Robot drama research: From identification to synchronization

Abstract

Professor Hiroshi Ishiguro created the Robot Actors Project at Osaka University to experiment with robot presence and robot control in theatre situations. Instead of focusing attention on imitation, the roboticist developed his interest in theatre representation. Since then, the challenge of being in direct contact with live audiences has enriched our understanding of communication between humans and robots and between humans via robots. Today, the Robot Actors Project seeks to demystify the idea of fictional robots by familiarizing the public with the current state of robotics and experiments. A stage play with robots is not just a matter of how to construct realistic androids like animatronics for movies; it is about creating dramatic situations. In a laboratory, a robot is always a robot, but on stage a robot becomes an actor. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.