Microsoft Research Is Building A Smart Virtual Assistant With Its Situated Interaction Project
While we are all waiting to try Cortana digital assistant on Windows Phone 8.1, Microsoft Research is working on virtual assistants that can handle your work in real life dealing with other people and more. Microsoft Research’s long term goal of the Situated Interaction project is to enable a new generation of interactive systems that embed interaction and computation deeply into the natural flow of everyday tasks, activities and collaborations. Example scenarios include human-robot interaction, e-home, interactive billboards, systems that monitor, assist and coordinate teams of experts through complex tasks and procedures, etc. Such an assistant could coordinate with the assistants of other people, helping to schedule social engagements, work commitments, and travel. It could anticipate your needs based on past activities—such as where you have enjoyed dining—and coordinate with businesses that offer special deals. It could help you select a movie based on which ones your friends liked. “Intelligent, supportive assistants that assist and complement people are a key aspiration in computer science,” Horvitz says, “and basic research in...http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/msftnws/~4/Yu3n1z3zoPY
