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Potential Future Goals - We would like to expand on the current technology in several areas : Appearance - completing the lifelike silicone skin (in process) Adding more animatronic functions - eyelids, arms/torso Perception - implement more advanced robotic vision software which creates objects for different individuals and retains character profiles Interaction/Behavior - continue refining the best methods of interaction and designing complementary structured experiences 2-way communication -between discussion engine/motion blending Authoring tool - to allow authors to quickly and easily write for this system
Potential Applications - As an interactive animatronic character, "Doc" Beardsley has numerous applications and venues. Here are some prospective utilizations of this technology:
Location Based Entertainment - The possibilities are limitless for providing theme parks, amusement parks, themed restaurants, and other location based entertainment venues with engaging animatronic characters which can be interacted with on a conversational level instead of just being seen and heard. Museum: Historical Figure - Thousands of museums display reproductions of historical people, ancient civilizations, and famous personalities. But haven't you ever wanted to ask Abraham Lincoln if he knew it was coming? Characters like "Doc" Beardsley can field such inquiries and be scripted to respond in the manner of any personality imaginable. Interactive Electronic Pet - Have you ever seen an electronic pet (like a Tomagotchi or a Digipet)? With the ability to be truly interactive, these pets could be personified and given a genuine character with which to respond to their owners. What if your pet actually told you it was hungry, or thanked you for taking care of it (as opposed to simply beeping or changing the value of a number on a screen). Baby dolls and toy soldiers can take on an even greater interactive role with the children who use them. Embodied Personal Digital Assistant - Imagine walking into your home or office to be greeted by a full-bodied assisstant who can keep you up to date on your schedule, tell you whose birthday you're about to forget, and answer your questions about when and where to be, and even why. Information Kiosk - Airports, theme parks, shopping malls, hotels, and the like all need a concierge or information desk to direct guests. What if an exciting animatronic character could tell you what gate your flight departs from or where a brand new roller coaster is? Restaurant Automated Waiter - One day you may sit down at a restaurant and ask a robot what today's soup is. It could explain the menu, take your order, and even understand service requests. The only question is how much do you tip? Retail Salesperson - If you've ever worked in retail you know just how annoying it can be to answer the same questions and direct people to the bathroom over and over again. Interactive animatronic characters can serve as retail clerks answering questions about merchandise. But if a robot ever says, "You look great in that dress", you may not want to take his or her word for it. |
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The Interactive Animatronics Initiative (IAI) is a joint initiative between the Field Robotics Center (FRC) and the Entertainment Technology Center (ETC) at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). Carnegie Mellon University, Entertainment Technology Center (c) 2001 |