Using both characteristics, researchers hope to develop techniques for checking whether the digital characters are who they claim to be. Such information could be used in situations where login details are not visible or for law enforcement. Impersonation of avatars is expected to become a growing problem as real life and cyberspace increasingly merge. Avatars are typically used to represent players in online games such as World of Warcraft and in virtual communities like Second Life. As their numbers grow, it will become important to find ways to identify those we meet regularly, according to researchers from the University of Louisville. Working out if their controller is male or female has an obvious commercial benefit.
But discovering that the same person controlled different avatars in separate spaces would be even more useful. As robots proliferate we will need ways of telling one from the other. The technology may also have implications for security if a game account is hacked and stolen. Behavioural analysis could help prove whether an avatar is under the control of its usual owner by watching to see if it acts out of character. The research looked at monitoring for signature gestures, movements and other distinguishing characteristics. Researchers discovered that the lack of possible variations on a avatar's digital face, when compared to a real human, made identification tricky. However, those limited options are relatively simple to measure, because of the straightforward geometries involved in computer-generated images.
More information:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14277728
More information:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14277728