Abstract. MPML3D is our first candidate of the next generation of authoring languages aimed at supporting digital content creators in providing highly appealing and highly interactive content with little effort. The language is based on our previously developed family of Multimodal Presentation Markup Languages (MPML) that broadly followed the “sequential” and “parallel ” tagging structure scheme for generating presynchronized presentations featuring life-like characters and interactions with the user. The new markup language MPML3D deviates from this design framework and proposes a reactive model instead, which is apt to handle interaction-rich scenarios with highly realistic 3D characters. Interaction in previous versions of MPML could be handled only at the cost of considerable scripting effort due to branching. By contrast, MPML3D advocates a reactive model that allows perceptions of other characters or the user interfere with the presentation flow at any time, and thus facilitates natural and unrestricted interaction. MPML3D is designed as a powerful and flexible language that is easy-to-use by non-experts, but it is also extensible as it allows content creators to add functionality such as a narrative model by using popular scripting languages. 1

The cultural context of the user is a largely neglected aspect of human centered computing. This is because culture is a very fuzzy concept and even with a computational model of culture it remains difficult to derive the necessary information to recognize the user’s cultural background. Such information is only indirectly available and has to be derived from the observable multimodal behavior of the user. We propose the usage of a dimensional model of culture that allows applying computational methods to derive a user’s cultural background and to adjust the system’s behavior accordingly. To this end, a Bayesian network is applied to allow for the necessary inferences despite the fact that the given knowledge about the user’s behavior is incomplete and unreliable.

The user’s behavior and his interpretation of interactions with others is influenced by his cultural background, which provides a number of heuristics or patterns of behavior and interpretation. This cultural influence on interaction has largely been neglected in HCI research due to two challenges: (i) grasping culture as a computational term and (ii) infering the user’s cultural background by observable measures. In this paper, we describe how the Wiimote can be utilized to uncover the user’s cultural background by analyzing his patterns of gestural expressivity in a model based on cultural dimensions. With this information at hand, the behavior of an interactive system can be adapted to culture-dependent patterns of interaction.

Abstract. The paper describes an infotainment application where lifelike characters present two MP3 players in a virtual showroom. The key feature of the system is that the presenter agents analyze the user’s gaze-behavior in real-time and may thus adapt the presentation flow accordingly. In particular, a user’s (non-)interest in interface objects and also preference in decision situations is estimated automatically by just using eye gaze as input modality. A formal study was conducted that compared two versions of the application. Results indicate that attentive presentation agents support successful grounding of deictic agent gestures and natural gaze behavior. 1

Abstract. We present our concept of integrating culture as a computational parameter for modeling multimodal interactions with virtual agents. As culture is a social rather than a psychological notion, its influence is evident in interactions, where cultural patterns of behavior and interpretations mismatch. Nevertheless, taking culture seriously its influence penetrates most layers of agent behavior planning and generation. In this article we concentrate on a first meeting scenario, present our model of an interactive agent system and identify, where cultural parameters play a role. To assess the viability of our approach, we outline an evaluation study that is set up at the moment. 1

Abstract. This research proposes 3D graphical agents in the role of virtual presenters with a new type of functionality – the capability to process and respond to visual attention of users communicated by their eye movements. Eye gaze is an excellent clue to users ’ attention, visual interest, and visual preference. Using state-of-the-art non-contact eye tracking technology, eye movements can be assessed in a unobtrusive way. By analyzing and interpreting eye behavior in real-time, our proposed system can adapt to the current (visual) interest state of the user, and thus provide a more personalized, context-aware, and ‘attentive’ experience of the presentation. The system implements a virtual presentation room, where research content of our institute is presented by a team of two highly realistic 3D agents in a dynamic and interactive way. A small preliminary study was conducted to investigate users ’ gaze behavior with a non-interactive version of the system. A demo video based on our system was awarded as the best application of life-like agents at the GALA event in 2006. 1 1

Abstract. Most storytelling model approaches consider stories formed by sequences of a particular type of event. These sequences are mostly constructed using the inherent temporal characteristic of each linked event and this limitation makes it difficult to adapt the models to other kinds of events. In order to develop a more generic model to create storytelling applications, we need to organize events using not only temporal relations, but also relations determined by the rhetorical context of those events. In this paper, we present ISRST, our proposal for a generic storytelling ontology model based on the organization of events using a subset of relations proposed by the Rhetorical Structure Theory and how narrative principles and user interest are applied to these relations to generate coherent stories.

Abstract. Storytelling models are usually constrained to the applications they are implemented in because of the particular characteristics of the data used to define story events and the way those events are linked. In order to develop a more generic model to create storytelling applications, we need to focus the solution not on the data itself, but on the manner this data, in the form of events, is organized and conveyed to the user. In this paper, we present SRST (Storytelling RST), our proposal for a generic storytelling ontology model based on the organization of events using the relations proposed by the Rhetorical Structure Theory (RST) and how narrative principles are applied to these RST relations to generate coherent stories. Keywords: Storytelling, Ontology Model, RST, Rhetorical Relations. 1

□ Interactive storytelling (IS) models, either implicitly or explicitly, have had to deal with three major aspects in their implementations, regardless of their technology: (1) how to define story events, i.e., the pieces of information that constitutes the content of any story; (2) how to present story events, i.e., the algorithm that is used to convey this content to the user; and (3) how the user is to interact with the story, i.e., the variables that the user can modify in order to change the presentation of the events in content or in order. The majority of IS implementations encode in their definition of story event timing information (the range of time specified in terms of the story timeline in which the event must be presented) and interaction variables associated with that predefined timing. This approach is convenient for story presentation, but presents several restrictions in terms of story understanding and story dynamism. To overcome these restrictions, we developed interactive storytelling model using rhetorical structure theory (ISRST), our proposal for a storytelling model based on the organization of generally defined events using a subset of rhetorical relations proposed by the RST and the application of narrative principles and user interaction through interest to generate appealing stories. This presentation of ISRST will be complemented by a critical discussion about technical and usability issues