rosie.se.walker@gmail.com



Programming Empathy (2024)


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.

           

EMULATED EMOTIONS

POSSIBLE RESPONSE EMOTIONS

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.      


EMULATED EMOTIONS

POSSIBLE RESPONSE EMOTIONS
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 as well as awards for ‘Immersive Experiences’ and ‘Storytelling’ at the CCI Postgraduate Winter Festival.