An embodied communication system using speech-driven embodied entrainment characters with an eyeball movement model

Abstract

In this paper, we analyze human eyeball movement through their avatars, by using an embodied virtual communication system with a line-of-sight measurement device. On the basis of this analysis, we propose an eyeball movement model, which consists of an eyeball delay movement model and a gaze withdrawal model. Then, we develop an advanced communication system in which the proposed eyeball movement model is applied to speech-driven embodied entrainment characters called InterActors. The communication system generates the eyeball movement on the basis of model, and it generates the head and body entrained motions of InterActors by using the speech input alone. The effectiveness of the proposed eyeball movement model and the developed communication system is demonstrated by means of sensory evaluations in an avatar mediated communication system.