SDG9
When Shakespeare Meets Robots: NCKU Architecture Team’s Human-Robot Dance Technology in “Hamlet Machineman”
Professor Yang-Ting Shen and PhD candidate Mi-Chi Wang from the Department of Architecture at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) have long championed interdisciplinary collaborations between technology and the arts. Notable recent achievements include a 2024 performance titled Dancing Imprints in collaboration with Anarchy Dance Theatre at the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts. This production explored the dynamic relationship between humans and machines through duets involving dancers and robotic arms. To further integrate this innovative art-tech approach into education, Professor Shen introduced a modular general education course, “Dancing with Robots”, at NCKU. The intensive micro-credit course inspired students to engage in interdisciplinary creation, culminating in five unique human-robot dance performances within just five days. This time, the NCKU team ventured into drama, contributing to National Taiwan University (NTU) Drama Department’s 25th Anniversary production “Hamlet Machineman”, to bring a groundbreaking reinterpretation of the Shakespearean classic through a blend of technology and art.
Remote Collaboration: A Novel Theatrical Experience with Robotic Arms
“Hamlet Machineman” is an experimental production and a milestone for NTU Drama Department, supported by Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture under the 5G Museum and Arts Cross-Domain Application Project. This dual-location performance featured simultaneous storytelling at NTU’s Youxin Theater and its Experimental Theater, each offering audiences distinctly different perspectives and atmospheres. At Youxin Theater, key scenes from Hamlet were reconstructed, focusing on the characters' internal struggles. One highlight featured a poignant interaction between a robotic arm and an actor, portraying the complex emotional dynamics of a romantic relationship. Meanwhile, at the Experimental Theater, playwright Chih-Ching Tsai’s original narrative unfolded a profound dialogue between Shakespeare and Hamlet, delving into the self-awareness of characters during the rehearsal process.
The NCKU team introduced robotic arm technology to Hamlet Machineman as a tool for storytelling and as a bridge for dialogue between characters. One pivotal scene depicted the evolving emotional states of Prince Hamlet and Ophelia, from tenderness to madness. Ingeniously, the robotic arm temporarily replaced Prince Hamlet, symbolizing his inner turmoil. The duet between the robotic arm and the human actress created an ethereal, enigmatic dramatic tension. This bold innovation blurred the boundaries between human and machine, elevating the narrative depth of the performance. The production’s poetic human-robot dance was lauded as a highlight of the first act by NTU Drama Department's former director Shao-Mei Hsieh.
Breakthrough Applications of Human-Robot Dance Technology
For many designers and artists, incorporating technology into their creative processes often involves challenges and compromises. This production required balancing the intricate choreography of robotic arms with the artistic demands of dance and drama. To make robotic technology more accessible, especially for artists without programming expertise, Mi-Chi Wang and engineering graduate student Chi-Yu Chung developed an Interactive Choreography Interface for Human-Robot Dance. This web-based interface uses real-time motion capture to translate a dancer’s skeletal movements into robotic arm choreography. Artists, including dancers and playwrights, could intuitively design robotic movements by using their own bodies, effectively "teaching" the robots to dance. This innovation enabled the robotic arms in Hamlet Machineman to perform with lifelike fluidity, making them integral to the storytelling. The interface allowed creators to focus on the emotional and dramatic nuances of the human-robot interaction, achieving a new level of expressive storytelling that represents a significant breakthrough in art-tech integration.
Intensive Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Remote Co-Creation in Practice
Given the geographical distance between the two universities, the teams developed a remote, cross-disciplinary collaboration model. From April to September, NCKU’s team utilized the Interactive Choreography Interface to digitally capture and translate dance movements for robotic arms. This allowed artists from both institutions to experiment with robotic choreography using their own bodies as a communication medium. The interface facilitated real-time adjustments during the remote co-creation process.
By the mid-stage (September to October), both teams finalized the choreography and began rehearsals integrating robotic arms with actors. The collaboration culminated in November, with NCKU’s team joining NTU in Taipei to synchronize lighting, music, and robotic arm systems with the script. The seamless fusion of technology and art debuted in December to sold-out performances, earning widespread acclaim and enriching the diversity of theater with a touch of elegant art-tech synergy.
Professor Yang-Ting Shen, who led the robotic arm control system integration, reflected, “This cross-institutional collaboration was not just an interdisciplinary experiment but a philosophical dialogue on human-machine relations. We aimed to offer audiences more than just novel technological experiences; we envisioned a new paradigm for human-machine coexistence. When machines seamlessly blend into design, collaboration, creation, and performance, we unlock a transformative narrative of Shakespeare meeting robots.”
