Hello, welcome to TechDisruptor; today, we will explore VH or Virtual Humans.
From science fiction to reality, VHs are becoming increasingly common in our lives. Created using advanced technologies they have a wide range of applications.
VHs can take on many forms, from chatbots and voice assistants to 3D avatars and holograms. These virtual humans simulate realistic human behavior and communication, allowing us to engage with them naturally and intuitively.
One of the most prominent examples of a VH is Siri, Apple’s intelligent assistant. Siri uses natural language processing to understand and respond to user commands, making setting reminders or sending messages easy. Other include Amazon’s Alexa, Microsoft’s Cortana, and Google Assistant use similar technologies to provide users with personalized assistance.
Don’t think of them as only digital assistants. They have a place in healthcare, education, and entertainment. One example of this is virtual doctors and nurses. They can simulate patient interactions, helping medical students gain practical experience and improve patient outcomes. Virtual teachers can provide personalized instruction, adapting to each student’s learning style and pace. And virtual actors can bring characters to life in movies and video games, providing audiences with a more immersive and interactive experience.
Creating a VH requires various technologies, including machine learning, computer vision, and natural language processing. These technologies enable them to understand and respond to user input, recognize emotions, and generate their behavior and speech.
Digital DNA
Digital DNA captures a person’s unique physical and behavioral traits, including their appearance, voice, and mannerisms, and uses that data to create a virtual replica of that person. This technology allows them to be more lifelike and realistic.
This has tremendous potential to enhance and/or complicate our digital lives. It raises a few ethical and social questions. How do we ensure that virtual humans are used responsibly and ethically? What is the risk level of dehumanization, manipulation, and addiction? As Virtual Humans become more advanced, they may replace human workers, leading to concerns about job displacement and economic inequality.
With A.I. VHs can collect data on individuals without their knowledge or consent, raising concerns about privacy violations.
As they continue to evolve, it’s clear that they will play an increasingly important role in our lives. The future is fascinating; we can’t wait to see what’s next.
The Process
Interested in creating your own VH?
- Choose a platform: A wide variety of available tools can help you create your own VH—software like Unity, Unreal Engine, and Autodesk Maya. Choose a venue that best fits your skill level and the desired outcome.
- Try starting by Learning the basics about your chosen platform. Seek training that will help you excel.
- Decide on appearance and behavior: Determine your virtual human’s appearance, behavior, and personality. Think about how you want your virtual human to interact with users.
- Use motion capture technology: Motion capture technology can help make your virtual human’s movements more natural and realistic.
- Incorporate artificial intelligence: Consider incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into your virtual human to make it more intelligent and responsive.
- Test and refine your design. Test it with other users to see how they interact. Use their feedback to improve and refine the virtual human’s appearance and behavior.
Available technologies
- Unity: Unity is a popular game engine. It offers various features and tools for creating interactive experiences and simulations.
- Unreal Engine: A popular game engine with tools for creating life-like graphics and animations.
- Autodesk Maya: Autodesk Maya is a 3D modeling and animation software that can help you create virtual humans.
- Adobe Character Animator: Adobe Character Animator is a software platform that allows users to create animated characters using facial recognition and motion capture technology.
- Fuse: Fuse is a 3D character creation software that allows users to create custom characters and avatars. It offers a range of features for customizing appearance, clothing, and other attributes.
- MakeHuman: MakeHuman is a free, open-source software tool allowing users to create 3D human models.
- DAZ Studio: DAZ Studio is a 3D art and animation software that can create life-like characters and scenes.
- Mixamo: Animate 3D characters for games, film, and more.
These are just a few examples of the many tools that are currently available.
