Generation and Implementation of Mixed-Reality, Narrative Performances Involving Robotic Actors

Recent advances in robotics and multimedia technologies have created new possibilities for staging narrative performances involving robotic actors. However, the implementation of these types of events is complicated by the lack of appropriate direction and execution environments that can deal with the complexity of these productions. This paper seeks to address this problem by describing CHOROS, a Java-based environment for authoring, direction and control of narrative performances. In particular, CHOROS allows the story author to annotate the performance script with stage directions. Furthermore, the environment offers to the performance director an augmented reality interface for planning the behavior of the actors. Finally, the system uses vision-based tracking methods and behavior-based control for adjusting the behavior of the robotic actors according to the director instructions during the performance.