Human errors are the most common reason for planes to crash, and of all human errors, suboptimal communication is the number 1 issue. Mounting evidence suggests the same for errors during short-term medical care. Strong verbal communication skills are key whether for establishing a shared mental model, coordinating tasks, centralizing the flow of information, or stabilizing emotions. However, i...

Brain Computer Interfaces (BCI) provide a way of communicating directly from brain activity, bypassing muscular control. We report some recent advances in a BCI communication system called the P300 speller, which is a virtual brain-operated keyboard. This system relies on electroencephalographic activity time-locked to the flashing of the desired letters. It requires calibration of the system, ...

Social interaction is a key element of modern virtual environments. This paper discusses how non-verbal communication (or body language) is vital to real world social interaction, and how it is important to carry it over to virtual environments. It is not sufficient for a character to passively exhibit non-verbal communication; non-verbal communication should be a genuine interaction between a ...