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Skill Enhancement Exercises

Virtual Reality with Ai Avatar

We are always developing and designing new products, as well as updating current technology. Our strategy includes issuing state-of-the-art spatial computing headsets to counselors and partner institutions, creating a foundation for immersive, virtual environments.

We are exploring the use of AI-driven avatars to mimic real-life interaction in 2024-25. This provides an intuitive platform for counselors-in-training to engage in real life scenarios and practice situations in the safety of AI-driven role play.

Training using an AI Avatar in virtual reality (VR) works by combining the immersive environment of VR with intelligent, responsive avatars powered by artificial intelligence.

1. Virtual Reality (VR) Setup:

  • Virtual Environment: VR creates a fully immersive 3D world that you can interact with using special equipment like a VR headset, motion controllers, and sometimes gloves or suits.
  • You Enter the VR World: When you wear the VR headset, you are transported into a virtual environment that could simulate any vocational rehabilitation counseling scenario – like an office, classroom, or employment site.

2. AI Avatars:

  • AI-Powered Avatars: An avatar in this context is a digital character that represents someone or something. In training, these avatars are controlled by AI, meaning they can respond to your actions and interact with you in real-time.
  • Smart Behavior: These avatars are designed to simulate realistic human behavior. They might have natural conversations, react to your movements, or even perform tasks or provide feedback based on the situation.
  • Learning from You: The AI avatars are designed to learn from your actions. For example, if you're practicing communication skills or leadership, the AI might challenge you with questions, adjust its behavior based on your answers, or simulate different emotional responses.

3. Training Scenarios:

  • Role-playing: In many training scenarios, the AI avatar could play the role of a youth with a disability, parent, employer, or other person you'd interact with in the real world. It can give feedback or ask questions to help you learn.
  • Skill Practice: Whether you’re practicing technical skills or soft skills (like conflict resolution), the VR world can simulate realistic environments where you practice. The avatar could simulate challenges or guide you in completing tasks.

4. Interactivity and Feedback:

  • Real-time Feedback: As you interact with the AI avatar, the system can give you instant feedback. If you make a mistake, the avatar can correct you or offer tips. If you perform well, it can praise your efforts.
  • Simulated Emotions: Some advanced AI avatars can display emotions (like anger, frustration, or happiness) in response to your actions. This helps make the experience more realistic and allows you to practice handling different emotional responses from others.

5. Customization:

  • Tailored Training: You can often adjust the difficulty, pace, and style of the training. The AI avatar can adapt based on your progress, offering more challenging scenarios as you improve.

Session

We have created our first VR – AI Avatar Scenario. The subject is Employer Engagement in Support of Pre-ETS. The trainee is meeting with an employer, Gabrielle, who owns a beauty salon.

© 2024 - Accessible Innovative & Relevant Training for VR Counselors.

This project is funded through a grant award from the US Rehabilitation Services Administration in Innovative Training (H263C190013). It was awarded to the WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY RESEARCH CORPORATION, the faculty of the West Virginia University Department of Counseling and Learning Sciences, Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling program; Reed College of Media; the University of West Georgia; and UWGLive. All materials are products of the grantee and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the US Department of Education and no official endorsement should be inferred.