Interpersonal Communication through Virtual Avatars

Abstract

Toward a sustainable society, there is a need for enhanced telecommunication tools. In communication, social cues such as appearance, eye contact, and gestures play an important role. Compared to conventional communication tools, interaction through avatars in a 3D virtual space is promising as a future telecommunication tool because the social cues exchanged through the tool are richer and the environment can be manipulated and reconfigured in real time. What factors affect communication through avatars in virtual spaces, and how do these factors affect communication? To answer these questions, Social VR research unit of Institute for Future City Studies of Tokyo City University was established in 2020. This paper introduces four of the research projects that have been conducted so far, focusing mainly on social cues related to appearance.