Designing a Physical AI Companion for Museum-based Learning

Overview

This thesis explores the design and development of a physical AI buddy—a tangible, interactive companion that supports children’s learning in museum environments without relying on traditional screen-based interfaces. As digital media increasingly mediates knowledge transfer, especially for young audiences, this project investigates alternative, embodied interaction formats that blend AI-based content delivery with physical presence and intuitive, age-appropriate communication. The broader research scope of this project investigates alternative interaction forms with Large Language Models (LLMs) and simplified input and output forms to provide a more barrier-free interface solution for special contexts.

Objective

The aim of the thesis is to conceptualize and prototype an AI-powered physical object that acts as a mediator between children and curated museum content. This “AI buddy” will be capable of responding to questions, offering simple explanations, and encouraging exploration through playful dialogue or gesture, without the cognitive overload or distraction often associated with screens.

The project will address questions such as:

• How can artificial intelligence be embedded in a child-friendly physical form to foster curiosity and engagement?
• What are the interaction modalities (voice, light, movement, touch) that allow for natural, screenless dialogue?
• How can such a system support the educational goals of museums while respecting children’s cognitive and emotional development?

Context & Collaboration

The thesis is intended to be developed in collaboration with a German partner museum, which specializes in science and technology education. These institutions offer rich opportunities to explore how physical AI companions can adapt to different exhibition content and learning environments.

Methodology

• Research on existing AI interaction models in educational and museum contexts, here mandatory to consider a special emphasis on the challenging design constraints that a museum's context provides (robustness, ease of use, discreetness, etc.)
• User-centered design processes, including co-design sessions with children and museum educators
• Iterative prototyping of the physical AI buddy (using sensors, microcontrollers, natural language processing)
• Evaluation through informal observations or guided interactions in a museum setting (if feasible)

Outcome

The thesis will result in a functional prototype, a design framework, and recommendations for implementing screenless AI companions in educational institutions such as museums. The work will contribute to the fields of interaction design, child-computer interaction (CCI), and digital museology.