RoboTales: ROBOTic Anthropomorphic LEarning Systems
RoboTales is a low-cost robotic storytelling system that animates narratives using expressive sock puppetry. Implemented autonomously on a Baxter robot as a test case, RoboTales synchronizes narration, gestures, and mouth movements to perform character-driven stories. In a pilot study, puppet-based storytelling outperformed a gesture-only mode, producing higher HRIES ratings and improved story recall, suggesting that embodied puppetry enhances engagement and narrative comprehension. Designed to be modular and platform-agnostic, RoboTales can be adapted to other manipulators and offers a screen-free alternative to passive media, supporting future deployment in child-centered learning environments.
[2606.26213] RoboTales: ROBOTic Anthropomorphic LEarning Systems
[Submitted on 24 Jun 2026]
Title:RoboTales: ROBOTic Anthropomorphic LEarning Systems
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Abstract:RoboTales is a low-cost robotic storytelling system that animates narratives using expressive sock puppetry. Implemented autonomously on a Baxter robot as a test case, RoboTales synchronizes narration, gestures, and mouth movements to perform character-driven stories. In a pilot study, puppet-based storytelling outperformed a gesture-only mode, producing higher HRIES ratings and improved story recall, suggesting that embodied puppetry enhances engagement and narrative comprehension. Designed to be modular and platform-agnostic, RoboTales can be adapted to other manipulators and offers a screen-free alternative to passive media, supporting future deployment in child-centered learning environments.
Comments: 4 pages, 4 figures, HRI Companion '26: Companion Proceedings of the 21st ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction, Student Design Challenge
Subjects:
Robotics (cs.RO); Computers and Society (cs.CY)
Cite as: arXiv:2606.26213 [cs.RO]
(or arXiv:2606.26213v1 [cs.RO] for this version)
https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2606.26213
arXiv-issued DOI via DataCite (pending registration)
Related DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1145/3776734.3794600 https://doi.org/10.1145/3776734.3794600
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From: Alexis E. Block [view email] [v1] Wed, 24 Jun 2026 17:41:02 UTC (5,560 KB)
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