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Abstract
Purpose - To review Peter Plantec's book Virtual Humans: A Build it Yourself Kit.
Design/methodology/approach - This book is meant to be read by one willing to actively engage with the technologies that Plantec introduces. While the technology that enables virtual agents is stable, many agents are annoyingly non-humanlike in their interactions. Plantec encourages his readers to enter the world of virtual humans by providing the resources and coaching necessary to create a digital agent. He challenges the reader to throw off the notion that she is creating a technical implementation, a piece of software, and instead persuades her to approach the task as a scriptwriter would in creating a character.
Findings - Only through the application of artifice can developers hope to create deeply engaging virtual humans with recognizable, engaging personalities. But once people start to believe in their virtual companions, where might it lead them as a society?
Originality/value - Provides information about virtual humans.
Keywords Robotics, Artificial intelligence
Paper type General review
Diving into Peter Plantec's brave new world of virtual humans
Peter Plantec is an incredible salesman. He does not desire that you purchase expensive software, specialized hardware or servos and actuators to build robots. He is not attempting to sell you anything more than an idea; the idea that the future interface to the technology which surrounds our lives must become more human. He is not seeking to improve the interface to our devices through more easily interpreted affordances, as Norman and Neilsen desire, but by making our interactions with technology more literally human like. He demands that his readers become active participants in building the first generation of this world, and that is what sets Virtual Humans apart from other books imagining the future. You are not alone in this endeavor. The book along with its accompanying CD contains the necessary software and guided inspiration that you will need to make it happen. This is not a book meant to be read casually while curled up in a cozy chair, unless you also have room for a laptop. It is meant to be delved into while at your computer, installing the included software packages and playing with this technology. It is only through working with the...