Virtual Humanoid “Utsushiomi” Michihiko SHOJI Venture Business Laboratories, Yokohama National University
Concept A user sees protean virtual characters mapped onto a robot through an *HMD. * HMD= Head Mounted Display. Features - Protean Appearances. - A Real Body for Physical Interaction. - Strong Sensation of Presence.
Mechanisms - The real world is captured by twin video cams inside the HMD. - A user sees video images of real-virtual world mix through the HMD. - A virtual character moves synchronized together with the robot. - An optical sensor tracks user’s head motion to keep the virtual character fixed on the robot.
Vision: RealPlayer in Reality Star Data Simple Robot Video See-through HMD Data Server Download Hi! You can invite any favorite star into your home.
How to Go into Business Business model: Game Console Business Model. Problem: Chicken vs. Egg Cost and time for a wide-range line-up of software content. Solution: User-Generated Content Use of Virtual human content from Second Life*. *Not implemented yet
Another Application with the Use of User-Generated Content - You can meet a virtual world friend in the real world. - Each user can start their own remote service. (e.g.), Support for people who suffer from social anxiety.
Documentation and Video You can see demonstration videos and all publication lists of papers and patents from the homepage of the project. URL If you are interested in more technical details or investment in Utushiomi, please contact me.
Appendix: Data Flow Diagram of Prototype