Page 65 - Socially Intelligent Agents Creating Relationships with Computers and Robots

48 Socially Intelligent Agents

Figure 5.1. Conversation from both participant’s point-of-view: (1) person A is asked the first
question (2) and responds, (3) then the agent comments. (4) Next person B is asked a question.
Note that the agent faces the person it is addressing.

If the participants start talking again before the agent reaches them, it stops
the approach and goes back to idling. The agent will also remain in idling state
if the participants are standing far apart from each other (out of conversation
range), or are not facing each other. If the participants turn away from each
other during the agent’s approach, or while it is talking, it will return to idling
state, as well.
The agent decides there is silence when the sum of the voice volumes of both
participants is below a fixed threshold value. When the agent detects a silence
that lasts for more than a certain period of time, it decides the participants
are in an awkward pause. The agent decides how to position itself, based on
the location and orientation of each participant. The agent turns toward the
participant that it’s currently addressing. If the participants move while the
agent is talking, the agent adjusts its location and orientation. The agent tries
to pick a place where it can be seen well by both people, but also tries to avoid
blocking the view between them. If it’s hard to find an optimal position, the
agent will stand so that it can at least be seen by the participant to whom it is
addressing the question.