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Live performance is a vehicle where theatrical devices are used to exemplify, probe, or question how humans think about objects, each other, and themselves. This paper presents work using this vehicle to explore human perceptions of robot and human capabilities. The paper documents four performances at three distinct venues where user studies were conducted in parallel to live performance. A set of best practices for successful collection of data in this manner over the course of these trials is developed. Then, results of the studies are presented, giving insight into human opinions of a variety of natural and artificial systems. In particular, participants are asked to rate the expressivity of 12 distinct systems, displayed on stage, as well as themselves. The results show trends ranking objects lowest, then robots, then humans, then self, highest. Moreover, objects involved in the show were generally rated higher after the performance. Qualitative responses give further insight into how viewers experienced watching human performers alongside elements of technology. This work lays a framework for measuring human perceptions of robotic systems – and factors that influence this perception – inside live performance and suggests black-that through the lens of expressivity systems of similar type are rated similarly by audience members.

Embodied art installations embed interactive elements within theatrical contexts and allow participating audience members to experience art in an active, kinesthetic manner. These experiences can exemplify, probe, or question how humans think about objects, each other, and themselves. This paper presents work using installations to explore human perceptions of robot and human capabilities. The paper documents an installation, developed over several months and activated at distinct venues, where user studies were conducted in parallel to a robotic art installation. A set of best practices for successful collection of data over the course of these trials is developed. Results of the studies are presented, giving insight into human opinions of a variety of natural and artificial systems. In particular, after experiencing the art installation, participants were more likely to attribute action of distinct system elements to non-human entities. Post treatment survey responses revealed a direct relationship between predicted difficulty and perceived success. Qualitative responses give insight into viewers’ experiences watching human performers alongside technologies. This work lays a framework for measuring human perceptions of humanoid systems – and factors that influence the perception of whether a natural or artificial agent is controlling a given movement behavior – inside robotic art installations.

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