Imitation makes digital characters more lifelike

Talking to a cat can be a bit of a let-down, even if it’s a computerised one. For a start, most of them don’t talk like cats, or even much like people. The same thing happens when you try to interact with Bugs Bunny or your favourite Mr and Mrs Whiplash. What you need is a cat you can relate to.

It’s a problem common to many animated characters, known as avatars, used on cellphones and computers to visually represent people or software agents in online video games, chat rooms, classrooms and stores. This is because avatars’ gestures tend to be pre-programmed, and not very lifelike.

Read the complete story . (New Scientist)