How can we make robot dance expressive and responsive? A survey of methods and future directions

Benedikte Wallace^1*Kyrre Glette¹Alex Szorkovszky²

• ¹University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
• ²Simula Metropolitan Center for Digital Engineering, Oslo, Norway

The development of robots that can dance like humans presents a complex challenge due to the disparate abilities involved and various aesthetic qualities that need to be achieved. This article reviews recent advances in robotics, artificial intelligence, and human-robot interaction towards enabling various aspects of realistic dance, and examines potential paths towards a fully embodied dancing agent. We begin by outlining the essential abilities required for a robot to perform human-like dance movements and the resulting aesthetic qualities, summarized under the terms expressiveness and responsiveness. Subsequently, we present a review of the current state-of-the-art in dance-related robot technology, highlighting notable achievements, limitations and trade-offs in existing systems. Our analysis covers various approaches, including traditional control systems, machine learning algorithms, and hybrid systems that aim to imbue robots with the capacity for responsive, expressive movement. Finally, we identify and discuss the critical gaps in current research and technology that need to be addressed for the full realization of realistic dancing robots. These include challenges in real-time motion planning, adaptive learning from human dancers, and morphology independence. By mapping out current methods and challenges, we aim to provide insights that may guide future innovations in creating more engaging, responsive, and expressive robotic systems.