Treva Michelle Pullen

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Treva Michelle Pullen is a pioneering scholar at the intersection of art, technology, and animal behavior, whose work redefines how we understand robotic creatures. Her primary research areas include robotic art aesthetics, human-robot interaction, and the influence of biological models on machine design. Pullen’s major contribution lies in her exploration of how robots can be designed to elicit emotional and affective responses, moving beyond mere functionality to embrace whimsy and performativity. Her 2017 paper, "Whimsical Bodies and Performative Machines," examines how artists like Nam June Paik and Edward Ihnatowicz craft robotic behaviors to engage human audiences, while "Capricious Creatures" draws on animal instinct as a model for creating more lifelike, playful machines. Though her citation counts are modest—3 and 1 respectively—her work is notable for bridging art history, robotics, and ethology, offering a fresh perspective on machine agency. Pullen’s research is essential for students and researchers interested in the cultural and emotional dimensions of robotics, challenging us to see machines not as tools but as capricious, evocative beings.