# The Six Hug Commandments: Design and Evaluation of a Human-Sized Hugging Robot with Visual and Haptic Perception

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2101.07679 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2101.07679/

## Key facts

- Cited by 5 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 19 Jan 2021.

## Built on by (most cited first, 5 of 5)

- [Leveraging Large Language Models in Human-Robot Interaction: A Critical Analysis of Potential and Pitfalls](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2405.00693/) (2024)
- [Autonomous Human-Robot Interaction via Operator Imitation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2504.02724/) (2025)
- [Learning and Blending Robot Hugging Behaviors in Time and Space](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2212.01507/) (2022)
- [PrioriTouch: Adapting to User Contact Preferences for Whole-Arm Physical Human-Robot Interaction](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2509.18447/) (2025)
- [TACTIC: Tactile and Vision Conditioned Contact-Centric Control for Whole-Arm Manipulation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2607.09218/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Receiving a hug is one of the best ways to feel socially supported, and the lack of social touch can have severe negative effects on an individual's well-being. Based on previous research both within and outside of HRI, we propose six tenets ("commandments") of natural and enjoyable robotic hugging: a hugging robot should be soft, be warm, be human sized, visually perceive its user, adjust its embrace to the user's size and position, and reliably release when the user wants to end the hug. Prior work validated the first two tenets, and the final four are new. We followed all six tenets to create a new robotic platform, HuggieBot 2.0, that has a soft, warm, inflated body (HuggieChest) and uses visual and haptic sensing to deliver closed-loop hugging. We first verified the outward appeal of this platform in comparison to the previous PR2-based HuggieBot 1.0 via an online video-watching study involving 117 users. We then conducted an in-person experiment in which 32 users each exchanged eight hugs with HuggieBot 2.0, experiencing all combinations of visual hug initiation, haptic sizing, and haptic releasing. The results show that adding haptic reactivity definitively improves user perception a hugging robot, largely verifying our four new tenets and illuminating several interesting opportunities for further improvement.