Kellen’s research centers on the design of affective virtual characters, which may be defined as digital constructs that have the ability to create emotional dynamics between themselves and the users they interact with. These characters have a greater potential for effective human interaction as they are more likely to establish strong emotional connections and are therefore better able to achieve certain communication goals such as expression, persuasion, and engagement.

 

Kellen’s presentation at the Hayes forum included a short overview of the area of affective design as well as video demos of two experimental projects. This included the Virtual Patient GRA project he has been helping to develop under the direction of Prof. Alan Price of ACCAD and the Design Department, and Dr. Doug Danforth of the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center's Clinical Skills Education and Assessment Center. 

 

The presentation continued with developmental images and video of his thesis project entitled "The Addicted," expected to be completed in the summer of 2013. The presentation concluded with a brief review of the assessment methodology that will be used to evaluate emotional impact on users interacting with the installation.

 

Below is “Roger Coddington” – one of the characters of the Virtual Patient project.