Avatar-Based Online Chat Tool
During the Summer of 1999, I created an avatar-based online chat tool. The tool allowed individuals to join and interact in online, real-time discussions. In these discussions, each individual was represented by a graphical avatar. All interaction was done through text and modifications to their avatars. The interface of this software was modified several times for several different applications, including:
- a tool that allowed children in a classroom computer lab to talk with guest scientists at another location
- a tool that allowed college students to see who was viewing the course web site while they were viewing and then join in a conversation with their peers.
- a tool that allowed college students to meet and interact with guest speakers at a different location in the country
I was sole software engineer and programmer on the project. I collaborated with Carrie Heeter, Norm Lownds, and others on the feature set and user interface of the various versions of the tool.