Research on Agent-Mediated Communication:
Toward Creative Communication Systems that Demonstrate "Understanding"
MASE Kenji
Agent-Mediated Communication
In conventional research on communication systems such as groupware, it is assumed
that transmission should be transpar-ent, with the intermediating devices remaining
imperceptible. In contrast, our research seeks to develop an agent-oriented communication
system featuring anthropomorphic self-adaptability that actively and intelligibly
mediates person-to-person communication. With the proposal of novel communi-cation
models and fundamental technologies, we selected and investigated the following
three sub-themes:
- Supporting verbal communication by stepping into the content of the dialog
- Supporting real-world communication with personal agents
- Supporting multimedia communication with multimedia/
multimodal information representation and reception.
Verbal Communication Environment
In this project, we investigated the important processes of crystallization of
ideas, mutual understanding, and develop-ment of thinking along with online dialog,
even at the content level.
First, we proposed a way to visualize the thinking space1
as well as the idea of supporting thinking with an "outsider" agent. These proposals
were based on a statistical processing of dialog utterances. Next, we proposed
a group-thinking model. It models the communication process of a group of members
with the processes of (i) individual thinking, (ii) idea representation and mutual
exchange, and (iii) group thinking through collaborative work. An on-line discussion
support system named AIDE (Augmented Informative Discussion Environment) was developed
through the introduction of a formal representation of knowledge media that enables
smooth exchange between processes2
. Consequently, we have confirmed the possibility of constructing a meeting agent
that attends and develops dialog autonomously.
Real-world Oriented Personal Agents
We sought to develop personal agents that support person-to-person communication
by linking the real world and cyber-space. These agents personally and adaptively
interface with people.
First, we proposed several applications and service con-cepts of personal agents
such as the ﾔMeta-museum3
' and ﾔC-MAP' (Context-aware Mobile Agent Project), which are digital assistants
for future museums and advanced academic conferences. We regard the exhibits and
visits as the collaborative and creative processes in the Meta-museum. Through
C-MAP, we have developed a personal agent that features a context-awareness capability.
In C-MAP, face-to-face communication can be activated and facilitated in front
of the "AgentSalon" system (Fig. 1)
to which the personal agent migrates and initiates conversation according to the
user's activities.
By applying C-MAP to various conferences, we have confirmed the possibility of
a context-aware agent4 that activates conversation through captured information,
thereby achieving agent-mediated communication.
Multimedia Communication
The third topic is to clarify the role of aesthetic and creative media such as
music and video in implementing novel styles of communication. We investigated
the possibility and the roles of multimedia interaction. Drawing on areas of computerized
music research, we prototyped various multimedia musical instruments.
The "Iamascope5", an interactive kaleidoscope, is a multimedia instrument with
which a performer can play music and create images through body movements (Fig.
2). Its natural interface and perfect sensation of immersion were welcomed
at international events worldwide. The balanced interface for direct manipulation
of music and images provided us with the inspiration to develop a theory of the
multimedia communication model. Consequently, we proposed a multimodal communication
model that links dialog, music and an embodied entity through an experimental
sensor-equipped doll (Fig. 3).
Reference
