Programming Empathy
Anthropomorphism is defined as “the attribution of human characteristics or behaviour to a god, animal, or
object.”, and is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Within the past few decades, advancements in technology
have brought to light the interesting ways in which human-computer interactions can mirror those between
humans, and take on an anthropomorphic quality. Though many theories exist, there is no agreed reason
as to why this occurs.
This project explores the use of
anthropomorphism in technological art, focusing on the effects that the various characteristics of a piece, such
as physical appearance and behaviour, have on the viewer’s emotional response, connection to the piece, and
the level of anthropomorphism that occurs. For this, three electronic sculptures were created, each
designed to emulate a distinct set of emotions and evoke an emotional response in the viewer.
PIGLET
This sculpture was designed to emulate a fearful and timid
creature that is easy to spook. The design is inspired by sea anemone
and is a column-like shape, with five piece of wire extending from the top
with fabric ’flowers’ attached to the ends.
When the viewer approaches,
the flowers will shrink down into the body by an amount dependent on their
approach speed.
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EMULATED EMOTIONS
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POSSIBLE RESPONSE EMOTIONS
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Startled |
Guilt |
Timid |
Compassion |
Fearful |
Anxiety |
The movement of the flowers is controlled by five servo motors and 3d printed linear actuators and the movement of the viewer is detected with five ultrasonic sensors. These are all controlled by an Arduino Mega.
SISYPHUS
This sculpture aims to emulate a tired
being in a relentless situation in order to elicit pity and sorrow in the viewer. The design is of a small robot
repeatedly crawling up a slope, only to roll back down before reaching the top. The movement is repetitive and
futile; working to achieve an unreachable goal.
EMULATED EMOTIONS |
POSSIBLE RESPONSE EMOTIONS |
Tired |
Pity |
Hopeless |
Sorrow |
Sad |
Empathy |
The movement of the piece is driven by four stepper motors and run by an Arduino Nano.
SUNNY
This sculpture was designed to emulate warmth and joy through physical contact. The design is of a soft
and squishy sphere that the user can touch, stroke, and hold to create the feeling of connection. The sphere
contains a light that starts as dim and cold, then shines brighter and warmer with sustained contact from the
viewer.
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EMULATED EMOTIONS
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POSSIBLE RESPONSE EMOTIONS
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Joy |
Joy |
Warmth |
Warmth |
Connection |
Connection |
The outer cover is knitted with wool, mohair, and conductive yarn which is then connected to a capacitive touch sensor allowing contact from the viewer to be detected. This is run by an Arduino Nano which also controls the Neopixel LEDs on the inside.
This project was created for my MSc Creative Computing dissertation and received a distinction grade and awards for ‘Immersive Experiences’ and ‘Storytelling’ at the CCI Postgraduate Winter Festival.