VR interactive dialog system with verbal and nonverbal communication

We have constructed a dialog environment between a human and a virtual agent. With commercial off-the-shelf VR technologies, special devices such as a data glove have to be used for the interaction, but it is difficult for anyone to manipulate objects on their own. If there is a helper who has direct access to objects in virtual space, we may ask them. The question, however, is how to communicate with the helper. The basic idea is to utilize speech and gesture recognition systems. We have already reported the above-mentioned result, although only the avatar can move a virtual object in the current system. The user cannot freely manipulate virtual objects. Therefore, in a new attempt, we constructed a communication channel between virtual space and the real world so that the virtual object could be manipulated. In order to develop the new system, we extended the existing system to an internet meeting system allowing users in different places to interact with each other by voice and by a pointing action with a finger.