Theatrical Robotic Actor Developed Using the Interpersonal Communication Principles

Stage drama is a unique literary form because they are designed to be acted out on a stage before an audience. Among the key elements of a drama, acting is without a doubt the most important of the most essential element. For a drama to be more successful, it should consist of naturalism, realistic interactions, better coordination, and high engagement. Through the evolution of robots, a great milestone remarks the rise of robotic actors where robots have stepped the live theatre. In this study, it was identified that interpersonal communication principles are a major source to be utilized which unwittingly helps in building strong bonds between humans. This paper describes, developing a theatrical robotic actor using the principles of interpersonal communication which comprises the key behaviors of the robotic actor that are best suited in response to the human actor’s behaviors in a theatrical play that will result in human actor-like behavior in the live theatre. The experiment of the study was designed using three approaches. Through the results of this study, it was concluded that the robotic actor designed by following interpersonal communication key principles is capable of having better coordination and realistic interactions with the human actor and the play was more natural and realistic. In addition, this research has developed a novel concept of making theatrical robotic actors that emphasizes human actor-like behavior in live theater.