A Modular Haptic Agent System with Encountered-Type Active Interaction-Reference-Cited by-同舟云学术

A Modular Haptic Agent System with Encountered-Type Active Interaction

Published:2023-04-30 Issue:9 Volume:12 Page:2069
ISSN:2079-9292
Container-title:Electronics
language:en
Short-container-title:Electronics

Author:

Dongye Xiaonuo¹^ORCID,Weng Dongdong¹,Jiang Haiyan¹,Feng Lulu¹

Affiliation:

1. Beijing Engineering Research Center of Mixed Reality and Advanced Display, School of Optics and Photonics, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China

Abstract

Virtual agents are artificial intelligence systems that can interact with users in virtual reality (VR), providing users with companionship and entertainment. Virtual pets have become the most popular virtual agents due to their many benefits. However, haptic interaction with virtual pets involves two challenges: the rapid construction of various haptic proxies, and the design of agent-initiated active interaction. In this paper, we propose a modular haptic agent (MHA) prototype system, enabling the tactile simulation and encountered-type haptic interaction of common virtual pet agents through a modular design method and a haptic mapping method. Meanwhile, the MHA system with haptic interaction is actively initiated by the agents according to the user’s intention, which makes the virtual agents appear more autonomous and provides a better experience of human–agent interaction. Finally, we conduct three user studies to demonstrate that the MHA system has more advantages in terms of realism, interactivity, attraction, and raising user emotions. Overall, MHA is a system that can build multiple companion agents, provide active interaction and has the potential to quickly build diverse haptic agents for an intelligent and comfortable virtual world.

Funder

the Key-Area Research and Development Program of Guangdong Province

the National Natural Science Foundation of China

Publisher

MDPI AG

Subject

Electrical and Electronic Engineering,Computer Networks and Communications,Hardware and Architecture,Signal Processing,Control and Systems Engineering

Link

https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/12/9/2069/pdf

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