Affective Translation: Material and Virtual Embodiments of Kinetic Textile Robots

TL;DR

This paper compares emotional engagement with textile soft robots and their AR counterparts, analyzing how physical and virtual embodiments influence human perceptions and feelings in hybrid robotic systems.

Contribution

It introduces a framework for evaluating emotional responses to textile robots and their AR versions, highlighting the impact of embodiment on perception and interaction.

Findings

Physical and virtual embodiments evoke different emotional responses.

Motion, form, and material behavior influence perception across modalities.

Design insights for hybrid human-robot-digital interactions.

Abstract

This study presents a comparative framework for evaluating emotional engagement with textile soft robots and their augmented-reality (AR) counterparts. Four robotic sculptures were developed, each embodying nature-inspired dynamic behaviors such as breathing and gradual deformation. Using a between-subjects design, two independent groups, one experiencing the physical installations and one engaging with their virtual (AR) twins, follow identical protocols and complete the same self-assessment survey on affective and perceptual responses. This approach minimizes carryover and novelty effects while enabling a direct comparison of sensations such as calmness, curiosity, and discomfort across modalities. The analysis explores how motion, form, and material behavior shape emotional interpretation in physical versus digital contexts, informing the design of hybrid systems that evoke meaningful, emotionally legible interactions between humans, robots, and digital twins.