She has also studied the use of "emotionally literate" robots for tutoring schoolchildren,[6] developed interactive role-playing software intended to combat bullying,[7] and performed with a robot poet named Sarah the Poetic Robot as part of the Edinburgh Free Fringe.[3][8]
Aylett's book Robots: Bringing Intelligent Machines to Life? (2002) is a historical exploration on robots, on the history of robotics, and on research problems confronting roboticists. Aimed at high-school age students, it consists of a sequence of two-page illustrated spreads on each of its topics.[9]
She is the coauthor, with Judy Robertson, Lisa Gjedde, Rose Luckin and Paul Brna, of the self-published book Inside Stories: A Narrative Journey (2008), on the use of story-telling in education and the use of technology to assist in storytelling.[10]
Aylett is also the coauthor of the poetry pamphlet Handfast: Poetry Duets with Beth McDonough (Mothers Milk, 2016). It has a challenge-response format, in which a poem by one of the authors inspires a poem by the other author exploring the same theme.[3][11]
Aylett co-authored Inside DAMMA: the Department of Applied Meta-Magical Anthropology with Morag Burgon-Lyon, Greg Michaelson and Judy Robertson (Read Fiction, 2023). This satire on contemporary University life was written as part of a project on facilitating academic research cooperation. [12]
Equinox (Stairwell, 2023) was also co-authored with Greg Michaelson. This Science Fiction/Fantasy, written during lockdown, is about how an attempt to extract free energy from beneath Rannoch Moor breaks the multi-verse and angers the witches from Macbeth. [13]
As a political activist, Aylett has advocated for the Labour Party,[18] for improved labour security for university staff,[19] for permanent residency for European Union citizens already in the UK at the time of Brexit,[20] for academic freedom for faculty and students in the face of the 'Counter-terrorism and security bill' legislation by signing a letter claiming the bill ran counter to universities mission to foster free speech as well as being 'unenforceable' and 'unlawful',[21] as well as support for transgender rights.[22] She has served as one of the leaders of the Labour Party in Edinburgh Southern.[20]