The Future of Digital Characters – Part 1

Our group at the Future Reality Lab is researching how users will interact with the digital characters of the future.

As mobile technology advances, we have seen animated 3D characters in new places.

Where they once mainly existed in video games and cartoons, digital characters are becoming a popular feature in mobile messaging apps.

With augmented reality, characters are placed directly inside of the user’s video chat feeds. Using the selfie camera, they can be mapped to the user’s face. Using the forward facing camera, they can be mapped to a plane or an object in the room.

This presents a great opportunity for personalized content.

But it also makes us ask, why will users want to connect with some characters more than others?