Dynamic movement and positioning of embodied agents in multiparty conversations

Abstract

For embodied agents to engage in realistic multiparty conversation, they must stand in appropriate places with respect to other agents and the environment. When these factors change, for example when an agent joins a conversation, the agents must dynamically move to a new location and/or orientation to accommodate. This paper presents an algorithm for simulating the movement of agents based on observed human behavior using techniques developed for pedestrian movement in crowd simulations. We extend a previous group conversation simulation to include an agent motion algorithm. We examine several test cases and show how the simulation generates results that mirror real-life conversation settings.

A Robot Centric Perspective on the HRI Paradigm

“…Upon the robot's arrival it is likely that the group will reconfigure (Dusan &Traum, 2007, Kendon, 1977 and Kendon, 1973) and, depending on the saliency of the object the robot is carrying, the group may actively compete for it (Guerin, 2003). In order to ensure the item is delivered to the correct person the robot must inform the intended recipient that the object is intended for him/her and, potentially more importantly, inform the remainder of the group that the object is not intended for them.…”

Dialog Behaviors across Culture and Group Size

“…Models that run on half-second intervals may not be adequate for multiparty interaction. The model in [23] uses center of structure to calculate proxemics, while this study analyzed proxemics of the quad using a minimum spanning forest measure. Measures using center of structure may be a more fair measure and should be considered.…”

Spontaneous Avatar Behavior for Human Territoriality

“…The pioneering work of Jan et al (Jan & Traum 2007), for the first time exploits some of the techniques used in the field of Crowd Simulators to replicate small scale group dynamics with a special interest in conversations. In their work, the authors recognize the importance of managing the correct positioning and orientation of agents in conversation to avoid breaking the fragile illusion that makes a social virtual environment believable.…”

“…The approach combines the knowledge on the territorial organization of a social situation (e.g. the territory of a conversation) with low level reactive behaviors which generate "social forces" in a way similar to other works on dynamic group behavior in embodied agents, such as (Jan & Traum 2007). The focus of our approach is on automating continuous social avatar positioning and orientation as a function of the territorial field and the set of norms of a given social context.…”