities for family connection. We conducted two studies with families with children aged 5-12. We first explored the design space through in-home technology probe sessions with six families. These probes inspired us to explore two key interaction design dimensions: the robot's behavior strategy (passive, reactive, proactive) and the mode of communication (synchronous, asynchronous). We then conducted a laboratory study with 20 families to examine how the two dimensions shaped parent-child interaction and connection. Our findings characterize how parents and children appropriated robot-mediated exchanges, the tensions they experienced around initiative, timing, and privacy, and the opportunities they envisioned for supporting everyday connectedness.

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Michael F Xu, Bengisu Cagiltay, Yaxin Hu, Anjun Zhu, Bilge Mutlu. 2026-04-27. Designing Robots to Support Parent-Child Connections: Opportunities Through Robot-Mediated Communication. https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.23976

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