Virtual Teletubbies: reapplying a robot architecture to virtual agents

A virtual environment that contains no other agent than the avatar representing the user may be useful for some applications, but it seems very 'empty'. Multi-user VEs for example 'Active Worlds' (COF inc) or 'Onlive Traveler' (OnLive! Technologies) overcome this, but it seems unlikely that every agent one might want in a VE will necessarily be played by a human avatar. Thus there is a role for virtual agents.