How a Bay Area artist is combining AI and dance to allay fears about robots replacing humans

San Francisco’s Exploratorium artist-in-residence Catie Cuan is combining dance, robotics, and artificial intelligence to create innovative human-robot interactions and performances.

Background and expertise: Catie Cuan brings a unique combination of professional dance experience and mechanical engineering expertise to her work at the Exploratorium.

• Cuan earned her doctorate in mechanical engineering from Stanford University, focusing her thesis on choreorobotics
• She describes her work as a natural fusion of her passions for mathematics and dance
• The Exploratorium selected Cuan as part of their 50th anniversary Artist in Residence program

Current projects and innovations: During her two-year residency that began in 2023, Cuan is developing groundbreaking robotic applications that challenge traditional perceptions.

• She is building a 9-foot robot designed to learn lovable behaviors through AI, specifically focused on comforting interactions with children
• The robot will be featured in the Exploratorium’s “Adventures in AI” exhibition in June 2025
• Visitors will have the opportunity to participate in the robot’s prototyping phase in spring 2025

Recent performances: Cuan’s work “Breathless: Catie and the Robot” demonstrates the intersection of human and robotic capabilities.

• The eight-hour performance, created in collaboration with UC Berkeley professor Ken Goldberg, uses Open Pose software to translate human dance movements to a Universal Robot UR5e arm
• The performance deliberately highlights the limitations of robotic movement compared to human capabilities
• Through this work, Cuan and Goldberg aim to counter fears about robots replacing human workers

Technical implementation: The project employs sophisticated technology to bridge the gap between human and robotic movement.

• Open Pose software tracks Cuan’s joint movements during dance performances
• The data is translated into commands for the robot arm
• Sinusoidal functions are used to create smooth, rhythmic robotic movements that attempt to mirror human grace

Public engagement and future vision: Cuan’s work aims to make robotics more accessible and inclusive.

• The Exploratorium will host “After Dark: AI Curious,” featuring discussions on Artificial Intuition
• Cuan emphasizes the importance of diverse voices in robotics development
• Her work specifically addresses public anxieties about AI and robots while encouraging broader participation in these technologies

Technological perspective: While the project showcases cutting-edge robotics and AI, it intentionally highlights the unique capabilities of human movement that machines cannot yet replicate, offering a nuanced view of human-robot interaction that may help shape public perception of these emerging technologies.