“Hamlet Machineman”
Producers: Zhi-Li Lin, Hsiao-Mei Hsieh
Production Director: Zhi-Feng Chen
Playwright: William Shakespeare
Script Adaptation: Chih-Ching Tsai
Chinese Translation: Jing-Xi Peng
Taiwanese Translation for the Play within a Play: Ting-Bang Chou
Director: Po-Shen Lü
Costume and Styling Designer: Yi-Mei Wang
Stage Designer: Po-Lin Li
Lighting Designer: Chen-Wei Deng
Lighting Technology Coordinator: Hsin-Yi Kuo
Lighting Assistant: Chia-Lun Hsu
Visual Designers: Cheng-Yuan Wang, Yung-Hsin Huang
Stage Technology Coordinator: Zhi-Feng Chen
Music Designer: Chi-Yang Hsu
Sound Designer: Yi-Chun Hung
PA Guidance: Chih-Hui Chang
Makeup and Hair Designer: Mu-Ting Chen
Costume Technician: Chi-Sheng Lan
Executive Producer: Hsiao-Mei Hsieh
Project Assistant: Hsin Liu
Assistant Executive Producer: Yun-Chih Li
Production Stage Manager: Tai-Jung Lin
Assistant Stage Managers: Hsien-Hsin Chou, Chia-Hao Huang
Main Visual Designer: Shu-Yu Tsai
Graphic Designer: Yuan-Yuan Chiu
Department Assistant: Bo-Sen Yang
5G Technology Coordinator: Ho-Lin Lo
Robotic Arm Control System Coordinator: Yang-Ting Shen
Robotic Arm System Integration: Mi-Chi Wang
Robotic Arm Construction and Dance Choreography: Yu-Hsuan Yeh
Human-Machine Skeleton Translation Technology Development and Execution: Mi-Chi Wang, Yu-Hsuan Yeh
Guest Actors: Wei-Che Tu, Yun-Sheng Hsieh
Cast: Ting-An Yu, Pin-Chen Zhu, Chong-Chieh Chuo, Chien-Jou Wu, Cheng-Hsi Wu, Chia-Wei Chuang, Ying-Ken Chen, Ping-Hao Chen, Chun-Ta Chen, Wei-Chieh Peng, Hsien-Wen Yang, Chih-Yu Han (listed alphabetically by surname)
Production Management Assistant: Wei-Che Hsu
Director’s Assistants: Yu-Tung Cheng, Rui-Chia Chan, Yu-Ching Wu, Yun-Hao Huang
Stage Manager Assistant: Chia-Wen Liang
Stage Design Assistants: Ch’i-Ying Chou, Jui-Tseng Hsiao, Ai Wu, Yi-Ting Li, Wei-Hsuan Chang, Yu-An Chen, Yu-Chen Tu
Stage Technology Assistants: Ming-Chun Hsu, Po-Jui Chen, Ping-Hsuan Kuo, Rong-Ching Hung, Ting Sun, Chien-Ting Lü
Lighting Assistants: Wen-Ling Huang, Yu-Chuan Hsu, Yu-Ting Li, Hsüan-Ching Lin, Chien-Wen Li, Chih-Mei Wang, Huai-Lun Tou, Hsin-Yu Tsai, Yi-Han Cheng, Fang-Hsün Hu
Costume Assistants: Pei-Yi Chung, Pin-Chieh Deng, Yi-Ting Cheng, Yu-Cheng Ni, Lu-Ching Chen, Chia-Yün Hsieh, Tzu-Ts'en Liu
Visual Assistants: Yu-Jung Chen, Jung-Jui Chang, Cheng-Han Yang, Yun-Hsüan Li, Ch’ien-Yü Chiang, An Fu, Chih-Yü Wei
Music Design Assistants: Chi-Wen Chen, P’ei-Shu Chang, Chih-Yü Liao, Jui-Ts’e Chen, Shih-Chia Chen
Sound Design Assistants: Ming-Shun Lo, Shao-Che Ni, Chun-Che Hsieh
Assistant Executive Producers: Hsin-Yi Lo, Peng-Yü Chen, Yu-Jung Hu, Pai-Cheng Sung
Stage Crew: Kai-Jen Hsieh, Po-Yüeh Shen, Pang-Ning Huang, Ts’ai-Chih Wu, Kuan-Yü Ting, Di-Lun Li
Lighting Crew: Teng-K’ai Huang, Chih-Ch’ing Huang, Yun-Po Shen
Costume Crew: Pei-Ch’in Kuan, Kuang-Wei Chen
Execution Crew: Hsin-Hsiang Huang, Ming-Han Sung, Tse-Jen Wang, Tsu-Tse Hung, Ya-Ming Ku
Remote Collaboration: A Novel Theatrical Experience with Robotic Arms
“Hamlet Machineman” is an experimental production and a milestone for NTU Drama Department, supported by Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture under the 5G Museum and Arts Cross-Domain Application Project. This dual-location performance featured simultaneous storytelling at NTU’s Youxin Theater and its Experimental Theater, each offering audiences distinctly different perspectives and atmospheres. At Youxin Theater, key scenes from Hamlet were reconstructed, focusing on the characters' internal struggles. One highlight featured a poignant interaction between a robotic arm and an actor, portraying the complex emotional dynamics of a romantic relationship. Meanwhile, at the Experimental Theater, playwright Chih-Ching Tsai’s original narrative unfolded a profound dialogue between Shakespeare and Hamlet, delving into the self-awareness of characters during the rehearsal process.
