pHRI-Boundaries is an adaptation of the emBODY tool for use in Human–Robot Interaction (HRI) research. The platform enables researchers to assess human comfortability with robot touch by allowing participants to visually shade regions of the body where they feel comfortable or uncomfortable being touched by a robot.
This project integrates the original emBODY framework with front-end modifications, data analysis scripts, and cloud deployment instructions to support open-source, reproducible evaluation methods in HRI and robotics research.
Researchers can use this platform to:
- Evaluate human responses to different robotic systems
- Compare comfortability across body regions
- Collect and analyze touch-related perception data
The pHRI-Boundaries project includes:
- ✅ The original emBODY codebase with front-end modifications
- 📊 MATLAB testing and data analysis scripts
- ☁️ AWS cloud deployment instructions
- 📖 Documentation covering setup, system architecture, and customization
Further setup instructions are available in the README inside the v1/ subfolder.
Deployment instructions for AWS are included in the DEPLOYMENT document within v1/, and are also reproduced below for convenience.
This repository is structured to support both experimental data collection and downstream analysis. Contributors are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the platform architecture and data flow before making modifications, particularly when adjusting front-end interaction logic or statistical analysis pipelines.