Avatar Therapy

The Avatar Therapy System

The Avatar Therapy System is computer software running in the cloud that supports the delivery of AVATAR therapy. It provides the facility for enrolling a custom avatar for a voice hearer. It supports a therapy session in which the voice hearer can interact with the therapist and the avatar over a video call. It also manages a secure database of therapists, clients and sessions for record keeping.

The Avatar Therapy System is registered as a Medical Device under the UK and EU regulations. The Avatar Therapy System is now available for licensed use by trained clinical professionals, please contact the company for licence arrangements.

An AVATAR therapy session

A therapy session takes place between the therapist and the client over a video call. The therapist sees a console which allows them to speak to the client over the call in either their own voice or as the avatar. The client sees a video window showing either the therapist or the avatar.

The video call is set up through the Avatar Therapy server, but the actual communications between therapist and client take place in a secure peer-to-peer connection.

The therapy session only requires the use of a web browser at each end of the call. Chrome, Firefox and Edge browsers are supported on Windows, MacOS and Android.

Creating an avatar

The Avatar Therapy System licences the FaceGen system for face generation. FaceGen provides a flexible system for creating faces based on gender, age and ethnicity. FaceGen Modeller can also create faces from photographs. The Avatar Therapy System provides an easy-to-use interface to FaceGen within the web browser, but all the facilities available in the FaceGen Modeller program can also be used if desired.

Here are some example faces generated within the Avatar Therapy System:

The system also allows for the addition of neck and shoulders, items of clothing, beards and glasses, changes in facial expression, and background scenes.

Choosing a voice

The Avatar Therapy System contains its own proprietary voice processing system that allows for the creation of voices that match the characteristics of the experience of the voice hearer. During enrolment, the voice hearer can listen to an indefinite variety of voices with easy-to-use slider controls to modify them:

Running a therapy session

A therapy session is run in the same way as a video call. The therapist books a time with the client and a unique code is generated for the call. At the time of the session, the therapist and the client log into the system using the code and they are connected together. The client sees a typical video call window:

The therapist sees the video call console which allows the therapist to start and stop a session, to display their own video or the avatar, and to speak in their own voice or in the voice of the avatar. Facilities also exist to record parts of the session as a video file, which can then be stored on the therapist's computer, uploaded to the server or shared with the client.