Social Eye Gaze in Virtual Agents

Shared eye gaze is an important mode of interpersonal communication and a strong cue used to assess the presence of another mind. Psychological research shows that our brains react differently when we take an intentional stance towards a virtual character, and that eye contact and co-ordinated gaze are important factors in establishing and maintaining this stance. The combination of modern VR and eye-tracking technology opens the possibility of meaningful simulation of these behaviours in games. In this project we combine work in cognitive psychology, virtual agents and game design to investigate how simulated eye gaze affects players' interaction with virtual agents.