The University of Southern
California's Institute for Creative Technologies is leading the way in creating
virtual humans. The result may produce real help for those in need. The virtual
therapist sits in a big armchair, shuffling slightly and blinking naturally,
apparently waiting for me to get comfortable in front of the screen. The
software allows a doctor to follow a patient's progress over time. It
objectively and scientifically compares sessions.
The centre does a lot of work
with the US military, which after long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has to deal
with hundreds of thousands of troops and veterans suffering from various levels
of post-traumatic stress disorder. The whole lab is running experiments with
virtual humans by blending a range of technologies such as movement sensing and
facial recognition. In the lab's demonstration space a virtual soldier sits
behind a desk and responds to a disciplinary scenario as part of officer
training.
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