Therapeutic Robots in Media Arts context

Abstract

Therapeutic robots are a subclass of social robotics. The aim of their creation, design and functionality are adjusted to be used in a therapy with people with various impairments such as elderly persons suffering from dementia or children with autism. Observing robots in the field of media art as art objects aims, somehow, reveal all the possible stages through which these robots pass in their journey from scientific laboratories to health care facilities. Acknowledging that social robots and thus therapeutic robots, as embodiments of movable sculptures, can be considered as art objects, as any other artifacts within the field of media arts field, can be crucial to understanding their purpose and functionality. Art, as an intermediary space, visualizes these robots’ functionality in different settings, as appropriate experimental spaces in revealing the maximum potential and usability of these robots. Being inherently performative objects, robots display various forms of performance, be it physical or verbal. Accordingly, this thesis has two different approaches: firstly to reveal their artistic potential and secondly their scientific usability. From one point, the study establishes how robots perform in artistic settings, and from another perspective, it describes how the concept of performance extends to in health care and other utilitarian spaces. In both cases, the fact that robots can perform raises points of artistic and scientific inquiry that explicitly visualizes how robots embody the fuse of art and science. While trying to balance a discussion between art historical discourse and scientific research, another aim of this thesis is to fulfill the literature gap from the media art theory perspective. Therapeutic robots are mainly discussed in scientific publications from representatives of the health care system, engineers and scientists. There are a moderate number of studies written by artists and art scholars about their experiments in theater and dance, however frequently there is scant discussion between these two approaches. Thus, this study tries to observe therapeutic robots in both settings but focus more on art perspective, especially in the media arts context. Such kind of approach first will help to find how appropriate collaboration between art and science can be beneficial in further development of these robots and second will affect on the implementation of positive impact in their use in health care industry.

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A master thesis from Aalborg University

Therapeutic Robots in Media Arts context