Virtual Humans and
Conversational Agents
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Curry Guinn
“Artificial Intelligence and Natural
Language Processing for Advanced Tactical Decision-Making Immersive
Training”, RTI International, $100,156, Funded. (start: September 16, 2019, end: June 24,
2021). inn, C. I.,
Responsive Virtual Human Technology Research, National Science Foundation,
#EIA-0121211, September 2001-August 2004, $ 2,042,547.00. Schulze S., Pence T., Irvine N., Guinn C. (2019) The Effects of
Embodiment in Virtual Reality on Implicit Gender Bias. In: Chen J., Fragomeni G. (eds) Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality.
Multimodal Interaction. HCII 2019. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol
11574. Springer. Principal Investigator leading the development of interactive emotive
virtual humans with emotions that affect their body and facial gestures,
decision-making, and language generation (Funding from National
Science Foundation, commercial, and government clients). RTI’s AVAtalk™
technology creates responsive, individual virtual personalities. In an AVAtalk™ -enabled application, users
carry on spoken conversation with a simulated person (an avatar) and see and hear realistic responses from the
avatar. RTI’s ExhibitAR™ is an interactive kiosk for
tradeshows and promotional events. It features male and female virtual people
who talk with and respond to kiosk visitors with informative and enjoyable
spoken dialog. ·
The
Virtual Standardized Patient: Simulated Patient-Practitioner Dialogue for
Patient Interview Training. With Hubal, R.C., Kizakevich,
P.N., Merino, K.D., & West, S.L. In J.D. Westwood, H.M. Hoffman, G.T. Mogel, R.A. Robb, & D. Stredney
(Eds.), Envisioning Healing: Interactive Technology and the
Patient-Practitioner Dialogue. IOS Press: Amsterdam, 2000. (htm) , (doc)
Abstract: We describe the
Virtual Standardized Patient (VSP) application, having a
computerized virtual person who interacts with medical
practitioners in much the same way as actors hired to teach and evaluate
patient assessment and interviewing skills. The VSP integrates technologies
from two successful research projects conducted at Research Triangle
Institute (RTI). AVATALK™
provides natural language processing, emotion and behavior modeling, and
composite facial expression and lip-shape modeling for a natural
patient-practitioner dialogue. Trauma Patient Simulator (TPS) provides
case-based patient history and trauma casualty data, real-time physiological
modeling, interactive patient assessment, 3-D scenario simulation, and
instructional record-keeping capabilities. The VSP offers training benefits
that include enhanced adaptability, availability, and assessment. ·
A
Test of Responsive Virtual Human Technology as an Interviewer Skills Training
Tool. With Link, M.W., Armsby, P. P., and Hubal, R.
Proceedings of the 2002 Annual Conference of the American Association for
Public Opinion Research , St. Petersburg. 2002. (htm) , (doc)
Abstract: Research on survey
non-response suggests that advanced communication and listening skills are
among the best strategies telephone interviewers can employ for obtaining
survey participation, allowing them to identify and address respondents'
concerns immediately with appropriate, tailored language. Yet, training on
interaction skills is typically insufficient, relying on role-playing or
passive learning through lecture and videos. What is required is repetitive,
structured practice in a realistic work environment. This research examines
acceptance by trainees of an application based on responsive virtual human
technology (RVHT) as a tool for teaching refusal avoidance skills to
telephone interviewers. The application tested here allows interviewers to
practice confronting common objections offered by reluctant sample members.
Trainee acceptance of the training tool as a realistic simulation of
"real life" interviewing situations is the first phase in evaluating
the overall effectiveness of the RVHT approach. Data were gathered from two
sources -- structured debrief questionnaires administered to users of the
application, and observations of users by researchers and instructors. The
application was tested with a group of approximately fifty telephone
interviewers of varying skill and experience levels. The research presents
findings from these acceptance evaluations and discusses users' experiences
with and perceived effectiveness of the virtual training tool. ·
JUST-TALK:
An Application of Responsive Virtual Human Technology, with Geoffrey Frank
and Robert Hubal, accepted for publication, Proceedings of the 24th
Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference, 2002. (htm) , (doc)
Abstract: In this paper, we
describe an application of responsive virtual humans to train law enforcement
personnel in dealing with subjects that present symptoms of serious mental
illness. JUST-TALK provides a computerized virtual person to interact with
the student in a role-playing environment. Students were able to converse
with the virtual person using spoken natural language and see and hear the
virtual personality a combination of facial gesture, body movements, and
spoken language. The JUST-TALK project, funded by the National Institute of
Justice Office of Science and Technology and developed by RTI International,
involved integrating virtual reality training software within a 3-day class
at the North Carolina Justice Academy. The course was structured to include
classroom-based lecture, videos, discussion, live human role-playing, and
virtual human role-playing. |