Performing Robots

Robotic Improvisers

 

Credits to Baus

The project Acting like a Robot is investigating with their partners at the Vrije Universiteit  Amsterdam how to create a robot improviser that, in semi-structured environments, can respond and initiate interactions with a human through playful encounters. In this case study, rule-based dance improvisation techniques are translated to human-robot encounters with the aim of creating non-verbal interactions that do not rely on communicative content, but that are rather focused on starting and maintaining an engaging exchange. Several workshops with professional dancers and puppeteers are being organised in order to explore this connection. A paper about the first of those workshops was presented at the Alt.HRI 2022 conference and published in its proceedings.