The NCKU team introduced robotic arm technology to Hamlet Machineman as a tool for storytelling and as a bridge for dialogue between characters. One pivotal scene depicted the evolving emotional states of Prince Hamlet and Ophelia, from tenderness to madness. Ingeniously, the robotic arm temporarily replaced Prince Hamlet, symbolizing his inner turmoil. The duet between the robotic arm and the human actress created an ethereal, enigmatic dramatic tension. This bold innovation blurred the boundaries between human and machine, elevating the narrative depth of the performance. The production’s poetic human-robot dance was lauded as a highlight of the first act by NTU Drama Department's former director Shao-Mei Hsieh.
Breakthrough Applications of Human-Robot Dance Technology
For many designers and artists, incorporating technology into their creative processes often involves challenges and compromises. This production required balancing the intricate choreography of robotic arms with the artistic demands of dance and drama. To make robotic technology more accessible, especially for artists without programming expertise, Mi-Chi Wang and engineering graduate student Chi-Yu Chung developed an Interactive Choreography Interface for Human-Robot Dance. This web-based interface uses real-time motion capture to translate a dancer’s skeletal movements into robotic arm choreography. Artists, including dancers and playwrights, could intuitively design robotic movements by using their own bodies, effectively "teaching" the robots to dance. This innovation enabled the robotic arms in Hamlet Machineman to perform with lifelike fluidity, making them integral to the storytelling. The interface allowed creators to focus on the emotional and dramatic nuances of the human-robot interaction, achieving a new level of expressive storytelling that represents a significant breakthrough in art-tech integration.
Intensive Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Remote Co-Creation in Practice
Given the geographical distance between the two universities, the teams developed a remote, cross-disciplinary collaboration model. From April to September, NCKU’s team utilized the Interactive Choreography Interface to digitally capture and translate dance movements for robotic arms. This allowed artists from both institutions to experiment with robotic choreography using their own bodies as a communication medium. The interface facilitated real-time adjustments during the remote co-creation process.
By the mid-stage (September to October), both teams finalized the choreography and began rehearsals integrating robotic arms with actors. The collaboration culminated in November, with NCKU’s team joining NTU in Taipei to synchronize lighting, music, and robotic arm systems with the script. The seamless fusion of technology and art debuted in December to sold-out performances, earning widespread acclaim and enriching the diversity of theater with a touch of elegant art-tech synergy.
Professor Yang-Ting Shen, who led the robotic arm control system integration, reflected, “This cross-institutional collaboration was not just an interdisciplinary experiment but a philosophical dialogue on human-machine relations. We aimed to offer audiences more than just novel technological experiences; we envisioned a new paradigm for human-machine coexistence. When machines seamlessly blend into design, collaboration, creation, and performance, we unlock a transformative narrative of Shakespeare meeting robots.”
