Somaesthetics: The connection between the human body and robotics through the medium of somatic excersises
For the one week long workshop Dr. Elizabeth Jochum led the group in somatic imaginative mind and body movement exercises, almost like meditations, to easily understand the relationship between movement and perception, and the human body’s vital role in crafting robots.
As she explained we explored the body from bottom-up, inside-out and outside-in viewpoints. We did exercises where we focused on our breathing, and on how to actuate movement that expresses balance. We experimented with fabrics and rod puppets animating them and giving them these basic creaturely behaviors. These games gave us a sense of understanding based on where we are in space, by the help of theatrical and improvisational methods. Thanks to these simple to comprehend but super thoughtful exercises, we understood the constant movement of the human body. It also reflected on the complex body movements correlating with soft robots where every movement can be and will be multifunctioning in interaction with the environment, like in many sentient bodies.
Dr. Jochum also pointed out the importance of corporal perception, or kinesthetic empathy, which basically means that when you watch people moving you always engage with them even unconsciously.. That in progress becomes a tool for understanding somatic acting-doing movements in robotics, ending up in a supernatural or almost unexplainable manner.
These activities got us ready to welcome and acknowledge the workshop’s purpose which lies in a problem seeking attitude, rather than in finding the perfect answers. Pushing us towards greater discoveries and seeking a reflecting-in-action attitude in our craft making.