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Affective Interaction with a Virtual Character through an fNIRS Brain-Computer Interface

Aranyi, Gabor, Pecune, Florian, Charles, Fred, Pelachaud, Catherine, Cavazza, Marc (2016) Affective Interaction with a Virtual Character through an fNIRS Brain-Computer Interface. Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience, 10 (70). pp. 1-14. ISSN 1662-5188. (doi:10.3389/fncom.2016.00070) (KAR id:56272)

Abstract

Affective brain-computer interfaces (BCI) harness Neuroscience knowledge to develop affective interaction from first principles. In this article, we explore affective engagement with a virtual agent through Neurofeedback (NF). We report an experiment where subjects engage with a virtual agent by expressing positive attitudes towards her under a NF paradigm. We use for affective input the asymmetric activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DL-PFC), which has been previously found to be related to the high-level affective-motivational dimension of approach/avoidance. The magnitude of left-asymmetric DL-PFC activity, measured using functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and treated as a proxy for approach, is mapped onto a control mechanism for the virtual agent’s facial expressions, in which action units (AUs) are activated through a neural network. We carried out an experiment with 18 subjects, which demonstrated that subjects are able to successfully engage with the virtual agent by controlling their mental disposition through NF, and that they perceived the agent’s responses as realistic and consistent with their projected mental disposition. This interaction paradigm is particularly relevant in the case of affective BCI as it facilitates the volitional activation of specific areas normally not under conscious control. Overall, our contribution reconciles a model of affect derived from brain metabolic data with an ecologically valid, yet computationally controllable, virtual affective communication environment.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.3389/fncom.2016.00070
Subjects: Q Science > QA Mathematics (inc Computing science) > QA 76 Software, computer programming, > QA76.9.H85 Human computer interaction
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Computing, Engineering and Mathematical Sciences > School of Engineering and Digital Arts
Depositing User: Marc Cavazza
Date Deposited: 12 Jul 2016 14:53 UTC
Last Modified: 09 Dec 2022 00:24 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/56272 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Cavazza, Marc.

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