TAS Artist Residency

As artists committed to creating immersive, interactive sensory spaces for young audiences, the TAS ( Trust Autonomous System) Artist Residency provided a unique opportunity to explore robotics in art and help bridge the gap between technology and interactive experiences for children. While robots have been featured in art for decades, the concept remains relatively novel in art installations for young audiences.

The term "robot" was first introduced by Czech playwright Karel Čapek in his 1920  play, R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots), which explored the tension between humans and machines—an enduring theme still prevalent in film, literature, and contemporary art  [1]. By the mid-20th century, artists and performers increasingly used robots to reflect on human-robot relationships and society’s growing dependence on technology.

However, very little of this work was designed specifically for children. Today, most young children engage with robots primarily through books, films, and toys, with robotic toys being a booming industry. A recent report predicts a significant rise in robotic toys in the coming years [2]. While these toys provide early exposure, we believe there is an opportunity to reimagine how children interact with robots—not just as small playthings, but as life-sized, kinetic sculptures that foster creativity and exploration. For our first robotic installation designed for young audiences, we chose to work with an industrial robotic arm—a machine typically associated with functional, mechanical precision rather than social or expressive interaction. Unlike humanoid robots with faces or emotional cues, robot arms are seen as tools rather than characters. Our challenge was to transform this utilitarian machine into something imaginative, playful, and engaging, allowing children to interact with robotics in a way that is both fun and empowering.

Transforming a Robotic Arm into a Playful Performer

Our work explores how an industrial robotic arm—typically viewed as a functional, mechanical tool—can be reimagined as a playful, kinetic sculpture. By integrating elements of fiction, movement, and costume design, we create an installation that invites audiences to suspend disbelief, trust the character, and step into an imaginative new reality. Through our experimentation, we have discovered how small variables, such as a costume or narrative context, can shift perceptions of a robot’s identity. By transforming the robotic arm into NED, the Never Ending Dancer, we gave it a distinct personality—one that audiences could connect with and respond to.

Designed in May 2021, NED was developed in collaboration with researchers from the Mixed Reality Lab and the Cobot Maker Space at the University of Nottingham [3], alongside choreographer Liz Clark. This robotic dancer:
Uses facial tracking to follow audience movements.
Responds to three different musical scores, encouraging people to dance. Is costumed to resemble a hybrid bird-like creature, with:
Long blue feathers extending its reach.
A metallic skirt that sways with movement.

NED was first showcased as part of the Thingamabobas installation, a whimsical circus troupe of four mechanical creations, which premiered at Lakeside Arts, Nottingham, in the summer of 2021 (supported by Arts Council England). Since then, it has toured local libraries and national arts venues, continuing to engage families in an imaginative fusion of robotics, performance, and play. Through NED, we invite audiences—both young and old—to challenge their perceptions of robots, embrace movement and storytelling, and step into a world where technology becomes an unexpected dance partner.

Dancing with NED: Reimagining Robotics Through Play

The NED sparked curiosity and delight, drawing in dozens of children and families who eagerly danced alongside the robotic performer. In one particularly memorable moment, a parent was astonished when their child—who had never danced in public before—felt comfortable enough to join in with NED. Although its facial tracking system is designed to follow just one audience member at a time, we observed entire families engaging with NED simultaneously, demonstrating the installation’s ability to foster shared, interactive experiences.

When interacting with NED, children and adults alike displayed a sense of curiosity and wonder, fully immersing themselves in the experience. One child excitedly shared, “It was amazing; it reacted to you, and it was so amazing!” while another observed, “I liked how NED knew where you were.” These reactions reinforced the emotional and imaginative connection audiences formed with the robotic performer.
Our first experience working with robotics revealed tremendous potential for further exploration. As we embarked on our TAS Artist Residency, we sought to push the boundaries of how robots can engage, enchant, and foster meaningful interactions with audiences.

This led us to explore key questions, including:
How do children interpret and give meaning to their communication with an autonomous system?
How does curiosity shape their interaction with the experience?
What role does intergenerational engagement play in enhancing the interaction?
Beyond direct interaction, how might a robotic system engage the public in unexpected ways?

By delving into these questions, we aimed to design imaginative, interactive interfaces that enhance a robot’s playability, emotional presence, and storytelling potential. This research continues to inform our creative practice, allowing us to develop new, dynamic ways for technology to spark curiosity, play, and connection across all ages.

Pilot Study: Understanding Young Audiences' Interaction with NED

To gain deeper insight into how children interpret and engage with NED, we conducted a pilot study at Broadway Gallery, Nottingham, from April 5th–14th, 2022. The study focused on families with children aged 4 to 12, inviting them to participate in pre-booked sessions where they could interact freely with NED.

