A 'Real' Virtual Human

Microsoft has shown off a virtual human that can recognize you, and then react to your emotions and subtle body movements.

His name is Milo, and he was first unveiled at the E3 Expo last year, but he just made a reappearance at the TED Global conference this week in England.

Virtual humans have been around for many years, even being used as a way to teach men about the pressures of being a young girl. But Milo is the most sophisticated virtual human to date.

The technology is the brainchild of veteran British games designer Peter Molyneux. According to the BBC, he says he wanted to create a character "that seemed alive, that would look me in the eyes, and feel real."

Milo's live demonstration at the conference showed Milo exploring a garden and learning to skim stones. The demonstration was conducted by an assistant, who was able to interact with Milo's environment, such as when she was able to splash the water in the pond that Milo was standing next to.

Microsoft hasn't released many details about the technology behind Milo, since he (or should I say 'it'? I guess that's the point!) is still in development, and Microsoft has no plans to release it yet.

But here's what we do know. The live demonstration used Microsoft's soon-to-be released Kinect controller, which uses sensors, cameras and microphones to interpret a player's intentions.

Milo himself was built using artificial intelligence developed at Molyneux's firm Lionhead studios, along with technology that he says was "hidden in the dusty vaults of Microsoft".

But words can't tell you just how real Milo feels. He has the mind and subtle facial expressions of a person who could be sitting two feet from you. Things like blushing and flaring nostrils deliver that nonverbal communication that many virtual humans weren't able to before.

And Milo will keep getting better as more people interact with him. "His mind is based in the cloud," Molyneux says. "As millions of people use it, Milo will get smarter."