An article by Dr. Diel et al. has been published in Scientific Reports
posted on : January 24, 2025
An article by Drs. Diel and Minato (Interactive Robot Research Team) and Drs. Sato and Hsu (Psychological Process Research Team) and their colleagues has been published in Scientific Reports.
This study is the first in the world to show that androids can produce the facial expressions of a wide range of complex emotions.
Background of the Study
Emotional expression in robots is beneficial for enabling natural interactions between humans and robots.
In February 2022, it was demonstrated that the android Nikola could display facial expressions of basic human emotions.
(→ Press release on February 10, 2022: “Development of an Android Capable of Human-like Facial Expressions”)
However, it was previously unknown whether the android could express complex emotions—such as social or blended emotions.
Experiment Conducted
In this study, facial expressions representing 22 complex emotions were programmed into Nikola based on psychological research, and videos of these expressions were recorded.
These videos were shown to 240 participants (120 Japanese and 120 Germans), who were asked to evaluate the emotions displayed.
As a result, it was found that participants from both countries were able to recognize the target emotions in 13 of the complex categories: amusement, horror, awe, boredom, contentment, embarrassment, hatred, hesitation, moral disgust, rejection, pain, sleepiness, and suspicion.
Discussion
The findings suggest that androids can express a wide range of complex emotions, potentially enabling nuanced emotional interactions between humans and robots.
Original Paper Information
Diel, A., Sato, W., Hsu, C.-T., Bauerle, A., Teufel, M., & Minato, T. (2025). An android can show the facial expressions of complex emotions. Scientific Reports, 15, 2433.