Robin,an Empathic Virtual Buddy

for Social Support

Robin provides emotional support and practical advice to victims of cyberbullying.

This is Robin.

Robin is able to display different facial expressions.This image represents Robin.

For example,

Content Happy Angry

Frustrated Sad Surprised

This window shows the message history.

The user communicates with Robin by selecting pre-defined response options.

Robin

Conversation model

Emotion model

In order to understand, comfort and suggest actions to the user, Robin combines a conversation and an emotion model.

Welcome Gather information

Convers. objective Give advice Round off

Conversation model

The conversation model specifies that the conversation consists of 5 phases.

1 2 3 4 5

Welcome Gather information

Convers. objective Give advice Round off

Conversation model

It also specifies the topics that are discussed during each phase.

1 2 3 4 5

• Hello • Event• Emotional state• Coping current

• Conversationobjective

• Coping future

• Advice

• Bye

Emotion model

The emotion model determines when Robin expresses sympathy, encouragement or compliments the user.

Emotion model

It is based on the OCC model.

Emotion model

Response options are interpreted as actions or events.

Emotion model

An action or event triggers an OCC emotion type.

Emotion model

This emotion type is added to the current emotional state.

Emotion model

And subsequently expressed both verbally and nonverbally.

Emotion model

Not all response options trigger emotions.

Emotion model

If a response option does not trigger an emotion, the current emotional state is decayed to neutral.

Emotion model

Next, the facial expression is updated to reflect the current emotional state.

Now, back to Robin…

Imagine you are Tom, a 14 year old that likes to talk to people via Instant Messaging (IM).

You’ve just added a new contact and then the following happens…

If you feel upset, you can talk to Robin.

Robin greets the

user

Phase 1: Welcome

Robin asks questionsThe user answers

Phase 2: Gather information

Robin asks: how are you

being bullied?The user

answers: I’m being called

names

The user answers: I’m being called

names

‘Being called names’ is an undesirable event.

The user answers: I’m being called

names

‘Being called names’ is an undesirable event.

I focus on the consequences for Tom.

The user answers: I’m being called

names

‘Being called names’ is an undesirable event.

I focus on the consequences for Tom.

I feel sorry for Tom.

The virtual buddy decides to express sympathy.

Robin changes its facial

expression to sad

The virtual buddy decides to express sympathy.

Robin changes its facial

expression to sad

And says: I’m sorry you’re being called

names!

The virtual buddy decides to express sympathy.

As he asks the next question,

Robin’s emotional state decays to

neutral

The conversation continues

The conversation continues and at appropriate times Robin expresses emotions both verbally and nonverbally.

Robin is happy, because the user said he stood up

to the bully

Therefore, it compliments

the user

Robin expresses sympathy, because standing up to the

bully didn’t stop the bullying

Robin asks how it can

help the user

Phase 3: Conversation objective

The response options are: ‘I want to tell my story’ and

‘I want tips’

Robin asks how it can

help the user

Phase 3: Conversation objective

The user selects

‘I want tips’

Robin suggests actions to deal

with the bullying

Phase 4: Advice

And asks the user to choose the one

he likes best

Phase 4: Advice

The user selects one of

the options

Phase 4: Advice

And Robin comments on

this option

Next, Robin introduces

the tips

This is the first tip

The user has to confirm each tip by clicking

‘okay’

The next tip (‘block the contact on MSN’)

requires technical know-how

So, after the user confirms

the tip

Robin asks the user whether he wants an explanation of how to

block a contact on MSN

The user selects yes

The user selects yes

Robin explains the

first stepAnd waits for confirmation

Robin explains the

next step

Until the explanation is

complete

After announcing this was the final tip

Robin closes the conversation by saying goodbye

Phase 5: Round off

In this presentation, the language of the virtual buddy was Dutch.

If the demo is accepted, we will make an English version to show during the conference.

Disclaimer

The virtual buddy is being developed to investigate how embodied conversational agents can comfort

users when they have experienced an upsetting event.

It is not a solution for the problem of cyberbullying.Also, Robin is not intended as a replacement for

professional help or human support.