How exactly does one become an emotionally competent and reactionary 3D avatar of oneself? I found myself in the midst of precisely 40 DSLR cameras strapped onto poles aimed at my face, with a heavy weight atop of my head, while going through a series of emotions and sounds I wasn’t aware I was capable of. Not exactly a scene from a Tarkovsky film, but not unlike other ventures into life-like technology.
Recently, London live-event design company Immersive presented a new technology created by Expressive AI called Emotion Capture, where, as demonstrated in the above process, avatars are created to be emotionally responsive and as human-like as possible.
,
,
40 cameras capture every moment. Photo: @diariesofthecities
Expressive AI is a new company that combines mathematical algorithms with computer vision in order to create software personalities. They stress the human and organic element through a procedure they call “emotion capture.”
“Ours [is] based on human emotions” Producer of this Emotion Capture session and Creative Director of Immersive, Sean Wilder, states, emphasizing the human element both as what sets their technology apart from corporations like Disney and Facebook and in reference to Elon Musk’s call for a human element to safeguard against AI.
,
,
Model Taii Gorden is coached by Technical Director Robert Stevens and Director Chris Shaw. Photo: @diariesofthecities
,
,
Director Chris Shaw coaches the models through emotions. Photo: @diariesofthecities
After creating the software personality, it will then be able to speak and express emotions “consistent with [the] personality of its human creator.” You can view an early example with similar principles by cofounder and emotion coach extraordinaire Chris Shaw below, as the newer work has not yet been disclosed to the public.
,
Source: Vice