EdgeAvatar: An Edge Computing System for Building Virtual Beings

Dialogue systems, also known as conversational agents, are computing systems that use algorithms for speech and language processing to engage in conversation with humans or other conversation-capable systems. A chatbot is a conversational agent that has, as its primary goal, to maximize the length of the conversation without any specific targeted task. When a chatbot is embellished with an artistic approach that is meant to evoke an emotional response, then it is called a virtual being. On the other hand, conversational agents that interact with the physical world require the use of specialized hardware to sense and process captured information. In this article we describe EdgeAvatar, a system based on Edge Computing principles for the creation of virtual beings. The objective of the EdgeAvatar system is to provide a streamlined and modular framework for virtual being applications that are to be deployed in public settings. We also present two implementations that use EdgeAvatar and are inspired by historical figures to interact with visitors of the Venice Biennale 2019. EdgeAvatar can adapt to fit different approaches for AI powered conversations.