Imagining Human-Robot Future Homes: A Feminist HRI Approach through Speculative Design in South Korea

How might Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) challenge social norms in societies where feminist discourse is politically sensitive? This study explores that question through two participatory speculative design workshops conducted in South Korea, a context marked by rapid technological development and contested gender politics. Drawing on Feminist HRI and post-phenomenology, the study designed a speculative “what-if” scenario in which every household must adopt a robot under a fictional government policy. Through the workshops, 19 participants subtly critiqued emotional labor, power hierarchies, and family roles, expressing what can be interpreted as “quiet feminism.” The resulting speculative artifacts, including a collaboratively created Future Robot Home Catalog, revealed ambivalent imaginaries: robots were envisioned as both helpful and potentially alienating, norm-reinforcing and socially transformative. The study finds that speculative design serves not only as a method of imagination but also as a feminist practice, enabling culturally situated critique, ethical reflection, and the articulation of plural, relational futures. These findings contribute to the growing field of Feminist HRI by demonstrating how speculative design can serve as a culturally sensitive and inclusive method for navigating sociotechnical complexities and supporting inclusive design practices beyond universal paradigms.