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

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 toward enabling v...

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Main Authors: Benedikte Wallace, Kyrre Glette, Alex Szorkovszky
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-06-01
Series:Frontiers in Computer Science
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomp.2025.1575667/full
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author Benedikte Wallace
Benedikte Wallace
Kyrre Glette
Kyrre Glette
Alex Szorkovszky
author_facet Benedikte Wallace
Benedikte Wallace
Kyrre Glette
Kyrre Glette
Alex Szorkovszky
author_sort Benedikte Wallace
collection DOAJ
description 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 toward enabling various aspects of realistic dance, and examines potential paths toward 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.
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spelling doaj-art-44eebb0d221b44d09c72c3fd88952db52025-08-20T03:19:25ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Computer Science2624-98982025-06-01710.3389/fcomp.2025.15756671575667How can we make robot dance expressive and responsive? A survey of methods and future directionsBenedikte Wallace0Benedikte Wallace1Kyrre Glette2Kyrre Glette3Alex Szorkovszky4RITMO Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Rhythm, Time and Motion, University of Oslo, Oslo, NorwayDepartment of Informatics, University of Oslo, Oslo, NorwayRITMO Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Rhythm, Time and Motion, University of Oslo, Oslo, NorwayDepartment of Informatics, University of Oslo, Oslo, NorwayDepartment of Numerical Analysis and Scientific Computing, Simula Research Laboratory, Oslo, NorwayThe 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 toward enabling various aspects of realistic dance, and examines potential paths toward 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.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomp.2025.1575667/fulldancehuman-robot interactionexpressive movementsensory feedbackgenerative AIrobot control
spellingShingle Benedikte Wallace
Benedikte Wallace
Kyrre Glette
Kyrre Glette
Alex Szorkovszky
How can we make robot dance expressive and responsive? A survey of methods and future directions
Frontiers in Computer Science
dance
human-robot interaction
expressive movement
sensory feedback
generative AI
robot control
title How can we make robot dance expressive and responsive? A survey of methods and future directions
title_full How can we make robot dance expressive and responsive? A survey of methods and future directions
title_fullStr How can we make robot dance expressive and responsive? A survey of methods and future directions
title_full_unstemmed How can we make robot dance expressive and responsive? A survey of methods and future directions
title_short How can we make robot dance expressive and responsive? A survey of methods and future directions
title_sort how can we make robot dance expressive and responsive a survey of methods and future directions
topic dance
human-robot interaction
expressive movement
sensory feedback
generative AI
robot control
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomp.2025.1575667/full
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