Introducing M: A Modular, Modifiable Social Robot

• URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2603.19134v1
• Date: Thu, 19 Mar 2026 16:51:37 GMT
• Title: Introducing M: A Modular, Modifiable Social Robot
• Abstract summary: We present M, an open-source, low-cost social robot platform designed to reduce platform friction.<n>M combines a modular mechanical design, multimodal sensing, and expressive yet mechanically simple actuation architecture with a ROS2-native software package.<n>We report real-world use in participatory design and week-long in-home deployments, showing how M can serve as a practical foundation for longitudinal, reproducible social robotics research.
• Score: 2.572404739180802
• License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Abstract: We present M, an open-source, low-cost social robot platform designed to reduce platform friction that slows social robotics research by making robots easier to reproduce, modify, and deploy in real-world settings. M combines a modular mechanical design, multimodal sensing, and expressive yet mechanically simple actuation architecture with a ROS2-native software package that cleanly separates perception, expression control, and data management. The platform includes a simulation environment with interface equivalence to hardware to support rapid sim-to-real transfer of interaction behaviors. We demonstrate extensibility through additional sensing/actuation modules and provide example interaction templates for storytelling and two-way conversational coaching. Finally, we report real-world use in participatory design and week-long in-home deployments, showing how M can serve as a practical foundation for longitudinal, reproducible social robotics research.

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