This project studies human interaction with virtual human characters, forming a virtual social group. It uses an existing virtual society model at Caltech, experienced as a graphical display of virtual humans which interact socially. An interface, including recognition of the user's gestures and eye gaze using computer vision, allows a user to participate. The research uses simplified social situations derived from a survival world where a social group of people survive by maintaining their social organization, by explicit social interaction, and by cooperatively building dwellings, exploring to find wood and fruits, and by hunting animals. The results will provide answers to questions such as whether a group experience occurs, whether a believable virtual social group can be created, and which social interactions lead to believability of characters. Potential commercial applications include the implementation of a usable virtual social group, from which may be developed animations for movies, interactive games, educational settings and business information settings. Future computer use will require extended continuous interaction and involvement by the user. Socially supportive virtual settings, allowing users to achieve their best, promise a new era of computer use. www.vision.caltech.edu/bond
