Control system for virtual characters

A method for controlling a virtual character, comprising:

• displaying the virtual character on a first display device located at an end user display device located remotely from an interactor node;
• displaying a menu on a second display device located at the interactor node, the menu configured to provide a listing selections from one of a plurality of facial expressions, a plurality of poses, and a plurality of behaviors associated with the virtual character;
• at the interactor node including one or more processors and a memory, receiving, from a user input device, one or more of a user-selected facial expression, a user-selected pose, and a user-selected behavior for the virtual character selected from the menu;
• providing an animation of movement of the virtual character from a prior position to a position exhibiting the one or more user-selected facial expression, user-selected pose, and user-selected behavior;
• and
• displaying, on the first display device, the movement of the virtual character in real time from a prior position to a position exhibiting the one or more user-selected facial expression, user-selected pose, and user-selected behavior.

A method of creating a virtual character for a system for virtual character interaction, comprising:

• creating, at a computer comprising one or more processors and a non-transitory computer-readable memory, a virtual character with an emotional or cognitive profile, further comprising:
• creating a set of facial expressions for the virtual character comprising capturing an image of each facial expression and storing each facial expression in a library of facial expressions in the non-transitory computer-readable memory;
• creating a set of poses for the virtual character comprising creating an animation for each pose from a sequence of video images and storing each animation in a library of poses in the non-transitory computer-readable memory;
• creating a set of behaviors for the virtual character comprising capturing each behavior with a motion capture system, separating each behavior into one or more motion clips, and storing each clip in a library of motions in the non-transitory computer-readable memory;
• and
• associating the facial expressions, poses, or behaviors into response states based on the emotional or cognitive profile of the virtual character and storing the response states in the non-transitory computer-readable memory,
• wherein the libraries and the responses states are stored in a configuration system of the computer in communication with an input system, and each facial expression, pose, or behavior is associated to a selection of the input system.