E-022

Reactive Agent Based Planning for an Avatar

Authors: O. Waller, G. Dodds
Affiliation: School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Queen's University of Belfast.
O. Waller is a member of the IEEE, and the ACM.
G. Dodds is also a member of the IEEE.

Abstract
Complex product design using CAD tools is commonplace, but these tools often lack important human factors information. Virtual reality (VR) tools now include avatars for human factors analysis. However these require the user to interactively position the avatar to reach for objects. We describe how adding an advanced motion planner can allow the avatar to reach and grasp automatically. The method is based on a reactive agent planner. We show the limitations of the planner and its environmental representation when used in a 3D environment and show how the problems can be reduced to a planar 2D problem.

Owen Waller
PhD. Student in Control Eng.
Queens University, Belfast
Tele: +44 (0)28 9027 4085
Fax: +44 (0)28 9066 7023
O.Waller@ee.qub.ac.uk