Advances in Shader Lamps Avatars for telepresence

Abstract

Since the introduction of the animatronic Shader Lamps Avatar in 2009, several aspects of the system's design have been improved to create a more effective telepresence experience. This includes an analysis of the tradeoffs between front and rear projection and between rigidly aligning the projector with the display surface or needing to track it. A new control mode is implemented for the pan-tilt unit that enables the avatar head pose to better emulate real human motion and a new hardware device allows the motorized wheelchair that carries the avatar to be controlled by the remote inhabiter. With the recognition of the importance of high quality audio, the audio components for both the inhabiter and the avatar have also been updated. Finally, some preliminary live tests are presented and areas of continued research are discussed.