Towards a Framework for Human-Robot Co-creation Alla GUBENKO a,1 and Claude HOUSSEMAND a a Institute for Lifelong Learning and Guidance, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg Abstract. This article proposes Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) as a heuristic model to formalize human-robot interaction in creative contexts. Drawing on CHAT, we discuss the possible alternative roles of the robot in the process of the production of novel and useful artifacts. In contrast to 'disembodied' computational models of creativity which emphasize abstract reasoning, the physical embodiment of social robots enables the study of how creative artifacts emerge from robots' actions and bodily engagements with the material and social world. We identify different activity system configurations for human-robot interaction and discuss how the emphasis on action and embodiment allow us to reconsider the structure of the creative process. Keywords. embodied creativity, creative process, human-robot co-creation, social robots, human-robot teaming 1. Introduction Robots are increasingly present in our everyday lives. Despite their initial purpose of automating routine human tasks, recent applications of social robots suggest that the embodied artificial agents could themselves be creative and participate in various human creative activities [1,2]. The growing variability of robots and their creative applications increases the need for solid theories and methodologies to classify and compare findings across different interaction scenarios. Research grounded in common theoretical frameworks and methodologies for Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) would allow for the generalization and meta-reviews of research insights, and enable further theory building [3]. Recognizing the challenge, Gubenko et al. [4] suggested that Cultural-Historical Activity Theory [5–7] may provide a solid theoretical ground to analyze human-robot interaction in creative contexts. Inspired by existing applications of activity theory framework in the domain of HRI [8,9], the authors argued that the methodological strengths of the cultural- historical approach might be useful to structure the growing body of research involving artistic applications of embodied agents and robots’ creative partnership with humans. 1 Corresponding Author, Department of Education and Social Work, 11, Porte des Sciences, 4366, Esch-sur- Alzette, Luxembourg; E-mail: alla@gubenko.eu.