Stephanie Hutchison

Queensland University of Technology, Deakin University

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Stephanie Hutchison is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of human-robot interaction, performance studies, and embodied cognition. Her work fundamentally reimagines how we connect with robotic systems, challenging the conventional focus on human-like traits by exploring relationships built through movement and encounter rather than mimicry. Hutchison’s most impactful contribution is the Human-Robot Experience (HRX) Theatre, an interdisciplinary methodology she introduced in 2025 that uses participatory performance to investigate whether meaningful sociality can emerge spontaneously between humans and nonhuman-like robotic bodies. This innovative approach has already garnered 3 citations, signaling growing influence in both robotics and the arts. Earlier, her 2016 study on collaborative dance between robots and humans (2 citations) laid the groundwork for this vision, demonstrating how a human dancer can attune to an artificially intelligent performing agent through purely physical dialogue. By centering the body as the site of connection, Hutchison opens new pathways for designing robots that feel present and relational without needing to look or act like us—a profound shift for the field.