Approach & Methodology
To capture a genuine, uninfluenced response, we chose not to use an actor to frame or contextualize NED beforehand. We wanted to observe how children made sense of the experience on their own, without prior knowledge of the robotic performer.
As part of the Broadway Gallery interactions, we also organised additional robotics and creative technology workshops, including:
Meet the Co-Bot Makers Space Robots – Hands-on demonstrations exploring different types of robots.
Scribble Bot Workshops – Encouraging children to build small, creative robots that produce drawings.
LEGO Mindstorm Robotic Arm Workshops – Led by the Inspire Foundation, these sessions allowed children to experiment with programmable robotic arms.[4]

These interactive events provided valuable informal feedback, giving us the opportunity to observe family interactions, discuss their experiences, and further explore how children assign meaning and emotion to robotic interactions.

Key Learnings & Next Steps
This pilot study helped us refine our approach to playful robotics, offering insights into how young audiences interpret, engage, and communicate with autonomous systems. The findings from this study continue to inform our research, shaping future developments in interactive robotics for children.

Pilot Study Outcomes: Key Findings & Considerations
Our pilot study revealed valuable insights into how children engage with NED and the factors that influence their interaction.
1. Engagement Challenges for First-Time Participants
Children encountering NED for the first time at Broadway Gallery struggled to engage as freely as those who had previously interacted with NED at Lakeside Arts. Their engagement appeared more inhibited, with some hesitating before interacting or needing prompting from parents. Several factors may have contributed to this:
 Lack of Contextual Framing – Without an actor to introduce NED, younger children found it harder to understand how to engage.
 Different Environmental Setting – The Broadway Gallery lacked the theatrical atmosphere of previous installations, which may have impacted immersion.
 Absence of the Thingamabobas Troupe – NED was originally introduced as part of a circus-themed installation. Without the surrounding narrative, the experience felt different, potentially affecting how children perceived and responded to NED.

2. Technical & Interaction Challenges
Some children also experienced confusion when interacting with NED due to technical inconsistencies:
 Erratic Behaviour & Inactivity – At times, NED appeared unresponsive, going into sleep mode unexpectedly, which disrupted engagement and lost some children's attention.
 Understanding NED’s Responses – It wasn’t always clear to children what NED was responding to, which may have impacted their confidence in interacting with the system.
 Space & Interaction Zones – The room size and placement of interaction zones may have influenced how NED functioned, potentially affecting its responsiveness.

3. After interacting with NED, we gathered informal feedback from the children. Their responses highlighted key aspects of engagement:
 What they liked:
-“It was amazing! It reacted to you, and it was so amazing!”
-“I liked how NED knew where I was.”
-Many children enjoyed the feathers and costume, which made NED feel more like a character than a machine.
What they disliked:
-Some found NED's movements too slow and wanted it to respond faster.
-Others were confused when NED occasionally “went to sleep” (a programmed rest mode).

Next Steps & Further Research
This pilot study highlighted the importance of framing and reliability in interactive experiences. Moving forward, key areas for further research and development include:
 Enhancing NED’s Contextual Framing – Exploring ways to introduce NED within a clearer narrative to guide young audiences.
 Improving Technical Consistency – Refining NED’s programming to ensure smooth, predictable interactions and prevent erratic behaviour.
 Optimising Environmental Factors – Investigating how different room sizes, lighting, and acoustics impact engagement.
 Clarifying Interaction Cues – Making NED’s responses more transparent so children better understand how their actions influence his behaviour.
This study has provided critical insights into the playability of robotics for young audiences, informing our continued exploration of how interactive robots can inspire curiosity, play, and meaningful engagement.

Finding out what children think about robots

As part of our ongoing research into interactive robotics for young audiences, we have actively explored how children perceive, engage with, and imagine robots. Our workshops, pilot studies, and direct observations have provided valuable insights into children's understanding of robots, their expectations, and the ways they interact with autonomous systems. When asked what they think a robot is, most children categorise robots into two main areas a helper that does things for them and others a machine that moves, that can look like a human, is made from metal, and can be programmed.

Children's Preconceived Ideas About Robots

Before engaging with our robotic installation, many children had fixed ideas about what robots should look like. Their perceptions were largely shaped by:
Books, films, and cartoons – Robots in media are often humanoid with faces, expressive eyes, and voices.
Toys and consumer robotics – Many children are familiar with toy robots or AI assistants like Alexa and Siri.
STEM learning – Some children had prior experience with coding toys like LEGO Mindstorms or classroom robotics kits.

When asked to draw their own robot designs, many children sketched traditional, boxy robots with square bodies, screens, buttons, and wheels. A few, however, envisioned more abstract designs, such as:
- “It finds itself in space and has a screen so you can see updates. It has a cute face, goes to the moon, and has grippy hands and feet for walking in space.”
- “It’s a robot that’s shaped like a human but only sometimes looks like a human. It has a big wheel so it can follow you around.”

These imaginative creations highlight how children blend functionality with personality, merging futuristic concepts with familiar, playful elements—just as they have for decades.

The drawings below from children in the 1970s book Robots: Fact, Fiction, and Prediction by Jasia Reinhardt, alongside artwork from our 2022 workshop, reveal a striking similarity in how young minds envision robots. Despite the advancements in technology over the decades, the core themes remain consistent—children continue to imagine robots as playful, humanoid, and expressive companions. This suggests that while robotics has evolved, the way children conceptualise and personify them has remained remarkably similar.