CURTAIN and Time to Compile: A Demonstration of an Experimental Testbed for Human-Robot Interaction

Performance is a vehicle to explore and modify audience experiences. The design of expressive robotic systems shares a similar goal. Toward the end of uniting these two approaches, this paper presents a collaborative academic and artistic effort to design an experimental testbed for studying human perceptions of robots, and changes therein, through dance performance. The elements of the testbed design, which allow for multiple audience experiences inside the same live event, will be outlined. Then, one instantiation of a performance using this testbed design will be summarized. In developing this testbed and instantiation, synergistic academic and artistic goals included measuring the audience's initial perception of existing technologies and further priming the audience about these technologies through the performance. These perceptions were framed through the lenses of power, valence, and acceptability; comparisons between the Rethink Robotics Baxter, Softbank NAO, and a human performer are presented. This piece (and excerpts of it) will be used to gather audience perceptions at multiple events to bring lay audience members the experience of robotics researchers and understand how that modifies their impressions of these systems.