Imagining Companion Robots: A Hybrid Artistic Study of Loneliness and Design in Higher Education

Young adults, a demographic increasingly vulnerable to social isolation—a phenomenon exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic—are experiencing profound shifts in interpersonal interactions. However, the rise of digital communication has redefined perceptions of closeness and isolation, fostering a paradoxical state in which individuals feel fleeting connectivity amidst persistent loneliness. To address this social issue, this study introduces a hybrid artistic practice within a university classroom setting, exploring the potential of robotic companionship in providing solace for lonely adults while contributing to future conceptions of companionship in the digital era. This research examines how students and educators at an art university, with varying levels of loneliness, conceptualise and design their ideal companion robots through a structured workshop incorporating artificial intelligence (AI)-generated imagery via text prompts and traditional hand-drawn sketches. The work aims to identify patterns in the aesthetic, functional, and emotional attributes of imagined companion robots, examining whether higher levels of loneliness correlate with a preference for more human-like, expressive, and interactive features. Findings reveal a strong correlation between loneliness levels and design choices. Participants with higher loneliness scores tend to favour anthropomorphic, emotionally expressive robots, often integrating intricate artistic styles such as Art Deco and Japanese manga. By bridging speculative imagination with technological creativity, this research contributes to ongoing discussions on human-robot companionship, offering insights into its potential role in addressing social isolation and redefining future human-artificial interactions.