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What Are Virtual Humans?
Published in David Burden, Maggi Savin-Baden, Virtual Humans, 2019
David Burden, Maggi Savin-Baden
Virtual Humans are human-like characters, which may be seen on a computer screen, heard through a speaker, or accessed in some other way. They exhibit human-like behaviours, such as speech, gesture and movement, and might also show other human characteristics, such as emotions, empathy, reasoning, planning, motivation and the development and use of memory. However, a precise definition of what represents a virtual human or even ‘artificial intelligence’ (AI) is challenging. Likewise, establishing the distinctions between different types of virtual human, such as a chatbot, conversational agent, autonomous agent or pedagogic agent is unclear, as is how virtual humans relate to robots and androids. This chapter presents an introductory analysis of component parts of a virtual human and examines the traits that are important when considering virtual humans. It examines existing definitions of a virtual human before developing a practical working definition, and argues for a spectrum of virtual human types, and presents some common examples of virtual humans.
Cognitive and Affective Modeling in Intelligent Virtual Humans for Training and Tutoring Applications
Published in Vincent G. Duffy, Advances in Applied Human Modeling and Simulation, 2012
Just as all men are not created equal, so it is true for virtual humans. Virtual humans can be thought of as "software entities [that] look and act like people and can engage in conversation and collaborative tasks, but they live in simulated environments." (Gratch, et. al., 2002). They can also include different cognitive states to include beliefs, desires, goals, intentions, and attitudes (Rickel and Johnson, 1999; Traum, Swartout, Gratch, and Marsella, 2008). Many virtual humans have been developed over the years, but each one was developed for a specific purpose as in to support training and to provide a new interface for the delivery of information. Forms of virtual humans are being used today as webbased airline reservationists as on Alaska Airlines on www.alaskaair.com building receptionists as in MicroSoft Research's "Situated Interaction" project (Bohus, 2008), museum guides (Swartout, et al., 2010), Army recruiting (Artein, 2009), and training applications (Rickel and Johnson, 1999; Hill, et. al., 2006). In other areas, virtual humans can also be helpful in the medical and social sciences fields that include diagnosis, treatment, and therapy skills.
How Virtual Reality Training Can Win Friends and Influence People
Published in Christopher Best, George Galanis, James Kerry, Robert Sottilare, Fundamental Issues in Defense Training and Simulation, 2013
John Hart, Jonathan Gratch, Stacy Marsella
The substitution of live role-players with virtual humans has many benefits. Virtual humans live in simulated environments and have the ability to interact with humans through recognition and response to both verbal and nonverbal inputs; to understand and express emotions; to participate in conversational activities such as turn-taking; and to reason about the environment (Gratch et al., 2002; Cassell et al., 2000). Virtual humans provide a safe, controlled environment where participants can practice engaging with other humans without the associated overhead of live role-players. Using live role-players carries associated financial costs, including time for participating in the role-playing simulation and possible associated costs due to relocation (airfare, lodging, per diem, miscellaneous cost for costumes, and so on). Other factors associated with using live role-players include access or scheduling; the skill level of the role-players; diversity of the role players’ race, language, culture, and gender for realistic scenarios; standardized and consistent feedback; and the number of role-players required for the exercise, which, again, will impact cost (Johnsen, 2008; Zanbaka et al., 2007; Swartout, 2010; Swartout et al., 2001). Virtual humans in role-playing exercises remove the stress of potential perception of judgment from peers when used for role-playing simulations (Fannon, 2003). One other benefit is that virtual humans can affect student motivation for learning and possible learning outcomes. Virtual humans have been shown to affect students’ perceptions more than their learning, but it also can be shown that learners feel more excited, motivated, and engaged, which may lead to enhanced learning outcomes (Moreno et al., 2001). Researchers have found a positive relationship between engagement in virtual environments and improved learning outcomes (Rowe et al., 2010; Lester et al., 1997; Johnson, Rickel, & Lester, 2000; Lester, Towns, & Fitzgerald, 1999).
Exploring the influence of a human-like dancing virtual character on the evocation of human emotion
Published in Behaviour & Information Technology, 2018
Jon Cedric Roxas, Deborah Richards, Ayse Bilgin, Nader Hanna
The potential for virtual humans, human-like computer-based virtual characters, to assist humans and improve their health, well-being and quality of life is increasingly being demonstrated. Virtual humans provide a face-to-face means of human–computer interaction and human–machine communication. Through the inclusion of social behaviours, virtual humans known as relational agents, seek to build long-term relationships with humans to act as companions and coaches, for example, to help them keep fit, lose weight, quit smoking or to build a therapeutic alliance between the virtual therapist and patient to encourage adherence to treatment advice (Bickmore et al. 2010). The motivation for using virtual humans, rather than real humans, in these roles includes their potential to be tailored (e.g. in appearance, gender, ethnicity, language or personality), respond adaptively and be available anytime and anyplace. If they can deliver similar outcomes to humans, virtual humans offer reduced reliance on costly health resources and reduced waiting times, hopefully leading to earlier improved health outcomes. In some contexts, virtual humans may be preferable. For example, post trauma stress disorder patients disclosed more to a virtual human because they were seen as less judgemental than a human therapist (DeVault et al. 2014).