Lei Feng network press: Author of this article Iván Gris, source weforum, by Lei Feng network (search "Lei Feng network" public number concern) exclusive compilation, refused to reprint without permission!
Have you ever talked to your computer or mobile phone? Maybe your colleagues, friends or relatives have done this. They will ask electronic devices for basic information, such as the location of the nearest pizzeria in the vicinity or the time of the sporting event tonight. But soon, you will find that you and the electronic device will have some different interaction - you can even know its name, its favorite color and what you think when you are away.
The human-computer interaction that you had never dreamed of a few decades ago has already been realized today. If it develops smoothly, the computer will become your virtual partner, playing different roles and performing different tasks through the surrounding environment and human needs, preferences, and even personality. In the near future, these technologies will help us create virtual teachers, coaches, doctors, nurses and so on. They will not replace human status, but will increase people's life satisfaction, because they can replace people to complete some difficult tasks.
The next step we need to achieve is augmented reality technology, which allows a machine in reality to understand humans and interact with humans. The focus of my research with my colleagues is to break the fourth wall of human-computer interaction and make people talk with the computer—the content of the dialogue is about people themselves.
Bring the computer to life
Our goal is to help people establish close relationships with virtual characters and analyze the importance of "natural interactions" - especially in the absence of controllers, keyboards, mice, text, and screens.
To make this technology more ground-breaking, we cloned a "Harry Potter" using IBM's Waston artificial intelligence system and our own developed software. Through the microphone, you can ask this virtual Mr. Porter's question about everything in his life - as long as the questions you ask are not overriding (you can find answers in seven books).
Since then, we have created a museum guide that helps visually impaired people experience the appeal of art. Our prototype is Sara. She is a gallery assistant in Queretaro, Mexico.
We have also created a similar "dangerous edge" style game console, you can play with it and some college-related puzzle quiz games. You think of it as the real host, choose the part you want to play the most, and ask questions and laugh freely.
We can even build our own virtual tour guide in the interactive research lab at the University of Texas at El Paso. She can answer questions that many tourists want to ask, and also allows developers to help her answer questions that she can't help.
Our most advanced project is the creation of a surviving scene. In a virtual environment, you need to speak, make different gestures, and interact with virtual characters so that you can survive on a desert island for “a week†(probably an hour in the real world). You become friends with virtual characters, live, fish, find water and hideouts, and escape other dangers until you are rescued through call for help and body language tracking.
Understanding humans
These projects are very "fun". When we begin to create human-like avatars, we need to understand what humans are—how we move, act, and make gestures. Our project is very interesting and allows people to be interested in such interactions for a long time.
We try to make people forget that they are in a room with sensors and cameras that help them understand the body language and let them listen. When people are in an interactive state, we analyze their behavior and want to create controllers that can control the avatar's personality, posture, voice tone, rhythm, and even breathing, blinking, and gaze.
Next, we need to take these avatars to leave the tablet screen and the virtual world. The way is to let people enter the virtual environment through virtual reality, or let the characters come to the real world through augmented reality.
We have created some features, especially image enhancements, which have been developed in the past few years. Some GPS-based games, such as Pokémon Go, can already be played on mobile devices. Microsoft's Kinect system for the Xbox allows players to change outfits or use exotic backgrounds for video backgrounds to make people feel that they are really there.
More advanced systems can change the way we look at the world. For example, people can now touch, control or even feel virtual objects. Some devices even simulate odors and make the beaches and forests in the virtual scene more realistic. Some systems even allow users to freely choose the taste of food through visual effects and odor enhancement.
Future - unlimited possibilities
One day, augmented reality technology can make everything come true. At present, the focus of the research is still on video games, but in fact health care, education, military simulations and exercises, and construction are all ready to meet augmented reality.
At present, almost all equipment can operate independently rather than relying on each other to form a huge ecosystem. What happens if we can integrate touch, smell, taste, vision, and GPS information? What happens if we add virtual elements back in?
Unfortunately, like the films "Matrix", "She" and "Mechanika", people live in an anti-utopian virtual reality world, fall in love with computers or be shaped with humans. Indiscriminate killing of robots, advanced technology usually brings some panic and danger. Of course, there is still hidden potential among them.
People often question whether we will misuse technology or whether the computer will eventually become self-aware. As in the movie “Mechanical Enemy†and “Terminator,†the machine can come and go in the real world. We want to use our research results to create an unparalleled experience process, fun and fascinating scenes to help people solve everyday problems. Finally, if you ask our avatars, they will not plan to lead the world. They will surely play tricks on you. After looking at the schedule, they say, "Of course I won't."
Via weforum