The Sounds of Softness. Designing Sound for Human-Soft Robot Interaction.

Jonas Jørgensen,Mads Bering Christiansen

doi:10.3389/frobt.2021.674121

Abstract

In this article, we report on research and creative practice that explores the aesthetic interplay between movement and sound for soft robotics. Our inquiry seeks to interrogate what sound designs might be aesthetically engaging and appropriate for soft robotic movement in a social human-robot interaction setting. We present the design of a soft sound-producing robot, SONŌ, made of pliable and expandable silicone and three sound designs made for this robot. The article comprises an articulation of the underlying design process and results from two empirical interaction experiments (N = 66, N = 60) conducted to evaluate the sound designs. The sound designs did not have statistically significant effects on people’s perception of the social attributes of two different soft robots. Qualitative results, however, indicate that people’s interpretations of the sound designs depend on robot type.

Highlights

Both in real life and in science fiction movies, there exist several examples of different nonverbal and nonlinguistic sounds that robots emit as they move about or manipulate objects
We present the design of a soft sound-producing robot made of pliable and expandable silicone and methods that we have used to design sound for soft robots anchored in practice-based artistic research
In this article we have explored the potentials of augmenting soft robotics with sound for human-robot interaction through the design of the SONŌ robot and its associated sound designs, and presented a system to generate sound to accompany the movements of a pneumatically actuated soft robot

Summary

Introduction

Both in real life and in science fiction movies, there exist several examples of different nonverbal and nonlinguistic sounds that robots emit as they move about or manipulate objects. Often these sounds are of a mechanical character and result from e.g. the rotations of an electrical motor, the grinding of metal parts in a joint or in a linear actuator, or the hydraulic extension of a piston. What happens if the functional rigid mechanical parts responsible for these emissions of sound are replaced by pliable and soft components?. With which sounds should a soft robot’s movements and actions be made audible to ensure safe, intuitive, and enjoyable interactions with humans?

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion