RoboART: Artistic Robot Programming in Mixed Reality

Articulated robots are attracting the attention of artists worldwide. Due to their precise, tireless, and efficient nature, robots are now being deployed in different forms of creative expression, such as sculpting, choreography, immersive environments, and cinematography. While there is a growing interest among artists in robotics, programming such machines is a challenge for most professionals in the field, as robots require extensive coding experience and are primarily designed for industrial applications and environments. To enable artists to incorporate robots in their projects, we propose an end-user-friendly robot programming solution using an intuitive spatial computing environment designed for Microsoft Hololens 2. In our application, the robot movements are synchronized with a hologram via network communication. Using natural hand gestures, users can manipulate, animate, and record the hologram similar to 3D animation software, including the advantages of mixed reality interaction. Our solution not only gives artists the ability to translate their creative ideas and movements to an industrial machine but also makes human-robot interaction safer, as robots can now be accurately and effectively operated from a distance. We consider this an important step in a more human-driven robotics community, allowing creators without robot programming experience to easily script and perform complex sequences of robotic movement in service of new arts applications. Making robots more collaborative and safer for humans to interact with dramatically increases their utility, exposure, and potential for social interaction, opens new markets, expands creative industries, and directly locates them in highly visible public spaces.