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Aesthetics of Robot-Mediated Applied Drama: A Case Study on REMind

Elaheh Sanoubari, Alicia Pan, Keith Rebello, Neil Fernandes, Andrew Houston, Kerstin Dautenhahn

Abstract

Social robots are increasingly used in education, but most applications cast them as tutors offering explanation-based instruction. We explore an alternative: Robot-Mediated Applied Drama (RMAD), in which robots function as life-like puppets in interactive dramatic experiences designed to support reflection and social-emotional learning. This paper presents REMind, an anti-bullying robot role-play game that helps children rehearse bystander intervention and peer support. We focus on a central design challenge in RMAD: how to make robot drama emotionally and aesthetically engaging despite the limited expressive capacities of current robotic platforms. Through the development of REMind, we show how performing arts expertise informed this process, and argue that the aesthetics of robot drama arise from the coordinated design of the wider experience, not from robot expressivity alone.

Aesthetics of Robot-Mediated Applied Drama: A Case Study on REMind

Abstract

Social robots are increasingly used in education, but most applications cast them as tutors offering explanation-based instruction. We explore an alternative: Robot-Mediated Applied Drama (RMAD), in which robots function as life-like puppets in interactive dramatic experiences designed to support reflection and social-emotional learning. This paper presents REMind, an anti-bullying robot role-play game that helps children rehearse bystander intervention and peer support. We focus on a central design challenge in RMAD: how to make robot drama emotionally and aesthetically engaging despite the limited expressive capacities of current robotic platforms. Through the development of REMind, we show how performing arts expertise informed this process, and argue that the aesthetics of robot drama arise from the coordinated design of the wider experience, not from robot expressivity alone.
Paper Structure (31 sections, 6 figures)

This paper contains 31 sections, 6 figures.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Background: Understanding Aesthetics
  3. Case Study: RMAD in an Anti-Bullying Intervention
  4. Iterative Design Journey
  5. Facilitation: Learning from Audience Research Experts
  6. Technology
  7. Setup
  8. Robotic Platform
  9. Rapid Prototyping Toolkit
  10. Gesture Capture
  11. Player Experience Overview
  12. Phase 1: Entering the Magic Circle
  13. Phase 2: Simulating the Memory & Fixing the Bully-Detector
  14. Phase 3: Debug Mode (Empathy-Training & Perspective-Taking)
  15. Phase 4: Puppet Mode (Robot-Miedated Spect-Actorship)
  16. ...and 16 more sections

Figures (6)

  • Figure 1: REMind engages children in role-play with three Furhat robots.
  • Figure 2: Storytelling elements in the REMind game world.
  • Figure 3: Example translation from StorySync script into a live scene in REMind.
  • Figure 4: REMind script using a gesture labeled 'Pleased,' to convey fear.
  • Figure 5: Script of robot's reaction to 'empathy training' was affectively tuned by adding gestures ($g/$), and pauses ($d/$), tweaking speech rate ($p/$), and style ($s/$).
  • ...and 1 more figures