Directing Avatars in Live Performances -- an Autonomy Simulacrum of Virtual Entities

TL;DR

This paper reviews the evolution of virtual actors, emphasizing autonomy as a key feature, and demonstrates a method for directing avatars that simulate autonomous behavior in live performances.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach to creating autonomous virtual avatars and illustrates how they can be directed in real-time live performance settings.

Findings

Autonomy is crucial for realistic virtual actors.

A new method for avatar stage direction was developed.

Live performance with autonomous avatars was successfully demonstrated.

Abstract

We propose to review the main stages in the computer history of virtual actors, with a view to the exploration of virtual reality and discussion on different approaches to human simulation. The notion of autonomy emerges as a key issue for the virtual entities. We then explore one way of building elements of autonomy and conclude with an example of avatar stage direction leading to a simulacrum of autonomy in a live performance.