Behavior enhanced instant messaging using desktop robots

This paper presents the development of an application that uses the body movements of desktop robots to enhance online conversations on instant messaging. Acting as the avatars of the remote users, the desktop robots represent instant messages with expressive behaviors to the local users. Robot behaviors are built on a set of action modules and associated with instant messages in the formats of text or emoticons. Behavior representation adds humane features to instant messaging. Responses from the public to the desktop robots indicate that this application might become widespread in the near future.