Soft Robotic Technological Probe for Speculative Fashion Futures

TL;DR

Soft robotic wearables promise expressive, socially meaningful interaction but raise ethical and governance concerns. This paper proposes Sumbrella, a three-leaf soft robotic hat paired with a bolero jacket, as a speculative design probe to elicit discourse on future human-robot wearables. Using an expert focus group and inductive thematic analysis, the authors identify three core themes: potential for soft robotic garments as positive social objects, risks of personal liabilities and privacy, and dystopian futures driven by surveillance or exploitation. The work offers design guidelines, ethical considerations, and methodological reflections on employing speculative design to surface social implications early in HRI development. Overall, it demonstrates how embodied, biomimetic soft robotics in fashion can provoke critical discourse and guide responsible, inclusive futures in wearable technology.

Abstract

Emerging wearable robotics demand design approaches that address not only function, but also social meaning. In response, we present Sumbrella, a soft robotic garment developed as a speculative fashion probe. We first detail the design and fabrication of the Sumbrella, including sequenced origami-inspired bistable units, fabric pneumatic actuation chambers, cable driven shape morphing mechanisms, computer vision components, and an integrated wearable system comprising a hat and bolero jacket housing power and control electronics. Through a focus group with twelve creative technologists, we then used Sumbrella as a technological probe to explore how people interpreted, interacted, and imagined future relationships with soft robotic wearables. While Sumbrella allowed our participants to engage in rich discussion around speculative futures and expressive potential, it also surfaced concerns about exploitation, surveillance, and the personal risks and societal ethics of embedding biosensing technologies in public life. We contribute to the Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) field key considerations and recommendations for designing soft robotic garments, including the potential for kinesic communication, the impact of such technologies on social dynamics, and the importance of ethical guidelines. Finally, we provide a reflection on our application of speculative design; proposing that it allows HRI researchers to not only consider functionality, but also how wearable robots influence definitions of what is considered acceptable or desirable in public settings.

Figures (4)

• Figure 2: Images of the Sumbrella system on a mannequin. (a) Device in neutral withdrawal state with origami modules inflated. Expanded leaves obscure the face and stay stiff to convey a defensive posture. (b) Device raising a leaf showing how it can convey biomimetic gestures via programming, e.g., waving leaves. (c) Device in welcoming state with all leaves raised up, opening up to expose the wearer's face. (d) A sequence of images showing how the leaves raise when not inflated.
• Figure 3: Fabrication Process of Sumbrella leaves.
• Figure 4: The final design elements of the Sumbrella.
• Figure 5: System integration of the Sumbrella. Left: an overview diagram of the three subsystems. Right: The back of the system showing how components are placed on the wearable jacket. Inset images above show close-ups of the components in pockets.