The first robotic theatre of China – the Legend of YingTian Gate – has premiered at the Site Museum of Yingtian Gate, Luoyang, Henan Province, on October 1st, 2020. Yingtian Gate was the main gate of the royal palace of the only empress of China, Wu Zetian, in Tang dynasty.
The story of the theatre show is about an ancient craftsman living in the Tang dynasty, who engineered robotic puppets and dedicated them to the Empress for her coronation.
There were six robots and three human actors and actresses who participated in this theatre show. All the robots were designed and developed by an interdisciplinary team, led by Associate Professor Dr. Haipeng Mi. Besides the Chinese orchestra robots - the bamboo flute robot and the Chinese harp robot - three new robots were developed for this show. Newly introduced robot characters can even perform cross-talk. Compared to the previous performance, the robots in this newly developed theatre show have richer facial expressions and more delicate bodily movements.
As a new attempt to integrate robot performance and a stage show, this robotic theatre opens new possibilities for China’s cultural and creativity industries.
Editor: Li Han, John Olbrich
