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Virtual Characters (virtual + character)
Selected AbstractsCOGNITIVE AND BEHAVIORAL MODEL ENSEMBLES FOR AUTONOMOUS VIRTUAL CHARACTERSCOMPUTATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, Issue 2 2010Jeffrey S. Whiting Cognitive and behavioral models have become popular methods for creating autonomous self-animating characters. Creating these models present the following challenges: (1) creating a cognitive or behavioral model is a time-intensive and complex process that must be done by an expert programmer and (2) the models are created to solve a specific problem in a given environment and because of their specific nature cannot be easily reused. Combining existing models together would allow an animator, without the need for a programmer, to create new characters in less time and to leverage each model's strengths, resulting in an increase in the character's performance and in the creation of new behaviors and animations. This article provides a framework that can aggregate existing behavioral and cognitive models into an ensemble. An animator has only to rate how appropriately a character performs in a set of scenarios and the system then uses machine learning to determine how the character should act given the current situation. Empirical results from multiple case studies validate the approach. [source] Fast and Efficient Skinning of Animated MeshesCOMPUTER GRAPHICS FORUM, Issue 2 2010L. Kavan Abstract Skinning is a simple yet popular deformation technique combining compact storage with efficient hardware accelerated rendering. While skinned meshes (such as virtual characters) are traditionally created by artists, previous work proposes algorithms to construct skinning automatically from a given vertex animation. However, these methods typically perform well only for a certain class of input sequences and often require long pre-processing times. We present an algorithm based on iterative coordinate descent optimization which handles arbitrary animations and produces more accurate approximations than previous techniques, while using only standard linear skinning without any modifications or extensions. To overcome the computational complexity associated with the iterative optimization, we work in a suitable linear subspace (obtained by quick approximate dimensionality reduction) and take advantage of the typically very sparse vertex weights. As a result, our method requires about one or two orders of magnitude less pre-processing time than previous methods. [source] Social enrichment by virtual characters , differential benefitsJOURNAL OF COMPUTER ASSISTED LEARNING, Issue 6 2005A. Gulz Abstract It is frequently held forth, within the area of virtual pedagogical characters, that such characters are beneficial for learning as they strengthen the social dimension of electronic learning environments. This article presents more details on this proposal together with a survey of corresponding empirical evidence. In addition, materials from a recently conducted empirical study are presented. Ninety school children, 12,15-year-old, were asked (i) to grade the idea of virtual characters in electronic learning environments and (ii) to chose between a strictly task-oriented, socially ,shallow' and a more socially oriented pedagogical character. The participants were also asked to articulate the reasons behind their answers, and to share their thoughts and opinions on the issues. The results of the study, as well as of several of the studies reviewed, indicate that responses and attitudes towards social aspects of virtual pedagogical characters are highly divergent. In particular, the notion that social dimensions of virtual characters increase learners' motivation and engagement may be less generally applicable in a student population than is sometimes hypothesized. An ensuing design guideline suggests interface solutions with an emphasis on flexibility regarding social orientation and communicative style in virtual characters. [source] Virtual friend or threat?PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 5 2009The effects of facial expression, emotional experience, gaze interaction on psychophysiological responses Abstract The present study aimed to investigate the impact of facial expression, gaze interaction, and gender on attention allocation, physiological arousal, facial muscle responses, and emotional experience in simulated social interactions. Participants viewed animated virtual characters varying in terms of gender, gaze interaction, and facial expression. We recorded facial EMG, fixation duration, pupil size, and subjective experience. Subject's rapid facial reactions (RFRs) differentiated more clearly between the character's happy and angry expression in the condition of mutual eye-to-eye contact. This finding provides evidence for the idea that RFRs are not simply motor responses, but part of an emotional reaction. Eye movement data showed that fixations were longer in response to both angry and neutral faces than to happy faces, thereby suggesting that attention is preferentially allocated to cues indicating potential threat during social interaction. [source] | ||||||||||