Federation Square · Robotronica
Electric Puppet
Commissioned by Federation Square, Electric Puppet invites children and adults to assemble retro-style digital characters from interchangeable body parts, then bring them to life with their own movements. Full-body tracking makes the connection immediate: a character they designed appears on a public screen and responds as they move. Later versions reached family and festival audiences, including Robotronica. The work turns digital character-making into physical, social play, giving participants a way to become both artist and performer.
Case study
Case study · October 2026 · Pages 31, 32
Electric puppet
Young people animate their own ideas
An interactive character-making experience that moves from digital collage to live animation through the participant’s own body.
The public opportunity
Electric Puppet gives families a direct role as makers. Federation Square commissioned the original format, and QUT’s 2017 Robotronica programme documents a drop-in presentation where visitors designed and animated digital robots.
The experience
Participants assemble a character from a library of body-part images, then move to animate it through real-time tracking. Personalisation creates a recognisable connection between the person, the character and the public screen.
What is documented
QUT’s Robotronica programme documents the interaction and drop-in format. Wonderment Walk also records a commissioned 2014 adaptation involving John Olsen’s Frogs sculpture. Different versions are kept distinct rather than assigned a single launch year.
Source: QUT Robotronica 2017 programme; Wonderment Walk launch record; artist event portfolio.
Public value and next application
Outcomes to pursue and measure in a future commission
Ownership through making
Participants decide what their character looks like and how it moves. This offers an accessible starting point for creative expression and a practical way for youth programmes to include participant-authored imagery.
Learning through physical play
The visible link between movement and animation lets people explore digital systems through action. A future programme could assess creative confidence and understanding through short tasks and participant reflection.
Nature interpretation with precedent
Wonderment Walk’s Frogs adaptation brought an existing sculpture into an interactive digital experience. The organiser describes a connection with environmental awareness, providing a precedent for future local-species storytelling.
Make a character and become it
The interaction combines authorship and performance: create the image, then discover how your own movement changes it. A shared screen lets families and other visitors witness the result.
Audience intelligence and business value
Audience intelligence: Understand popular character elements, completed creations, making and animation time, plus optional family feedback and activity interests. Business value: Develop family programme offers, creative workshops and attraction partnerships using aggregate insights; adult follow-up requires separate permission.
How to evaluate a future commission
Creative behaviour Log selected character parts, completed creations and session duration where supported. Learning and interests Use agreed creative tasks and optional prompts on nature themes or preferred activities. Family follow-up Measure separate parent, carer or adult email opt-ins for future programmes.
A useful commissioning step
Choose the age group and balance between drop-in play and facilitated learning. Test tracking, seated interaction and screen visibility. Agree supervision, participant-image permissions and any third-party artwork rights.
Evidence: QUT Robotronica 2017 programme; Wonderment Walk launch record; artist event portfolio. Full source notes accompany this collection.
