IMPROV: A System for Real-Time Animation of Behavior-Based Interactive Synthetic Actors

The IMPROV Project at NYU’s Media Research Lab is building the technologies to produce distributed 3D virtual environments in which human-directed avatars and computer-controlled agents interact with each other in real-time, through a combination of Procedural Animation and Behavioral Scripting techniques developed in-house. We are also exploring multi-modal interaction paradigms combining traditional forms of input (keyboard and mouse) with speech and gesture recognition in conjunction with various forms of presentation, including 2D and 3D display. The system is intended to operate over Local and Wide Area Networks using standard internet protocols, enabling anyone with access to the World Wide Web to develop or participate in fully interactive, virtual experiences.