Virtual teacher understands your frustration, pours on the homework

Okay, so maybe Eve won't really load you down with busywork, but the virtual teacher will sympathize with you, hear you out and alter her teaching style to better match your current mood. Reportedly, the Massey University creation can "pick up body language and facial expressions like a real teacher [in order] to interact and [hold] the attention of students." Additionally, she can ask questions, dole out feedback and discuss problems with pupils, but there's no telling how easily she hands out extra credit. Dr. Hossein Sarrafzadeh, the lead on the project, noted that people should soon expect robots to take note of their feelings and reactions exactly as we expect a fellow human to, but we're left to wonder how many more years our teachers have before they're subbed out en masse for digital replacements.

[Via SmartMobs, image courtesy of Primidi]

[Shaun @ Dec 2nd 2007 11:36AM]

It's an interesting concept but, could they have chosen a more annoying voice?

[Silivrenion @ Dec 2nd 2007 12:20PM]

I agree... quite annoying :P

[Azayzel @ Dec 2nd 2007 12:53PM]

Utter foolishness if you ask me. Why would you want some computer program teaching you something when a person does a much better job at it? These guys researching this are wasting their time. Why is a real person better? Teaching experience, physical interaction, empathy, ability to percieve different levels of learning ability and adjust to such, ability to adapt to more than simply facial & physical expressions. Robots are a long way off from that, not to mention how many have ever had anything published?

[Lattyware @ Dec 2nd 2007 1:10PM]

@Azayzel
Look at a teachers average salary. That is why it's being developed.

[jason @ Dec 2nd 2007 1:39PM]

Salary depends a lot on the school. My dad, a principal of a private highschool, has been there for almost 40 years and makes less my uncle's pension that retired as a techer from a public highschool after 25 years.

[Bad Beaver @ Dec 2nd 2007 1:42PM]

The salary of teachers allows for a direct and unfiltered view on a society's value-system.

[Scooter @ Dec 2nd 2007 4:43PM]

the voice is pure Kiwi, unfortunately. That said, she does sound as if she is hamming it up a bit: there are better voices to be had. This one might sound a bit friendly, but she also seems to be talking to k-12 students rather than undergrads.

I studied at Massey because it is a leader in distance learning, which is what this is all about: how to make the distance learning more captivating and interactive. I had to do it out of books, and it is a real chore: many people don't go the course because they need help.
Anything that can help students in remote locations (rural areas, Antarctica, etc.) is a good thing. Education should be truly available to all (including open access content), but physical teachers will still have a role (fancy offering telephone support?).

[Jarhead2012 @ Dec 4th 2007 5:50AM]

@ Azayzel.

People that have to be homeschooled, because, for example, of deathly allergies to common items found at schools, such as dairy products, and whose parents work full time is why. This makes a lot of sense, but they still have a long way to go on this matter.

[aznofazns @ Dec 2nd 2007 11:36AM]

she's way too hot to be a teacher.

[PeterF @ Dec 2nd 2007 12:03PM]

I was just about to say that.

[R @ Dec 2nd 2007 12:56PM]

Obviously you're not old enough to remember Van Halen a la David Lee Roth.

[applefreak @ Dec 2nd 2007 6:09PM]

u beat me to it

[Mojo_Yugen @ Dec 3rd 2007 9:00AM]

I think I have a crush on my robot teacher.

[Bad Beaver @ Dec 2nd 2007 11:44AM]

Come on, just because she's supposed to be a teacher it doesn't mean she has to be dressed improperly by default... I mean, what is she teaching, math? Looks more like she's going to teach us how to do l33t b0ardin' trixx with them homies...

[FordGTGuy @ Dec 2nd 2007 11:47AM]

No this is actually the Tony Hawk class.

[jason @ Dec 2nd 2007 1:56PM]

The people that make these things must think that will allow them to "connect" with youth today.
"wow, she's dressed like me, I'm going to pay attention"

[rndmnme @ Dec 2nd 2007 12:04PM]

Yes, but will it teach topless?

[aznofazns @ Dec 2nd 2007 12:09PM]

i like the way your mind works

[Trace The Hedgehog @ Dec 2nd 2007 6:45PM]

I second that.

[Mobius_1 @ Dec 3rd 2007 6:13AM]

Only topless??? xD

[Jarhead2012 @ Dec 4th 2007 5:50AM]

I third that...Only topless????

I'm sorry, that was totally uncalled for, but what about the guys. They'll spend too much time staring at her womanly curves than actually PAYING ATTENTION. Trust me, I know from experience...

[henry @ Dec 2nd 2007 12:44PM]

what's the cheat code to get her topless?

teachers were never that hot when i was in school. never.

[mushrooshi @ Dec 2nd 2007 9:56PM]

Funny...

They have a pr0n game called "Virtual Eve"

[Alex Padilla @ Dec 2nd 2007 12:56PM]

Guys, c'mon, she's a computer animated image!

[Alex Padilla @ Dec 2nd 2007 7:43PM]

dude, I'm a freshman in college. what I'm saying is that when i do shit, it's with real women, not cgi models with annoying voices

[Justin @ Dec 2nd 2007 4:21PM]

Obviously you're too old to remember what math teachers *actually* look like.

