Proceedings Article | 27 January 2009
Proc. SPIE. 7238, The Engineering Reality of Virtual Reality 2009
KEYWORDS: Medicine, Video, Therapeutics, Virtual reality, Motion models, Heads up displays, Printed circuit board testing, Systems modeling, Content addressable memory, Solid modeling
We describe a project designed to use the power of online virtual worlds as a place of camaraderie and healing for
returning United States military veterans-a virtual space that can help them deal with problems related to their time of
service and also assist in their reintegration into society. This veterans' space is being built in Second Life®, a popular
immersive world, under consultation with medical experts and psychologists, with several types of both social and
healing activities planned. In addition, we address several barrier issues with virtual worlds, including lack of guides or
helpers to ensure the participants have a quality experience. To solve some of these issues, we are porting the advanced
intelligence of the ICT's virtual human characters to avatars in Second Life®, so they will be able to greet the veterans,
converse with them, guide them to relevant activities, and serve as informational agents for healing options. In this way
such "avatar agents" will serve as autonomous intelligent characters that bring maximum engagement and functionality
to the veterans' space. This part of the effort expands online worlds beyond their existing capabilities, as currently a
human being must operate each avatar in the virtual world; few autonomous characters exist. As this project progresses
we will engage in an iterative design process with veteran participants who will be able to advise us, along with the
medical community, on what efforts are well suited to, and most effective within, the virtual world.
