Emotional Engagement and Well-Being in Japanese Households through aibo as a Domestic Companion

Abstract

Rapid population aging is reshaping household structures, and long-standing family patterns are shifting. As extended and nuclear families become less common, single-person households are steadily increasing, reducing opportunities for stable emotional support in daily life. In this changing environment, interest has grown in robot pets that offer emotional value with minimal caregiving demands. Caring for biological pets requires daily management and long-term responsibility—conditions are often challenging for individuals living alone. This study examines these dynamics within Japan, where domestic use of social robots is becoming increasingly visible.Sony’s aibo is an advanced home companion robot equipped with gaze-following, speech recognition, posture changes, and adaptive learning algorithms. These capabilities enable autonomous, development-like behaviors that support experiences of bonding and mutual responsiveness. However, little is known about how aibo supports emotional engagement and meaning-making in everyday domestic contexts, as existing Human–Robot Interaction (HRI) research has focused primarily on healthcare and institutional settings.This study investigates how Japanese aibo owners incorporate the robot into their daily routines and how they experience it as a “partner” or “virtual family member.” Semi-structured interviews and participant observation were conducted with active owners, with analytical focus on interactive behaviors, emotional responses, subjective well-being, and participation in owner communities.Findings indicate that many owners perceive aibo as an entity that “needs them” and “responds to their care,” generating a strong sense of emotional reciprocity. Growth algorithms and autonomous actions provide a tangible feeling that one’s involvement shapes the robot’s development, contributing to purpose, enjoyment, and everyday emotional stability. Aibo also functions as a mediating object that facilitates human–human connection.Based on these insights, three human-centered design implications are proposed: behavior patterns that sustain long-term emotional engagement, interaction design that integrates naturally into everyday experience while minimizing caregiving load, and social feedback structures that support family-like relational bonding. These findings highlight aibo’s potential as a domestic companion that enriches well-being in evolving family environments.

Keywords: Human–Robot Interaction, Social Robotics, Emotional Engagement, Domestic Robot Use, Well-being

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1007129