[Eric @ Dec 2nd 2007 1:00PM]

I agree about the voice. What are they going for? 1/2 Australian and 1/2 Fran Drescher?

[Kris S. @ Dec 2nd 2007 1:02PM]

Can she cyber?

[DutchGuy @ Dec 2nd 2007 1:08PM]

Yep, she's hot, but is that really a New Zeeland accent?

[Tim Batt @ Dec 2nd 2007 3:24PM]

Yeah that's a Kiwi accept, but there are definitively people in this country who sound a hell of a lot better than THAT! It's awful!

[Grey Acumen @ Dec 2nd 2007 1:25PM]

well, people might be paying attention, but it's kinda hard to learn when your eardrums are trying to stab themselves to get away from the sound. way too nasal and she almost comes across condescending.

[Ricardo @ Dec 2nd 2007 1:51PM]

Well, at least this one can't be sued for doing it with a student.

[Seung-Hwan @ Dec 2nd 2007 2:15PM]

I think she's attractive but also looks a little too haggard, like she has been raving all night long the night before.
The voice definitely doesn't match the looks either.

[Poolie Girl @ Dec 2nd 2007 2:16PM]

Ok so I am a teacher and there are seven hundred million different ways to deal with every individual so how is this "digital teacher" going to decide how a frown of one kid and a frown of another deserve to be handled differently?

[Typhoid Mary @ Dec 2nd 2007 2:17PM]

But will she sleep with her under aged students, have their "love" child, and then get a slap on the wrist from the courts when she's caught?

[tekdemon @ Dec 2nd 2007 2:19PM]

Is the lip synching supposed to be that bad? I dunno how much I could pay attention to a virtual teacher that was running 5fps and totally desynced with her voice, lol.
And while the voice could be more soothing, the recording quality could use some work too. Someone needs to hire a professional voice actor to do this...

Hey that lady that just got fired from the Tube could do it! lol

[BigD145 @ Dec 2nd 2007 3:01PM]

Someone will hack it and we'll have ape teacher ala Lost in Space all over again. My eyes!!

[octoberasian @ Dec 2nd 2007 3:29PM]

That virtual teacher reminds me of my 8th grade elementary school teacher! O.o

Same hair color and voice. And, she's no longer single >_<

... and now lives in Arizona. T_T

She was hot, too. Ah, how I miss 8th. grade.

[pete @ Dec 2nd 2007 4:06PM]

You have just read a paragraph in a blog about years of work and you have the all knowing opinion?!!
I Love how there is an instant 'not as good as the real thing/why would you want to replace a human anyway stance'.

Of course it's not as good and I don't think replacement would be the idea, more to supplement... I would think along the lines of: real teacher leads the class, then students turn to their laptops to do work alone, where EVE can help them individually and cater to their needs in a similar fashion to a real teacher.

I do agree with the most annoying accent ever comment though, and I am also a kiwi.

[Josh L @ Dec 2nd 2007 7:45PM]

AI technology isn't sophisticated enough yet to realistically emulate human thought and emotion at this level. There's no "all knowing opinion" about it, this is a fact. Any educated person can skim over this article, see that it's about an AI program that is supposed to be teaching children, and safely arrive at the conclusion that most people here have: That it's an interesting concept, but probably won't perform as well as a real human being.

[sguise @ Dec 2nd 2007 4:18PM]

itis interesting.

[Smileypanda @ Dec 3rd 2007 9:53PM]

This is still way better than most of the "substitute" teachers I've had.

[Goatee Man @ Dec 2nd 2007 4:28PM]

I'll give the poor souls who it's tested on a week to figure out how to change their facial expressions to get less homework.

[crazymonkey @ Dec 2nd 2007 5:10PM]

I wonder how she is gonna change her teaching style when someone is feeling horny...

[monkfishbandana @ Dec 2nd 2007 5:12PM]

C'mon you guys, there is no way her voice can be as bad as all of yo...OH DEAR GOD!! MY EARS!! MY EEAAARRSSS!!!

HOW CAN SHE TEACH ME A-LEVEL MATHS WHEN SHE SOUNDS LIKE SHE'S 5?!?!



...*cries*

[monkfishbandana @ Dec 2nd 2007 5:18PM]

Wait...oh deary me there's more...

A: Did you know that I'm special?
B: Because sometimes I can see your facial expressions from the camera on the screen. But half of the time the camera doesn't work, so we won't know for sure whether I can see you or not.
C: Don't worry if the quiz is hard, because we haven't even started yet!

A: Yes.
B: Fantastic. At least it's reliable.
C: Fantastic. At least it's caring.

[Midknight @ Dec 2nd 2007 6:47PM]

i can see the hacks now....

I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT THE SICK THINGS OTHERS SAID EARLIER!

homework faking, blinding the camera, reprogramming her through the IR....

[Johnny Appleseed @ Dec 2nd 2007 6:37PM]

If my math teacher looked like that, I'd be working at NASA right about now, or even at the great and wonderful Engadget, but not at gizmodo :-(

[Dirkus @ Dec 2nd 2007 11:37PM]

Instead of a comment, allow me to caption the three poses in that image instead...

"You've been bad, Billy."
"I like bad boys."
"Meet me behind those bleachers after school for your 'punishment'."

[garrison @ Dec 3rd 2007 8:01AM]

TILF???