Jetpacks, Dragons, and TARS: Speculative Design of Assistive Technologies Through Science Fiction Imaginaries

Paper in proceeding, 2026

What if the future of assistive technology isn't built in labs, but by our memories of science fiction? Departing from traditional design fiction approaches that rely on curated prompts, we asked non-expert designers to prototype low-fidelity assistive systems for planetary settlements based on their own remembered cultural references. Across two workshops (n = 21) and a group interview (n = 5), participants prepared prototypes. Reflexive thematic analysis of their designs revealed five core themes: cultural templates as design scaffolds, speculative mobility logics, affective support, ethical concerns around system autonomy, and adaptive technologies responsive to alien conditions. These findings suggest that science fiction serves as aesthetic inspiration and an embedded framework. We argue that cultural memory can surface user expectations of assistive agents, informing the design of future human-agent interactions.