US 12,406,421 B2
Avatar—based behavior changing system and method
Brandon Oberlin, Indianapolis, IN (US); and Andrew Nelson, Indianapolis, IN (US)
Assigned to The Trustees of Indiana University, Bloomington, IN (US)
Appl. No. 18/030,936
Filed by THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY, Bloomington, IN (US)
PCT Filed Apr. 1, 2022, PCT No. PCT/US2022/023052
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 7, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/216541, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 13, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/172,814, filed on Apr. 9, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0386115 A1, Nov. 30, 2023
Int. Cl. G06T 13/40 (2011.01); A63F 13/213 (2014.01); A63F 13/60 (2014.01)
CPC G06T 13/40 (2013.01) [A63F 13/213 (2014.09); A63F 13/60 (2014.09); A63F 2300/5553 (2013.01); A63F 2300/8082 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A behavioral change observation system for inducing a behavioral change of a subject generated via a plurality of virtual reality interactions with a plurality of avatars, the system comprising:
an image capturing/streaming device configured to capture a reaction of the subject as the subject is responding to each interactive session that is streamed to the subject;
one or more processors in communication with the image capturing/streaming device; and
a memory in communication with the one or more processors and storing program code that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, causes the system to: stream to the subject utilizing the image capturing/streaming device a plurality of interactive sessions with each interactive session that is streamed including an interaction with an avatar from a plurality of interactions with avatars and an environment in which each avatar is presented in from a plurality of environments in which each avatar is presented in, wherein at least one of: (i) a physical appearance of each avatar and (ii) the environment that each avatar is presented in corresponds to an outcome of the subject based on decisions executed by the subject between a present time and a future time;
wherein each avatar streamed to the subject includes a physical appearance that corresponds to a different physical appearance of the subject;
wherein the one or more processors is further configured to cause the system to: stream a first interactive session that includes a first avatar interaction with a first avatar having a physical appearance based on a current physical appearance of the subject; and stream at least one additional interactive session that includes at least one additional avatar interaction with at least one additional avatar that has an aged physical appearance that is associated with aging of the subject to the future time;
wherein the at least one additional interactive session includes: a second interactive session that includes a second avatar interaction with a second avatar that has an aged substance use physical appearance based on characteristics associated with substance use by the subject between the present time and the future time; and a third interactive session that includes a third avatar interaction with a third avatar that has an aged non-substance use physical appearance based on characteristics associated with a substance free existence of the subject between the present time and the future time;
wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: stream the first interactive session including the first avatar in a first virtual space, followed by the stream of the second interactive session including the second avatar in a second virtual space, followed by the stream of the third interactive session including the third avatar in the second virtual space; and
wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: stream a first series of images of the first avatar in the first virtual space as a real-time reflection of the subject during the first interactive session of the first avatar interaction; and stream, subsequently, a second series of images of the first avatar in the first virtual space whereby the first avatar is not streamed as a reflection of the subject during the second interactive session.