Human-robot interaction in prepared environments: Introducing an element of surprise by reassigning identities in familiar objects

Abstract

My fascination with projected and kinetic characters started in 1996. It all began with 'Red Armchair 4', an interactive installation that utilised speech recognition. In this work audience expectations were manipulated by withholding the full appearance/identity of the projected character, whose face was never revealed. In Red Armchair 4, the visitor walks into a red-lit room and is presented with a projected image of a woman in a black dress. She is viewed from the back, seated on a red armchair which ensconces her in a shell-like embrace.