14:00-14:05: Welcome Talk
14:05-14:45: Keynote: Prof. Frank Steinicke – Blending AI and XR for the Next Generation of Smart Avatars and Intelligent Virtual Agents
Abstract: As we stand on the cusp of a new technological era, the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Extended Reality (XR) is set to revolutionize the creation and functionality of smart avatars and intelligent virtual agents. This talk will explore how the fusion of these two domains can enhance user interaction by providing more immersive, adaptive, and emotionally responsive digital companions. We will discuss the advancements in AI that enable avatars to understand and respond to human emotions and behaviors, as well as the role of XR in creating engaging and lifelike environments. By examining current trends and future possibilities, we envision a future where intelligent virtual agents are not just tools, but integral partners in our digital lives.
14:45-15:45: Session 1 (3 times 15 minutes talk + 5 minutes questions)
• Geometry-aware 3D Gaussian Splatting for View-DependentRendering of 3D Head Models- Antoine Boyer, François Le Clerc and João Regateiro
• Impact of avatar’s legs on collaborative performance and so-cial presence- Martin Heitz, Flavien Lécuyer, Nicolas Pacqueriaud, Arash Habibi, Julien Casarin and Dominique Bechmann – Paper
• SDEM: A State of mind Driven Eye Movements Generator ForVirtual Characters- Chun Wei Ooi
15:45-16:15: Coffee break
16:15-17:15: Session 2 (3 times 15 minutes talk + 5 minutes questions)
• OFER: Occluded Face Expression Reconstruction- Pratheba Selvaraju, Victoria Fernandez Abrevaya, Timo Bolkart, RickAkkerman, Faezeh Amjadi, Tianyu Ding and Ilya Zharkov – Paper
• Generative Articulated Neural Fields to multiple identitiesand poses- Guillaume Loranchet, Pierre Hellier, François Schnitzler, Adnane Boukhayma, João Regateiro and Franck Multon
• Integrating Personality into Digital Humans: A Review ofLLM-Driven Approaches for Virtual Reality – Iago Brito, Julia Dollis, Fernanda Bufon, Pedro Ribeiro, Rafael Sousa andArlindo Galvão – Paper
17:15-17:55: Panel “The future of avatar research”. The workshop was con-cluded by a a panel discussion including the keynote speakers, or-ganizers, and audience to discuss in an interactive manner the futuredirections and challenges of the community on the topic of avatars
17:55-18:00: Closing talk
