Fashion and engineering meet to reimagine how humans and robots coexist
Robots took to the runway — strutting, spinning and dancing — in a fashion show that brought art and engineering together to rethink how humans and machines might coexist. Draped in metallic fabric and sculptural garments, the robots appeared alongside human partners in a rare performance that blended engineering with artistic expression.
The robot fashion show, held at the 2025 IEEE-RAS International Conference on Humanoid Robots (Humanoids’25) and co-hosted by the University of Seoul Startup Support Foundation, wasn’t just about style. It was also about challenging static, industrial images of robotics and highlighting how collaboration across art, design and technology can spark new ideas for building safe robots that move more gracefully among humans.
Jean Oh, an associate research professor in Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute (RI), and Jie-Eun Hwang, a professor in the Department of Architecture at the University of Seoul and a former visiting professor at the RI, served as creative directors. Together, they envisioned the event as an opportunity to build an interdisciplinary community, inviting more roboticists, artists, musicians and designers to work side-by-side. The show’s theme centered on safety and coexistence –– the idea that a soft, shared layer between humans and robots could make interaction feel more natural and less intimidating.
“As AI and robotics become more popular in the public eye, interdisciplinary efforts like the robot fashion show empower robotics researchers to communicate thought-provoking ideas to a broader audience,” Oh said. “In the future we will need to enable robots to perform contact-rich operations while maintaining the safety of people through both physical and social compliance. Through artistic approaches like fashion, we can shed light on underexplored topics such as safe and graceful motion-generation or soft wearable robotics for both humans and robots.”
Participants, many of whom are both artists and researchers that designed their own robots, were selected through a peer review and invitation process that emphasized creativity, innovation and perspective.
“The event was designed as a melting pot for robotics and creative expression. It was especially exciting because it’s uncommon for researchers, artists and designers to work together for a shared goal in the field of robotics. We all came together to present fashion as a means of culture, expression and technology,” said Hyun Woo Park (Hyun Parke), a research associate in the RI, participating designer and art director of the show.
Parke’s work centers on combining inflatable objects with robotics to make robots safer and more approachable. For the show, he created an air-filled vest and skirt that wrapped around the humanoid robot’s rigid frame to soften it and allow for safe, comfortable physical interaction between machine and human.
“For robots to build close relationships with people when they enter society, the first requirement is that they be safe to physically interact with,” he said. “That’s why I began with the idea of making an airbag-like jacket, something that could allow hugs — dressing the robot to enable physical interaction.”
In the show, Hyun demonstrated that vision himself, with performers embracing a robot outfitted in his inflatable vest, showing softness and connection in a field often defined by metal and motion. It underscored a key question of the show: how can robots safely and naturally interact with people as they enter human spaces?
“The cold touch of robots, the unavoidable motor noise and vibrations when they move — these awkward sensations create distance and people feel estranged,” said Junhee Cho, another participating designer. “Through this fashion show, I want people to reflect on how we should welcome robots when they enter our societies and how we can share happiness together.”
Cho selected melamine foam as a lightweight, insulating material to counteract the hard touch of robots. With the help of an industrial robotic arm, he cut the foam into sweeping, architectural forms that draped a humanoid robot in soft, sculptural layers, delivering a striking contrast to its rigid frame.
Cho, Parke and other invited designers gathered at the Seoul Impact Arena at the University of Seoul to present their creations, each of which was crafted to explore how robots might feel safer, softer or more expressive in human spaces. Some debuted inflatable robotic garments that cushioned movement and invited touch. Others showcased protective shields designed for elder care robots to reduce the risk of injury during close interaction. Several humanoids appeared in soft yet dramatic ensembles that balanced functionality with visual storytelling. Each performance was accompanied by a dedicated audio track, blending movement, sound and design into a shared reflection on how robots might move and connect with humans.
To find the full program and credits for the event and learn more about the artists and their work, visit the robot fashion show website.
For More Information: Aaron Aupperlee | 412-268-9068 | aaupperlee@cmu.edu