First Contact

First contact is a project aimed at exploring the way two entities can interact upon meeting each other for the first time. One of the two is a person, while the other is either a physical or a virtual creature, with non-humanoid shape and features different from human ones.

From November 9th 2023 to January 20th 2024 experiences of these ways of interacting are offered within the X-Cities exhibition at Politecnico di Milano.
The exhibition is in Spazio Nardi, Via Ampère, 2, in the Architecture Area of Politecnico di Milano.

Possibilities for different experiences of the general idea of meeting an alien digital entity are available upon booking on the calendar below. Each slot is intended for two persons, but if you come alone we can manage to run the experience anyway.

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Interactive Objects

Everyday objects can be animated to improve their functionalities and to provide a more interesting environment. Moreover, it is interesting to explore new interaction situations. Proper design of shape and interaction is needed to obtain interesting objects. Emotional expression is an interesting aspect to explore.

We have developed a couple of emotional trash bins, going around to invite to trash selected materials by using the lid movements and sounds, a coat-hanger (IGHOR), welcoming people entering and asking to have their coats, showing sadness if they keep it on, a naughty fan, coming close and suddenly investing the person with an air flow, a naughty money saver that has to be chased to give it money, a kind of pillow that react with sounds to the way it is touched.

Robotic Art

Robots can be used as artistic media, able to perform and interact with people in artistic representations.

Interacting with a different entity: First contact

In order to explore the interaction possibilities, we are developing experiences where a person can interact with another entity, having different form and abilities, and should find strategies to communicate, possibly to perform shared tasks. The experiences are done both with robots and in virtual reality. More details on this post.

Robot actor

We have developed an autonomous robotic actor, able to participate to a public representation with a defined role and script, and we are developing an Improv robotic actor able to adapt its performance to external stimuli. We have firstly developed a robot able to move in classical scenes (e.g. the balcony scene of Romeo and Juliet) selecting the proper emotional expressions for the situation, and a framework to define emotional expressions according to the social setting among characters, and the situation. We then developed Robocchio, a robot able to implement a script and adapt to the timing of the partner on stage, tested on an adapted excerpt of Pinocchio by Collodi. We then improved Robocchio to improvise by visually recognizing 17 “scenic actions” and reacting to them with scenic actions influenced by one of 16 different psychological types. The final step to include improvised verbal interaction is under development.

Interactive robotic art

Robots can have different shapes and play different roles in interactive artistic performances. We are exploiting materials like nets, polyethilene sheets, polyurethane foams and other materials to obtain shapes interesting to move in interactive exhibits. Emotional expression is also in this area, an interesting feature to explore.

ALMA

ALMA (Ageing Without Losing Mobility and Autonomy) is a European project focused on supporting the autonomous mobility, navigation, and orientation of the mobility-impaired person (elderly and/or temporarily or permanently disabled person).

The ALMA system is a modular combination of advanced hardware and software technologies into an integrated and modular cost-effective system. AIRLab contributed to ALMA with its Personal Mobility Kit.

Contact: Matteo Matteucci

For additional details: http://www.alma-aal.org/

Jedi Trainer

In Jedi Trainer a drone is flying around a Jedi knight trainee aiming at training its ability in using the light saber, as in the first episode of the Star wars saga with Luke Skywalker.

By analyzing the image from the onboard camera, the drone maintains the distance from the player, keeping it always in the image, and moving slightly left and right as to look for the best position to shot. When appropriate, it makes a sound with its propeller, simulating a laser shot, and the player has to parry it by putting the light saber in front of her/his chest.

The drone is intrinsically adapting to the style of movement of the player: a more active player will have to face a more active trainer.

Robogames

Robots playing with people in physically interactive games exploit both the abilities requited to autonomous robots (such as: mapping, perception, navigation, planning, …), but also those required to appear as effective players and good play companions, involving the players in challenging and satisfactory games, matching their ability.

We have developed many games gradually exploring different facets of the development of games hwere a player is an autonomous robot, from the perception and actuation abilities needed to play following the game rules, while guaranteeing the safety of the players, to timing in different aspects, to the characteristics of the robot (e.g., shape, speed, materials, sensors…), to involvement and adaptation to the skill of the player, either intrinsic or learned while playing.

A selection of the developed games is listed here below.

Robot and disability

Robots can be successfully applied with success with people with disabilities. Since years we are developing robots, also in collaboration wit care centers, which could be used for inclusive play . A web site dedicated to this activity is http://playbot4all.polimi.it.

Samples of these robots are also listed here below.

Concierge

Concierge is a robotic head intended to stay on the side of an office door and following with the “eyes” the persons passing in the corridor. When a person comes to the door Concierge makes a “Yes” or “No” gesture according to the possibility to disturb the person in the office. Concierge can be dressed in different ways, corresponding to different psychological types, expressing the same behavior in different flavors. The more appreciated is the funky one.

Contact person: Andrea Bonarini

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TNgOSBhVMU

Benchmarks for Autonomous Robots

Benchmarking means objectively measuring the performance of a robot when executing a task. Being able to benchmark robot systems is necessary to compare their performance, and thus to better understand their strenghts and weaknesses. Both research and industry need this to progress.

However, when dealing with autonomous agents benchmarking is tricky. How to devise testing procedures that yield objective results? What metrics capture the key points of the robot performance? How can robots that perform the same complex action differently be compared?

AIRLab has been working on these issues for a long time, accumulating experience in both methodology and real-world benchmark design, setup and execution.

Over the years, we participated -and are participating- to many European projects about robot benchmarking, including RAWSEEDS​ (FP6), RoCKIn​ (FP7), RockEU2 (H2020), RobMoSys (H2020), EUROBENCH (H2020), SciRoc (H2020), METRICS (H2020).

Contact: Matteo Matteucci