Story-Aware Interactive Puppet

Story-Aware Interactive Puppet is an ideal concept for storytelling designed to enhance the participatory experience between parents and children. While traditional puppets significantly impact engagement through physical presence and animated motion, most HCI research has focused on the mechanics of puppeteering rather than the holistic storytelling dynamic. This system automatically detects story plots and animates itself as a real-life character, reducing the teller's burden of manipulation while providing a lively interaction partner for the listener. A preliminary prototype of "Little Red Riding Hood" was tested using the Wizard-of-Oz method, revealing that automatic movement enhances immersion and motivates parents to deliver stories more realistically. The study identified various roles for the puppet—ranging from a passive actor to an active friend or supporting tool—depending on the users' attitudes. Future development will focus on balancing automation with manual control to support diverse usage scenarios and minimize distraction caused by visual dispersion between the book and the puppet.