Nonverbal communication interface for collaborative virtual environments

Nonverbal communication is an important aspect of real-life face-to-face interaction and one of the most efficient ways to convey emotions, therefore users should be provided the means to replicate it in the virtual world. Because articulated embodiments are well suited to provide body communication in virtual environments, this paper first reviews some of the advantages and disadvantages of complex embodiments. After a brief introduction to nonverbal communication theories, we present our solution, taking into account the practical limitations of input devices and social science aspects. We introduce our sample of actions and implementation using our VLNET (Virtual Life Network) networked virtual environment and discuss the results of an informal evaluation experimen

The State of the Art in Mobile Graphics Research

Cataloged from PDF version of article.High-quality computer graphics let mobile-device users access more compelling content. Still, the devices' limitations and requirements differ substantially from those of a PC. This survey of mobile graphics research describes current solutions in terms of specialized hardware (including 3D displays), rendering and transmission, visualization, and user interfaces

A dead-reckoning technique for streaming virtual human animation

In networked virtual environments (NVEs), users are represented by their virtual embodiments. The articulated structure of these embodiments introduces a new complexity in the representation and streaming of animations, especially when the number of participants in the simulation increases. This requires real-time algorithms to decrease the networking overhead. The dead-reckoning technique is a way to reduce the required bit rate, and has been used for simple nonarticulated objects in popular NVE systems. We introduce a dead-reckoning technique for articulated virtual human figures, based on the MPEG-4 body animation specification, using Kalman filterin

Integration of avatars and autonomous virtual humans in networked virtual environments

We survey problems and solutions for inserting virtual humans in networked virtual environments. Using virtual humans as participant embodiment increases the collaboration in networked virtual environments, as it provides a direct relationship between how we interact with the real world and the virtual world representation. We show the differences between avatars and autonomous virtual humans in terms of motion contro

Autonomous actors in networked collaborative virtual environments

Introducing seemingly autonomous virtual beings into virtual environments to co-habit and collaborate with us is a continuous challenge and source of interest. Latest proof of human excitement for virtual life is the current worldwide craze for electronic pets that must be fed and cared for lest they develop a bad character or die. Even more interesting is the inclusion of autonomous actors in networked collaborative virtual environments (NCVEs). They provide a meeting place for people from different geographical locations and virtual beings. In NCVEs one doesn't see correspondents, only their graphical representations in the virtual world, which is the same as for the virtual ones-therefore the communication with virtual beings can come naturally. There is no single solution to the simulation of autonomous behavior. This is an ongoing research topic. Therefore it is interesting to provide an open NCVE system for easy interfacing with various implementations of autonomous behavior. In this way, the system can serve as an application platform with existing algorithms, as well as a research testbed for new autonomous behavior algorithms. The paper studies the requirements for such an open interface and, based on this study, presents an implementation within the Virtual Life Network (VLNET) system. Results are presented in terms of two case studies. A simple one implementing a dumb servant character and a more complex one connecting VLNET with the autonomous agent program Eliza (Weizenbaum, 1966

A flexible architecture for virtual humans in networked collaborative virtual environments

Complex virtual human representation provides more natural interaction and communication among participants in networked virtual environments, hence it is expected to increase the sense of being together within the same virtual world. We present a flexible framework for the integration of virtual humans in networked collaborative virtual environments. A modular architecture allows flexible representation and control of the virtual humans, whether they are controlled by a physical user using all sorts of tracking and other devices, or by an intelligent control program turning them into autonomous actors. The modularity of the system allows for fairly easy extensions and integration with new techniques making it interesting also as a testbed for various domains from “classic” VR to psychological experiments. We present results in terms of functionalities, example applications and measurements of performance and network traffic with an increasing number of participants in the simulatio

Virtual human representation and communication in VLNet

Using virtual humans to represent participants promotes realism in networked VEs. Different message types used to animate the human body and face impose varying network requirements, as analyzed her