This course is part of the Virtual Reality Specialization

4.4
stars
75 ratings

Dr Sylvia Xueni Pan +1 more instructor

12,430 already enrolled

Offered By

University of London

Goldsmiths, University of London

Virtual Reality SpecializationUniversity of London

About this Course

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Meeting another person is one of the most amazing experiences you can have in Virtual Reality. It is quite unlike communicating through any other medium except a real life face-to-face conversation. Because the other person is life size and shares a virtual space with you, body language works in a way that cannot be done on a flat screen. This course will enable you to create realistic social interactions in VR. 
You will learn about both the psychology of social interaction and the practical skills to implement it in Unity3D. We will take you through the basics of 3D character animation and how to create body language. You will learn about how to make characters that can respond to players’ speech and body language. You will also learn about avatars: the virtual representation of other players, and agents: computer controlled NPC characters and how to implement both of them. 

As many people have said before us, social is the future of VR. This course will help you become part of the future of Virtual Reality social experiences.

Flexible deadlines

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Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

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Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

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Course 4 of 5 in the

Virtual Reality Specialization

Intermediate Level

Approx. 13 hours to complete

English

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Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

Learn more about Coursera Labs

Course 4 of 5 in the

Virtual Reality Specialization

Intermediate Level

Approx. 13 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructors

Instructor rating

5/5 (7 Ratings)

Dr Sylvia Xueni Pan

Senior Lecturer, Department of Computing

Goldsmiths, University of London

119,810 Learners

5 Courses

Prof Marco Gillies

Professor

Computing Department, Goldsmiths, University of London

484,925 Learners

16 Courses

Offered by

University of London

The University of London is a federal University which includes 17 world leading Colleges. With extensive experience in distance learning since 1858, University of London has enriched the lives of thousands of students, delivering high quality degrees across the globe. Today, University of London is a global leader in flexible study, offering degree programmes to over 45,000 students in over 190 countries, delivering world-leading research across the world. To find out more about University of London, visit www.london.ac.uk

Goldsmiths, University of London

Championing research-rich degrees that provoke thought, stretch the imagination and tap into tomorrow’s world, at Goldsmiths we’re asking the questions that matter now in subjects as diverse as the arts and humanities, social sciences, cultural studies, computing, and entrepreneurial business and management. We are a community defined by its people: innovative in spirit, analytical in approach and open to all.

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating94%(1,256 ratings)

Week1

Week 1

4 hours to complete

Introduction to Virtual Characters

4 hours to complete

10 videos (Total 70 min), 6 readings, 2 quizzes

10 videos

Introduction to Social VR and Virtual Characters5mVirtual Characters | Realism5mAgents and Avatars5mApplications of Virtual Characters11mIntroduction to Character Animation3mCristina5mDesigning Virtual Characters7mImporting a Virtual Character to Unity8mEmbodiment in Unity using Mobile VR15mProject Briefing2m

6 readings

Uncanny Valley10mCourse Blog10mGetting Started in Unity10mWhere to Download Virtual Characters10mUnity Mecanim Tutorial10mVirtual Character Project Brief10m

2 practice exercises

Virtual Characters Quiz30mPlanning your project30m

Week2

Week 2

4 hours to complete

Body Animation in VR

4 hours to complete

12 videos (Total 67 min), 4 readings, 2 quizzes

12 videos

Introduction to Body Language1mIntroduction to Skeletal Animation5mIntroduction to Motion Capture3mSpeech7mPosture and Gesture4mBackchannel4mSensing the User’s Body Language2mProxemics2mBody Language for Avatars5mApplying Motion Capture Data onto a Virtual Character10mSpeech Interaction11mGesture Interaction7m

4 readings

Markerless mocap10mBodily Communication10mWhere can you find Mocap data10mThe Virtual Character Interaction Scripts10m

1 practice exercise

Body Movement30m

Week3

Week 3

3 hours to complete

Facial Animation

3 hours to complete

7 videos (Total 58 min), 3 readings, 1 quiz

7 videos

Introduction to Facial Expressions | The Psychology5mIntroduction to Facial Expressions4mIntroduction to Facial Expression in Unity19mBlinking and Lip Sync Animation5mThe Importance of Gaze in Social Interaction4mGaze Interaction15mOther Facial Features and Their Psychological Effect4m

3 readings

Interaction Scripts10mFacial Animation: find out more10mGaze Animation10m

1 practice exercise

Facial Expressions30m

Week4

Week 4

3 hours to complete

Social VR

3 hours to complete

7 videos (Total 23 min), 6 readings, 1 quiz

7 videos

Introduction to Social VR1mThe Psychology Behind Social Interaction4mChallenges in Human-Avatar Interaction4mChallenges in Human-Agent Interaction4mEvaluation of Social Interaction in VR3mSelf-Avatar | Implementation and Applications3mSummary of Social VR1m

6 readings

Automatic Imitation10mExtended reading: applications using Virtual Characters10mHuman-avatar: Social VR apps10mHuman-agent interaction10mEmbodiment - implementation and psychological effect10mThank you10m

Reviews

4.4

19 reviews

5 stars
65.33%
4 stars
18.66%
3 stars
6.66%
2 stars
5.33%
1 star
4%

TOP REVIEWS FROM BUILDING INTERACTIVE 3D CHARACTERS AND SOCIAL VR

by KGMar 4, 2018

This was a fun course. Needed much more time than expected.

by DMApr 28, 2019

Lots to be learned about animation and all the parts that go with it.

Great teachers and a bit of a learning curve.

by MJJul 25, 2020

I am immersed in this VR course, This course has proved as a 4 step towards my VR understanding journey I highly appreciate the entire team for such mindful Vr tuting

by DLNov 10, 2019

Great course, but as the rest, some content needs updates (assets deprecated)

View all reviews

About the Virtual Reality Specialization

This specialisation from the University of London will introduce you to virtual reality.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

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Building Interactive 3D Characters and Social VR

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