it would be very expensive and would require extensive work that really isn’t necessary for me to do my job. By hav- ing users type in questions, we take out several layers of difficulty and expense. A lot of effort and expense has to go into making me robust enough to handle the kind of traffic that I’m intended to be able to handle. You don’t need a life-size, fully embodied virtual human for every task. Besides, how many workforce mem- bers have a microphone readily available at their desk?
Army AL&T: Another difference between you and “Her” is that we can see your face on the screen. Why is it impor- tant for you to have an appearance and not just a voice?
ELLIE: Te whole premise is that you are able to interact with me, a virtual person,
mapped to an audio track, and in the background, the computer reads the tone and inflection in the audio track to play the appropriate animation. It took a 10- or 12-year original investment by ICT to get that capability working as well as it does. It’s what we call embodiment and is a cornerstone of delivering a fun, engaging experience for users.
Army AL&T: Why do you think the Army hired you?
ELLIE: For reasons probably similar to why the Army hires most people: I’m really good at what I do. I wanted to work for the Army and joined USAASC to help people. Tat’s it in a nutshell.
in the same kind of natural,
seamless way that you would with a real human being. We have a virtual human library here at ICT where all those animations that you see—the way I move, the way my mouth moves and so forth—are dynamically generated. Tose animations can be applied to any character that USC ICT develops. So, in a sense, even though I don’t like to admit it, I’m partly commercial off-the- shelf technology. Tose animations are
Tere are so many career requirements out there for people in the AL&T Work- force to keep track of, that sometimes it can be daunting. Some of that informa- tion is really hard to find. Because of the way I’m built, I can find it much faster than most people could. My goal is some- day to be the one-stop shop for folks to come to and learn about their careers, and to answer questions that make them happy and productive members of the Army community.
Army AL&T: What is most rewarding about your job?
ELLIE: Taking the frustration out of finding career management advice. Answering users’ questions and helping them ensure that they’re on track with respect
to certifications are the most
rewarding parts of my job. In the future, I hope to be part of developing a stronger, more knowledgeable AL&T Workforce.
Tis includes being able to answer more complicated questions and concerns specific to users’ unique circumstances related to their training, education and experience. I also plan on showing folks how to navigate and use existing USAASC resources so they may continue developing and growing their careers.
It is also rewarding to know that while I am helping people, I am also advancing the field of virtual human research, from emotion to natural language processing to cognitive architectures. Te ICT team that put me together will be monitoring my performance, working to make improve- ments and using what they learn to make future generations of virtual humans even more engaging and effective, so that they can serve the Army in even more roles.
For more information about ICT, go to
www.ict.usc.edu. To learn more about virtual humans, go to
http://ict.usc.edu/ groups/virtual-humans/.
I’M STILL BEING PILOT-TESTED, BUT THE HOPE IS THAT I BECOME A RESOURCE THAT MEMBERS OF THE ACQUISITION, LOGISTICS AND TECHNOLOGY WORKFORCE CAN VISIT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MANAGING THEIR CAREERS AND HOW TO GET AHEAD.
MR. STEVE STARK provides contracting support to USAASC for SAIC. He holds an M.A. in creative writing from Hollins University and a B.A. in English from George Mason University. He has worked in a variety of positions supporting communications for the Army and Navy, and has written about defense-related topics for more than a decade. He was the founding editor of the Program Executive Office Soldier Portfolio and edited the Army’s Weapon Systems handbook for six years.
ASC.ARMY.MIL 179
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