By Kiran Chhatre

Abstract 

In this seminar, I will explore how to combine real‐world data with
synthetic data to create lifelike, emotionally expressive 3D avatars. I
will discuss how we generate 3D synthetic data from video and motion
capture to enrich behavior modeling, leading to controllable
speech‐driven gestures and facial animations. Through VR‐based user
studies, we find that affective states and animation diversity
significantly enhance user engagement and presence. Finally, our goal
is to democratize avatar creation, enabling more natural human–avatar
interactions in immersive environments.