A Virtual Agent as a Commensal Companion

Previous work introduced the concept of artificial commensal companions, i.e., embodied agents capable of interacting with humans during meals. They are supposed to bring the benefits of eating together in settings where a human would be forced to eat alone (e.g., elderly, hospitalized patients, self-isolation, etc.). This paper presents an experiment with a virtual agent and a human eating together. We invited volunteers to bring a small meal and let them chat briefly with the agent, simulating eating behaviors during the conversation. After the experience, participants filled out a questionnaire, providing quantitative and qualitative feedback. While results are encouraging (i.e., participants showed interest in eating with an agent), further work is still needed to provide more convincing results.