Forest-Robot-Stormin': Exploring Play for Eliciting More-than-Human (MtH) Forest-Robot Interactions

This paper presents a speculative design workshop that represents an initial attempt to explore playful methods for envisioning more-than-human forest-robot interactions. Bringing together game designers, researchers, and technologists, the two-day workshop used creative games, such as a forest-themed fake news card game and AI-generated PowerPoint karaoke, to provoke imaginative thinking. Participants developed speculative concepts through bodystorming, storyboarding, and the creation of short videos, featuring a Boston Dynamics Spot robot. Our analysis, grounded in visual thematic analysis, highlights how play facilitated ideation, visualization, and the making of more-than-human forest-robot concepts. As a work-in-progress, we learned that some game elements proved to be too abstract; however, the iterative making and acting processes helped participants ground and refine their ideas. The outcomes of the workshop, in the form of forest-robot concepts, represent a wide array of more-than-human design considerations. We also discuss the implications from the concepts through a critical more-than-human lens.