Non-anthropomorphic Expression of Affective States through Parametrized Abstract Motifs

One of the key challenges of affective computing is to extend the expression of emotions to machines. Research in this field has focused mainly on embodied machines that can reproduce verbal or non-verbal cues such as facial movements and gestures. However, most machines we interact with in our daily life are non-anthropomorphic. For this reason, the question we are addressing in our study is whether it is possible to express emotions or affective states using non-anthropomorphic cues in non-humanoid artifacts. We generated animated motifs using a small set of parameters (color, motion and complexity) and we displayed them on the interactive floor of the experience Induction Machine (XIM), an immersive mixed reality space. We asked the participants to assess the emotions attributed to these abstract visual cues. Our findings suggest that it is not only possible to express affective states, but also to modulate human behavior through non-anthropomorphic and abstract stimuli.