Benjamin Kunz                                   MAICS 2016                                        Keynote Talk


    Social and Perceptual Fidelity of Avatars and Autonomous
                    Agents in Virtual Reality
                                            Benjamin Kunz
                                        Department of Psychology
                                          University of Dayton



                                                  Abstract
          Advances in display, computing and sensor technologies have led to a revival of interest
      and excitement surrounding immersive virtual reality. Here, on the cusp of the arrival of prac-
      tical and affordable virtual reality technology, are open questions regarding the factors that
      contribute to compelling and immersive virtual worlds. In order for virtual reality to be useful
      as a tool for use in training, education, communication, research, content-creation and enter-
      tainment, we must understand the degree to which the perception of the virtual environment
      and virtual characters resembles perception of the real world. Relatedly, virtual realitys utility
      in these contexts demands evidence that goal-directed behaviors and interpersonal interactions
      in virtual reality mimic real-world actions and that learning in one domain transfers to the other.
      In particular, providing the virtual reality user with a compelling sense of self and co-presence
      with virtual others has implications not just for creating convincing social environments but
      even for conveying the intended sense of scale and space in virtual environments. This presen-
      tation discusses the importance and challenges involved in creating and depicting interactive
      avatars representing both human and computer-controlled agents. Special attention will be
      paid to the use of computer-controlled avatars to both investigate interpersonal processes and
      behaviors and to improve the fidelity and naturalism of these autonomous agents.




                                            Biographical Sketch

Benjamin R. Kunz received his Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from the University of Utah in 2010. He
is now an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Dayton with research
interests in visual-spatial perception and action in real and virtual environments, embodied cognition and
the body schema, and social influences on spatial cognition.

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