Thesis
Designing robot aesthetics : a human‑centred toolkit
- Creator
- Rights statement
- Awarding institution
- University of Strathclyde
- Date of award
- 2026
- Thesis identifier
- T18147
- Person Identifier (Local)
- 202270687
- Qualification Level
- Qualification Name
- Department, School or Faculty
- Abstract
- This thesis positions robot aesthetics as a fundamental component of robot design, demonstrating that morphology, styling, and perceptual experience shape how robots are interpreted, trusted, and accepted by users. Although Human–Robot Interaction research has typically prioritised functional performance or anthropomorphism, aesthetic meaning remains comparatively underdeveloped. To address this gap, the thesis constructs taxonomies across four domains: Aesthetic Philosophy, Design Aesthetics, Human-Robot interaction and Robot Aesthetics where separate taxonomy diagrams were designed for each knowledge area. Providing a coherent structure for later phases of the research. A multimethod research design was employed, combining image-sorting experiments, art-based sketching, and a Linkographic Thematic Analysis approach. Seven robot morphologies and three bipolar aesthetic styling dimensions were tested, with results showing that six morphologies and all three dimensions were reliably perceived by participants. Findings indicate that morphology and styling form independent yet interacting layers of aesthetic meaning, and that designers interpret robots through a progression of visceral reactions, analogous reasoning, and setting into judgement. These insights informed the development of a model of robot aesthetic experience, capturing how meaning is constructed from form. Drawing from these empirical results, the thesis develops an aesthetic taxonomical framework that integrates the four knowledge areas and informs a human-centred design toolkit. The toolkit translates theoretical and perceptual insights into practical methods for defining, ideation, development, prototyping, and finalising robot concepts. Tested with product designers, design engineers, and roboticists, it supports coherent aesthetic decision-making across diverse robot morphologies with skill-appropriate design processes tailored to varying project durations.
- Advisor / supervisor
- Maier, Anja
- Wodehouse, Andrew
- Resource Type
- DOI
- Funder
Relations
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PDF of thesis T18147 | 2026-09-16 | Public | Download |