Virtual Humans
In the Virtual Human Team at Futures Lab, we work on creating virtual people who can talk with you and respond as if you’re having a real conversation. We explore how these digital characters can support people in social and care-related environments, and what people find comfortable in such interactions. This includes looking at things like voice, posture, appearance, and the way a virtual person communicates.
we combine research, design, and technology to understand how people prefer to communicate with digital characters. Our main goal is to develop virtual humans that can work together with people in a natural and supportive way: both now and in the future.
Approximately one in three Dutch people struggle to understand, use, and/or assess health information. This leads to poorer health outcomes. At the same time, healthcare demand is increasing in duration and complexity, while there is a significant shortage of healthcare professionals. A transition from illness and care to (broad) health and prevention is essential, with an emphasis on residents’ self-reliance and self-sufficiency. Virtual Humans can play a key supporting role in this transition.
To help address this challenge, we developed Sam. Sam communicates about healthy aging in an accessible way. Inspired by the ‘Praat vandaag over morgen’ campaign, Sam asks questions and shares practical tips that can inspire reflection and encourage people to take action.
In collaboration with:
