If you visited Museum of Science in Boston, you should have met Ada and Grace, two attractively full of energy and enthusiasm educators.
They are not real people, but responsive virtual humans. They were designed by the University of Southern California’s Institute for Creative Technologies through computer-generated character animation, artificial intelligence and autonomous agent research.
Designed to advance the public’s awareness of, and engagement in, computer science and emerging learning technologies, the virtual guides make a museum visit richer by answering visitor questions, suggesting exhibits and explaining the technology that makes them work.
According to their developers, “not only are they capable of discussing the science content of a museum exhibit, they also can be funny and model a convincing range of human emotions, providing an unprecedented opportunity to inspire youth and learners of all ages about computer science and related STEM fields.”