Technology is no longer merely a tool that responds to our commands; it is evolving toward the capacity to understand human behavior and emotions. Today, robots and computers are at the center of research aimed at perceiving basic emotional cues through methods such as facial recognition, voice tone analysis, and sentiment detection in text. These developments indicate that human–machine interaction will become far more layered, intuitive, and meaningful in the future.

Art, however, offers a distinctly different perspective on this scientific transformation. Just as art assigns new meanings to objects and ideas, it can also make the emotional bond between humans and technology visible, open it to inquiry, and reinterpret it. Reflecting on how robots might perceive or express emotions not only nurtures creativity but also enhances awareness of the technologies of the future.

As Arkin University of Creative Arts and Design (ARUCAD), we value seeing how young people interpret the human–machine relationship from an emotional perspective. In this context, the 7th Inter-High School Design Competition, titled “Robot Hearts: Emotional Technologies,” invites students to explore the connection between technology and emotion through art. High school students from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, the Republic of Türkiye, and other countries are eligible to participate in the competition.