Deus Ex Machina: Towards an Aesthetics of Autonomous and Semi-Autonomous Machines

Robots and puppets are linked by a common human impulse: the desire to give life to nonliving objects through the animation of material forms. Like puppets, robots are technological objects capable of revealing aspects of the human experience and have demonstrated the ability to provoke the suspension of disbelief and evoke agency. While the role of puppets and automata in theatre history is well established (Segel 1995, Jurkowski 1996, Reilly 2011), the study of robots in theatre performance is largely unexamined. Citing the presence of autonomous and semi-autonomous machines in live performance and technological developments that result in increasingly responsive and interactive robots, I argue that these technological players warrant critical investigation and study of their methods of representation. Given their ontological link, I use puppetry to construct a phenomenological understanding of robots by considering the following questions: \u22Does robotic performance constitute a creative act?\u22 and \u22Can engineers use puppetry to develop robots that better exhibit behaviors are identified with creative performance?\u22 Using States\u27 concept of \u22binocular vision\u22 and Dennett\u27s concept of \u22intentional systems,\u22 I propose that robots evoke agency by demonstrating expressive and responsive behaviors. Contrary to the imitative approach which uses realism and life-like features as a starting point, I suggest that engineers adopt the method of puppetry which utilizes movement as the primary means of expression. This approach results in machines that produce motions that appear less rigid and mechanical and are more likely to avoid the Uncanny Valley (Mori 1970). Citing recent theatrical productions (How to Train Your Dragon, King Kong), and my contributions to a robotic marionette system (Pygmalion Project), I outline how entertainment robotics can use puppetry-inspired choices to create intuitive interfaces for designing and operating robots. I advocate for an approach that acknowledges binocular vision and minimizes the role of mechanical reproduction in favor of essential and abstracted movements. For tele-operated machines, I propose a gesture-based control system that more tightly couples the interaction of the operator\u27s motions with those of the puppet. I anticipate that these methods will lead to robots that are more dynamic and more likely to evoke agency