Towards Social Companions in Augmented Reality: Vision and Challenges

Abstract

In future omnipresent Augmented Reality (AR), virtual creatures (humans and pets) will play an important role, not so much as task-oriented individuals, but as friends and companions with whom we can walk and chat when we want to. A companion can also suggest physical activity, motivate healthy eating behavior, or help in reminding taking medication. We survey existing approaches to introduce virtual humans and pets in AR. We indicate shortcomings and mention research approaches to deal with them. We conclude with a few observations on some aspects of AR-specific situational awareness of (multisensorial) virtual humans and pets that must reflect in their behavior to be believable.