“Hamlet Machineman”
Producers: Zhi-Li Lin, Hsiao-Mei Hsieh
Production Director: Zhi-Feng Chen
Playwright: William Shakespeare
Script Adaptation: Chih-Ching Tsai
Chinese Translation: Jing-Xi Peng
Taiwanese Translation for the Play within a Play: Ting-Bang Chou
Director: Po-Shen Lü
Costume and Styling Designer: Yi-Mei Wang
Stage Designer: Po-Lin Li
Lighting Designer: Chen-Wei Deng
Lighting Technology Coordinator: Hsin-Yi Kuo
Lighting Assistant: Chia-Lun Hsu
Visual Designers: Cheng-Yuan Wang, Yung-Hsin Huang
Stage Technology Coordinator: Zhi-Feng Chen
Music Designer: Chi-Yang Hsu
Sound Designer: Yi-Chun Hung
PA Guidance: Chih-Hui Chang
Makeup and Hair Designer: Mu-Ting Chen
Costume Technician: Chi-Sheng Lan
Executive Producer: Hsiao-Mei Hsieh
Project Assistant: Hsin Liu
Assistant Executive Producer: Yun-Chih Li
Production Stage Manager: Tai-Jung Lin
Assistant Stage Managers: Hsien-Hsin Chou, Chia-Hao Huang
Main Visual Designer: Shu-Yu Tsai
Graphic Designer: Yuan-Yuan Chiu
Department Assistant: Bo-Sen Yang
5G Technology Coordinator: Ho-Lin Lo
Robotic Arm Control System Coordinator: Yang-Ting Shen
Robotic Arm System Integration: Mi-Chi Wang
Robotic Arm Construction and Dance Choreography: Yu-Hsuan Yeh
Human-Machine Skeleton Translation Technology Development and Execution: Mi-Chi Wang, Yu-Hsuan Yeh
Guest Actors: Wei-Che Tu, Yun-Sheng Hsieh
Cast: Ting-An Yu, Pin-Chen Zhu, Chong-Chieh Chuo, Chien-Jou Wu, Cheng-Hsi Wu, Chia-Wei Chuang, Ying-Ken Chen, Ping-Hao Chen, Chun-Ta Chen, Wei-Chieh Peng, Hsien-Wen Yang, Chih-Yu Han (listed alphabetically by surname)
Production Management Assistant: Wei-Che Hsu
Director’s Assistants: Yu-Tung Cheng, Rui-Chia Chan, Yu-Ching Wu, Yun-Hao Huang
Stage Manager Assistant: Chia-Wen Liang
Stage Design Assistants: Ch’i-Ying Chou, Jui-Tseng Hsiao, Ai Wu, Yi-Ting Li, Wei-Hsuan Chang, Yu-An Chen, Yu-Chen Tu
Stage Technology Assistants: Ming-Chun Hsu, Po-Jui Chen, Ping-Hsuan Kuo, Rong-Ching Hung, Ting Sun, Chien-Ting Lü
Lighting Assistants: Wen-Ling Huang, Yu-Chuan Hsu, Yu-Ting Li, Hsüan-Ching Lin, Chien-Wen Li, Chih-Mei Wang, Huai-Lun Tou, Hsin-Yu Tsai, Yi-Han Cheng, Fang-Hsün Hu
Costume Assistants: Pei-Yi Chung, Pin-Chieh Deng, Yi-Ting Cheng, Yu-Cheng Ni, Lu-Ching Chen, Chia-Yün Hsieh, Tzu-Ts'en Liu
Visual Assistants: Yu-Jung Chen, Jung-Jui Chang, Cheng-Han Yang, Yun-Hsüan Li, Ch’ien-Yü Chiang, An Fu, Chih-Yü Wei
Music Design Assistants: Chi-Wen Chen, P’ei-Shu Chang, Chih-Yü Liao, Jui-Ts’e Chen, Shih-Chia Chen
Sound Design Assistants: Ming-Shun Lo, Shao-Che Ni, Chun-Che Hsieh
Assistant Executive Producers: Hsin-Yi Lo, Peng-Yü Chen, Yu-Jung Hu, Pai-Cheng Sung
Stage Crew: Kai-Jen Hsieh, Po-Yüeh Shen, Pang-Ning Huang, Ts’ai-Chih Wu, Kuan-Yü Ting, Di-Lun Li
Lighting Crew: Teng-K’ai Huang, Chih-Ch’ing Huang, Yun-Po Shen
Costume Crew: Pei-Ch’in Kuan, Kuang-Wei Chen
Execution Crew: Hsin-Hsiang Huang, Ming-Han Sung, Tse-Jen Wang, Tsu-Tse Hung, Ya-Ming Ku
Hamlet Machineman Stage Photos (Photography: Mu-Hsin Lo)
Hamlet Machineman Stage Photos (Photography: Mu-Hsin Lo)
Hamlet Machineman Stage Photos (Photography: Mu-Hsin Lo)
Dancing with Robots Choreography Interface (Provided by the NCKU Architecture Team)
Behind-the-Scenes of Robot Dance Collaboration at NCKU and NTU Campuses (Provided by the NCKU Architecture Team)
Hamlet Machineman Crew Group Photo (Photography: Tsu-Tse Hung)
