Avatars

Visualizing Avatars

With most VR devices currently on the market, only supporting head and hands tracking, these have been the primary elements making up most avatar visualizations. Even though that omits your neck, body, and legs, users can actually be very expressive with simply just their hands and head.

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At the end of this VR session, @cunch's spirit departed, leaving only a withered, lifeless husk on the floor.

A post shared by Jhonen Vasquez (@jhnenvee) on Dec 5, 2016 at 1:52am PST

This hasn’t, however, stopped designers from implementing full body avatars. Either they would incorporate add-on sensors to track waist and feet or they’ve developed methods of guessing where body, feet, and shoulder locations would be, based on hands and head locations.

Here are some examples of how avatars are represented in different VR experiences:

Expressions other character details

Aside from a user’s movement, there are additional ways that can allow avatars to be more humanized. Facial features and even simulated features such as moving mouths or blinking lights for when a user is speaking or eyes that blink randomly are all small details that can make an impactful difference during social interactions. These details can help facilitate deeper connections between users and create a more engaging social experience.

Here are some examples: