arXiv subjects

Ali Askari

Publications and source records attributed to Ali Askari.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Robotic Affection -- Opportunities of AI-based haptic interactions to improve social robotic touch through a multi-deep-learning approach

Despite the advancement in robotic grasping and dexterity through haptic information, affective social touch, such as handshaking or reassuring stroking, remains a major challenge in Human-Robot-Interaction. This position paper examines current progress and limitations across artificial intelligence, haptics and robotics research, and proposes a novel multi-model architecture to address these gaps. Drawing inspiration from neurobiology, we decompose affective touch into distinct, specialized subtasks models. By treating affective touch as a distributed, closed-loop perceptual task rather than a monolithic motoric movement, we aim to overcome the "haptic uncanny valley" through a peer-to-peer, state-sharing framework. Our approach supports scalable and cumulative development within a Sim-to-Real pipeline, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration. By enabling haptics, AI, and robotics researchers to contribute independently yet coherently, we outline a pathway toward a unified, expressive system for social robotics.

cs.HC↗

arXiv2025

NoticeLight: Embracing Socio-Technical Asymmetry through Tangible Peripheral Robotic Embodiment in Hybrid Collaboration

Hybrid collaboration has become a fixture in modern workplaces, yet it introduces persistent socio-technical asymmetries-especially disadvantaging remote participants, who struggle with presence disparity, reduced visibility, and limited non-verbal communication. Traditional solutions often seek to erase these asymmetries, but recent research suggests embracing them as productive design constraints. In this context, we introduce NoticeLight: a tangible, peripheral robotic embodiment designed to augment hybrid meetings. NoticeLight transforms remote participants' digital presence into ambient, physical signals -- such as mood dynamics, verbal contribution mosaics, and attention cues -- within the co-located space. By abstracting group states into subtle light patterns, NoticeLight fosters peripheral awareness and balanced participation without disrupting meeting flow or demanding cognitive overload. This approach aligns with emerging perspectives in human-robot synergy, positioning robots as mediators that reshape, rather than replicate, human presence. Our work thereby advances the discourse on how robotic embodiments can empower equitable, dynamic collaboration in the workplace.

cs.HC↗

arXiv2025

When Do We Feel Present in a Virtual Reality? Towards Sensitivity and User Acceptance of Presence Questionnaires

Presence is an important and widely used metric to measure the quality of virtual reality (VR) applications. Given the multifaceted and subjective nature of presence, the most common measures for presence are questionnaires. But there is little research on their validity regarding specific presence dimensions and their responsiveness to differences in perception among users. We investigated four presence questionnaires (SUS, PQ, IPQ, Bouchard) on their responsiveness to intensity variations of known presence dimensions and asked users about their consistency with their experience. Therefore, we created five VR scenarios that were designed to emphasize a specific presence dimension. Our findings showed heterogeneous sensitivity of the questionnaires dependent on the different dimensions of presence. This highlights a context-specific suitability of presence questionnaires. The questionnaires' sensitivity was further stated as lower than actually perceived. Based on our findings, we offer guidance on selecting these questionnaires based on their suitability for particular use cases.

cs.HC↗

arXiv2024

DungeonMaker: Embedding Tangible Creation and Destruction in Hybrid Board Games through Personal Fabrication Technology

Hybrid board games (HBGs) augment their analog origins digitally (e.g., through apps) and are an increasingly popular pastime activity. Continuous world and character development and customization, known to facilitate engagement in video games, remain rare in HBGs. If present, they happen digitally or imaginarily, often leaving physical aspects generic. We developed DungeonMaker, a fabrication-augmented HBG bridging physical and digital game elements: 1) the setup narrates a story and projects a digital game board onto a laser cutter; 2) DungeonMaker assesses player-crafted artifacts; 3) DungeonMaker's modified laser head senses and moves player- and non-player figures, and 4) can physically damage figures. An evaluation (n=4x3) indicated that DungeonMaker provides an engaging experience, may support players' connection to their figures, and potentially spark novices' interest in fabrication. DungeonMaker provides a rich constellation to play HBGs by blending aspects of craft and automation to couple the physical and digital elements of an HBG tightly.

cs.HC↗