From assistance to co-agency: Telepresence robots in inclusive museum pedagogy

Art museums enhanced online engagement worldwide during COVID-19, yet virtual tours often lack embodiment, social co-presence and learner agency. This study examined telepresence robots to reshape art appreciation for disabled participants in the post-pandemic context. Conducted between November 2022 and March 2023, the three-phase project began with remote access for disability art exhibition entrants. It progressed to incorporating robot-mediated museum visits into a special needs curriculum, culminating in learner-produced posters displayed at a museum. Finally, a hybrid session fostered dialogue between on-site visitors and remote robots. Findings indicate (1) conversion of substantial bodily movements to fine motor control while retaining a sense of presence; (2) productive entanglements of public museum and private domestic spaces; and (3) distributed agency, as operators and co-viewers shared perspectives and authorship of interpretation. Telepresence offers accommodation and a platform for art appreciation, blurring physical/non-physical, virtual/real, others/self binaries to enrich inclusive museum pedagogy.