A speech-driven embodied group entrained system with an eyeball movement model for lecturer character

Abstract

We have already developed a speech-driven embodied group entrained communication system called "SAKURA" for activating group interaction and communication in which speech-driven CG characters called InterActors with both functions of speaker and listener by generating communicative actions and motions are entrained to one another as a teacher and some students in the same virtual classroom. In this paper, the eyeball movement of lecturer in virtual group communication is analyzed by using an embodied communication system with a line-of-sight measurement device. On the basis of the analysis, we propose an eyeball movement model, which consists of a saccade model and a model of lecturer's gazing to audiences called "group gaze model." Then, an advanced communication system in which the proposed model is applied to SAKURA is developed for enhancing group interaction and communication. This system generates lecturer's eyeball movement based on the proposed model by using only speech input. By using the system, we perform experiments for the effects of the proposed model by sensory evaluation. The results demonstrate that the system with the model is effective in group interaction and communication. © 2013 The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers.