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Social robotics can make social life more accessible to a greater diversity of people, says Professor Mari Velonaki. 

A team of designers, psychologists, audio consultants and robotics specialists has developed an inclusive sound environment that helps people with neurodiversity enjoy live music.

The application distributes sound through multiple channels to create auditory experiences that are exciting without being overwhelming. The interface, a creative collaboration between Dickens Audio, the UNSW Ageing Futures Institute and the UNSW Creative Robotics Lab, will be co-designed with people with neurodiversity.

“Enjoyment of music should be afforded to everyone,” says project lead Dr Scott Brown from the UNSW Creative Robotics Lab. “However, neurodivergent people often process sensory input in unique ways, impacting their opportunity to enjoy music in public spaces.

“Traditional performance venues and approaches to sound and visuals can be overwhelming for many people. Our goal in this project is to create an experience that is not only inclusive, but adaptive to individual preferences.”

. The umbrella term includes people with autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, ADHD, Tourette’s syndrome, dyscalculia (difficulty applying maths principles) and dysgraphia (difficulty converting language sounds to text).

Variances in neurodiverse presentations means there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution, says Dr Brown, who specialises in interactive technologies for people with neurodiversity.

“We are starting to see adoption and scheduling of sensorily adaptive spaces, from quiet rooms at sporting events to movie screenings with reduced volume and gentle lighting,” he says. “These small changes allow many more people the chance to experience the wellbeing associated with all kinds of cultural events.”

Dr Belinda Dunstan, who specialises in designing for diversity, social robot appearance design and technology ethics, and Dr Deborah Turnbull Tillman, an expert in curatorial and exhibition/event design, technology and new media, research leads in the Creative Robotics Lab, are also collaborating on the two-year project.

The project is informed by the Lab’s overarching strategy to develop technological systems that improve and enhance the human experience.

“This is a project that to me is very important, because it's about perceptions of music and the culture that distributes this music,” says the Lab’s founder and director, Professor Mari Velonaki. “It’s about expanding the live space – that’s one of my priorities – so more people can participate in different social activities.”

Rather than the malevolent sci-fi model where robots replace humans, Prof. Velonaki’s vision pivots on their altruistic potential to democratise space and uplift human capacity. The social robotics pioneer believes compelling human-robot interactions can help us move to a more inclusive society.

“Social robotics are robotic systems designed with the public as user. [They’re] designed to interact with society in their daily activities and hopefully enhance those activities,” she says. “They can enable richer and more immersive experiences, regardless of an individual’s embodied capability.”

Rather than developing experiences for select groups, such as people living with disabilities or dementia, “we should be designing systems for all humans … creating environments where different groups can coexist,” she says.

Prioritising a human-centred approach

The Lab’s industry collaborations have broad reach, from developing a social robot to aid collaboration within office environments in partnership with Fuji Xerox to creating a technological interface to improve cognitive performance and resilience with the Australian Army.

A walking frame that doubles as an assistive device that re-direct users home can help someone with dementia regain the confidence to step outside their front door, she says.

These projects have more in common than you might think, she says. Despite their diverse situational context, aesthetics and personalisation remains intrinsic to their design.

“[They] are human-centred, [they] respect the privacy of the individual – they are non-intrusive – and [they] are influenced by art and design principles to promote engagement.

“My vision … is to create systems that enhance our experiences, that are playful, not strictly utilitarian, [and] that embrace our humanity.”