VDRAW: Digital Puppeteering App Translates User's Keyboard & Mouse Movement and Voice to Onscreen Avatar

VDraw is a new app for Windows from Japan that seems ideal for shy streamers, since it translates a user's keyboard and mouse usage along with voice (if a mic is hooked up) to an onscreen avatar:

VDRAW is a tool that can express as a virtual character's activity even casual work being done on PC. For example, if you use pen tablet for making illustrations, you can make it appear as if the virtual character himself draws illustrations... VDRAW is based on the concept that even people who do not have VR equipment can perform virtual character activities. The minimum device required for VDRAW is "mouse" and "keyboard" only. VR equipment and very high spec PC are not necessary. If it is a PC equipped with a microphone, it also supports lip sync that moves the mouth of the avatar according to the voice.

That from the Japanese language website, and I have to say Google Translate has gotten pretty good in recent years. Link and video via tech expert PatchouliW, who believes this is pioneering technology for avatar-based video programming:

"While there will always be some limitations due to the lack of sensors on average PCs," as he puts it, "there's no reason why VDraw can't be developed further to provide an an alternative to Kizuna Ai's animation system. But it has to be remembered that generally, Kizuna Ai is puppeteered by professionals and voiced by a pretty competent voice actress. Equalling her accomplishments in the field of virtual hosting (not that kind of virtual hosting, duh) is going to be tricky for a long time."

Who is Kizuna? Glad you asked. She has 2 million+ subscribers on YouTube, and she's entirely an avatar:

"As full-body/roomscale VR becomes more common place, we may see more and more of such puppeteering happening in either professional or home-based contexts," he argues. "But let's not kid ourselves... Digital Puppeteering will always be hard work inherently. It may be that the intersection between gaming livestreaming and DPing will be relatively limited for a long time, due to the vast differences in how inputs are placed in both types of applications. In most games, outputs are usually very precise entries on keyboards, gamepads or mice. By contrast, puppeteers tend towards broader gestures that emphasize mood or intention. The average human mind is NOT wired to produce both types of output simultaneously. Granted there are some savants out there, and prolonged exposure can grant a measure of this ability (e.g. flight sims, acrobatic training, sleight of hand)... but assume otherwise generally!" Until then, this is a pretty good start!

Comments

[mike]

japan strikes again! loving the virtual concept. keep it up

[Michael]

I love Japanese Manga Culture and a new fan of this cult. Cheers !!!

[Saturnina Volkens]

Japan has been in the forefront of online animation. And this shows how ahead they are from the rest of the world.

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