The FAS Current | Assignment: Walk that robot across campus

A new feature in The FAS Current highlights innovative teaching by Harvard Anthropology Assistant Professor Ryo Morimoto, whose course brings anthropology into conversation with robotics in a uniquely hands-on way.

In the assignment, students are asked to walk a robot across campus, observing how people interact with it in real time. The exercise draws on ethnographic methods central to anthropology, encouraging students to pay close attention to everyday encounters and social dynamics.

The project is not primarily about engineering, but about understanding human behavior. Students examine how curiosity, discomfort, humor, and social norms shape interactions with emerging technologies in shared public spaces. These observations open broader questions about ethics, infrastructure, and the role of robots in society.

The course reflects a growing interdisciplinary approach within anthropology, where the study of human experience extends to new technological environments. By engaging directly with robots in the field, students gain insight into how people navigate and make meaning of a rapidly changing world.

We are proud to see Professor Morimoto’s teaching and research featured, and we offer special thanks to Christy DeSmith for her coverage of this story!

Read the full article here.

Anthropology Professor Ryo Morimoto demonstrates Spot's agility on the stairs. Photo by Jodi Hilton/Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences