A speech-driven embodied entrainment wall picture system for supporting virtual communication

We have developed a speech-driven embodied entrainment system called "InterPicture" and have demonstrated the effectiveness of the system using an embodied virtual communication system. InterPicture is an image containing flowers that react to the speech input of talkers. We confirmed the importance of providing a communication environment in which not only avatars but also CG objects placed around the avatars are related to virtual communication. In this study, we have developed an advanced speech-driven embodied entrainment system called "InterWall". This system projects wall picture widely onto the wall surrounding avatars and behaves as a listener by producing nodding and body movements on the basis of the speech input of a talker. Further, a communication experiment has been performed, and the effectiveness of "InterWall" has been demonstrated by carrying out a sensory evaluation and a speech-overlap analysis for 20 pairs of 40 talkers.