This TMU PhD student is teaching robots to help humans feel less alone – News and Events
After moving from Istanbul to Toronto, TMU PhD candidate Mehnaz Aydemir struggled to find a sense of belonging through her immigrant experience.
“As an industrial designer, I was inspired to look into inclusive design and started questioning industrial design principles after noticing a lack of cultural connection in digital technologies for diverse communities,” says Aydemir.
That experience sparked a research question throughout her Canadian education: can human-robot art collaboration (HRAC) help people feel more connected?
Now in her fourth year of TMU’s Media and Design Innovation (MDI) program, Aydemir studies how multisensory experiences with digital technology can create a sense of belonging and presence for abled and disabled bodies.
She is supervised by Richard Lachman, professor at the RTA School of Media.
“Feeling alienated is part of digital technology, and it’s growing,” says Aydemir. “As one part of my research, I started looking from the human-machine connection’s point of view to help understand this collaboration between robots and humans.”
Building a prototype
Aydemir’s first thesis prototype, Giselle, was a mannequin incorporating abstract artwork and designed to engage all five senses.
Its chest pulses with red light to simulate a heartbeat through eye connection. When someone hugs or touches its cheek, hand, shoulder, arm or ribs, a video plays on a nearby wall showing an emotional reaction — making every interaction feel personal.
