We have developed an autonomous robotic actor, able to participate in 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.
Contact: Andrea Bonarini