By making chat graphical, we are adding a non-verbal channel to our on-line conversations.  In the 'real' world the non-verbal plays an important role in establishing and breaking contact with other people as well as being an integral part of the conversation itself. 

d i s c u s s i o n

This discussion will focus on the following issues:

• What type of  functions does the non-verbal serve in 'real' face-to-face conversation?
• Are those functions important to on-line conversations?
• If so, how can they best be realized?
• What are the hardest problems?
• Some approaches to solving these problems.

Hannes Högni Vilhjálmsson [bio] [home]
MIT Media Laboratory [home]

For more information on his life-like avatars project at the MIT Media Lab, visit the [project page].