15/Meeting the Future

Theme:
Telebuddy

Motto:
Physical telepresence in the Internet – acting live, getting live, anywhere, anytime

Realization:
Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics (IGD), Darmstadt

The project "Telebuddy" is a co-operation of the ZGDV Darmstadt and the Fraunhofer IGD Rostock. The Buddy is a Avatar, which is to enable a physical tele-present at another place to the Internet user.

The "Telebuddy" is a hightech-puppet with different sensors and actuators, like microphone, camera and loudspeaker. It borrows its eyes, its voice, its ear to the user and is even able to use miming and gesturing. Ulrike Spierling demonstrates its application.

Dr. Thomas Kirste presents a new dimension of the interaction. The "Telebuddy" gives several Internet user the possibility to participate actively e.g. to the EXPO. Over a portal in the net users can place questions, which the "Buddy" outputs over a loudspeaker. With this technique it is possible to participate from the Internet in meetings of any type actively, without being physically present.

Contact:
Matthias Finke 
E-mail: Matthias.Finke@zgdv.de
Rundeturmstr. 6 
D-64283 Darmstadt
Tel: +49-6151/155-614
Fax: +49-6151/155-451
Internet: www.zgdv.de/miv.
or: http://www.zgdv.de/zgdv/refprojects/h-telebuddy/index_html_en