From movies to research: Teaching social skills digitally

Text by Susanne Gold, December 2024

Until now, the virtual world has primarily recorded our language and facial expressions. In our research at Siemens, we’re expanding digital simulation to include the language of the entire body. Motion capture technologies (MoCap) will make it possible to digitally model human communication more precisely and comprehensively and to elevate the teaching of social skills to a new level.

Not a wetsuit

At the Siemens Technology Center in Garching, Germany, there’s a futuristic suit equipped with tiny markers that initially looks like a wetsuit. But this suit can do much more. It measures each movement of the body in real time and seamlessly transmits them to a computer. A smartphone mounted at face height precisely records the facial expressions associated with the body’s movements.

The result: digital avatars that replicate even the most subtle movements of their wearers at an impressive level of detail.

Inspired by the big screen

These suits first became known in the movies of director Andy Serkis, including “Planet of the Apes” and “The Lord of the Rings,” where the actors’ body language was transmitted to cinematic avatars.

For the Avatar Research team led by Rebecca Johnson in our User Experience (UX) department, the Motion Capture Suite is also an important piece of laboratory equipment, because it precisely records human movements and makes them usable for research.

The team is investigating how digital communication can help improve our social skills in the real world. It goes without saying that their research has to include human body language.

The language of our emotions

Words are far from the only way that people communicate, whether it’s through folded arms and a skeptical gaze, balled fists and a severe frown, or a lowered head and a deep sigh. Facial expressions and body language are crucial for interpersonal communication because they express emotions and establish connections.

Motion Capture was originally conceived as a special effect for Hollywood, but it can do more than bring fictional characters like Gollum to life; it’s also helping the team accurately depict human movements for its research.

The future of AI companions

Over the next two decades, AI companions could become capable of doing much more than just performing simple tasks: They may become genuine partners in our interpersonal communication. Progress in neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) and machine learning will enable these digital companions to not just understand speech but also to interpret nonverbal signals like facial expressions and gestures. This creates new possibilities for developing avatars and AI companions that recognize human emotions and respond to them empathetically.

In the future, these technologies will help us foster emotional intelligence and teach social skills in both our professional and personal lives. The transition from a purely digital world to natural and fluid human interaction appears to be more achievable than ever before.

How can virtual empathy improve our real-life communication?

In a world that increasingly relies on digital communication, avatars will make users and virtual environments more comprehensible to each another. An avatar will be transparent and remain recognizable as an artificial counterpart, while it’s also able to optimally imitate our language with all its nuances.

The goal is to develop a targeted digital training that teaches us to recognize a variety of human signals and confidently respond to them. Because ultimately, it’s our social skills that determine whether or not we can communicate with each another and access new opportunities in the real world.

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