Developers have long strived to create virtual avatars that are more realistic because they are believed to be preferred over less realistic avatars; however, an "Uncanny Valley" exists in which avatars that are almost but not quite realistic trigger aversion. We used a field study to investigate whether users had different affinity, trustworthiness, and preferences for avatars with two levels of realism, one photo-realistic and one a cartoon caricature. We collected survey data and conducted one-on-one interviews with SIGGRAPH conference attendees who watched a live interview carried out utilizing two avatars, either on a large screen 2D video display or via 3D VR headsets. 18 sessions were conducted over four days, with the same person animating the photo realistic avatar but with different individuals animating the caricature avatars. Participants rated the photo-realistic avatar more trustworthy, had more affinity for it, and preferred it as a virtual agent. Participants who observed the interview through VR headsets had even stronger affinity for the photorealistic avatar and stronger preferences for it as a virtual agent. Interviews further surprisingly suggested that our ability to cross the Uncanny Valley may depend on who controls the avatar, a human or a virtual agent.
PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the design charrette as a method for teaching sustainability.Design/methodology/approachThe paper utilizes a student‐based design charrette for the Mississippi Gulf Coast comprising a framework for teaching sustainability. An assessment of the charrette's role in promoting sustainability in higher education was ascertained through respondents completing pre‐ and post‐charrette surveys.FindingsThe paper provides survey results that shed light on the effectiveness of the charrette as an approach for teaching sustainability in higher education.Research limitations/implicationsThis research indicates that a charrette framed with criteria for teaching sustainability is viable. However, the study has limitations owing to the project's scope and its being a single‐case sample.Practical implicationsThe paper shows that actively engaging students in interdisciplinary, service‐oriented projects is of value in teaching concepts of sustainability in higher education.Originality/valueThe paper addresses the need for sustainability in higher education, focusing on disciplines of design, by assessing the effectiveness of a well‐accepted design teaching approach, the charrette.
Developers have long strived to create virtual avatars that are more realistic because they are believed to be preferred over less realistic avatars. However, an “uncanny valley” exists in which avatars trigger aversion when they are almost but not quite realistic. We used a field study to investigate whether users had different affinity, trustworthiness, and preferences for avatars with two levels of realism, one that was close to human-realistic and one a cartoon caricature. We observed behavior, conducted one-on-one interviews, and collected survey data from SIGGRAPH conference attendees who either participated in a live discussion session between two avatars in a VR environment, or observed it via 3D VR headsets or on a large screen 2D video display. Eighteen sessions were conducted over four days, with the same person animating the human-realistic avatar and different guests animating the caricature avatars. The guests who interacted with the human-realistic avatar had a positive experience in the VR environment. The observers had positive evaluations of both avatars while acknowledging their different levels of realism. They rated the human-realistic avatar as more trustworthy, had more affinity for it, and preferred it as a virtual agent. Participants who observed the interview through VR headsets had an even stronger affinity for the human-realistic avatar and stronger preferences for it than those who observed via the 2D screen. Effect sizes ranged from medium to large. Our results suggest that it is now possible to cross the uncanny valley with human-realistic avatars rendered in real time.
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