Robotic swan features in Swedish science news

The robotic swan created at Malardalen University is an unlikely character making science news headlines in Sweden this week.

Choreographed by professional dancer Asa Unander-Scharin, the swan is an experiment in how mechanical beings can evoke an emotional response from humans.

She has taught the robot how to dance to music from Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, which it remembers thanks to its onboard computer.

Human descriptions of its performance - including "fascinating", "beautiful" and "touching" are at the centre of the science news, rather than the technological achievement involved.

Professor of computer science at the university Lars Asplund explains that he hopes to discover how artistic performances affect people's interpretations of robots.

The robotic swan is reminiscent of the many-jointed puppets already used in some stage shows to introduce a controllable but lifelike representation of animals.

War Horse at the New London Theatre is one example, with the eponymous character brought to life by the Handspring Puppet Company in an emotional tale of its relationship with its owner.