Hiding the malfunctioning of the robot by narratives

The findings of a new study on the robot body suggest that users try to hide the malfunctioning of the robot by explaining it as being caused by the lived body of the robot. For instance, the narratives of the robot’s ‘tiredness’ and ‘sleeping’ offer reasons why the movements of the robot are slowing down. The fact that the battery is running low can be hidden and explained away by human-like bodily needs.

The empirical case study was conducted in care homes for elderly people, with the Zora robot being used as a companion robot during different activity sessions. The collected data consist of semi-participatory observations, photographs as visual material and focus group discussions.

Applying the phenomenological theory of embodiment, the researchers developed a novel conceptualisation of the robot body which could help to clarify how the material properties of robot bodies, including their morphology, are combined with their movements or gestures in order to foster an impression of a ‘living body.’ This research shows that the lived body of the robot is also created by storytelling and narratives of the emotional characters or the physiological needs of the robot. Read the research article here.