Efficient distribution of emotion-related data through a networked virtual environment architecture

Abstract

In this paper we describe the way in which emotion-related data can efficiently be exchanged between participants in a large-scale networked virtual environment. This type of metadata is extracted from real-time captured video streams using off-the-shelf webcams and applied onto a two-dimensional (2D) stylised avatar; thereby improving the immersion the user experiences while navigating and communicating in the virtual world. As emotion-related data-once processed through the system-can be considered a specific type of state information, a generic networked virtual environment architecture can be used to distribute the information between participants. We have opted to extend the in-house developed architecture for large-scale virtual interactive communities (ALVIC-NG) architecture to be able to process the information flows. We Will show that the inclusion of this new type of information does not have a detrimental effect on the scalability of the system. Copyright (C) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.