Negotiable
Undetermined
Undetermined
United Kingdom
Summary: This role involves designing and implementing emotionally expressive interaction systems for an AI companion project, focusing on real-time engagement through animated eyes and conversational AI. The position requires collaboration with AI and backend teams to ensure seamless integration and enhance user experience. Candidates should have a strong background in interaction design, particularly for emotionally expressive characters. The role emphasizes character behaviors over photorealism, aiming to create a compelling sense of emotional presence.
Key Responsibilities:
- Design and implement expressive eye animation systems for real-time interaction
- Develop emotional state visualizations and gaze behaviors that enhance user engagement
- Create mobile interaction flows and lightweight companion character features in Unity for iOS
- Coordinate with AI/backend teams to ensure emotional responsiveness and system integration
- Prototype and iterate on interaction concepts to achieve a sense of emotional presence
- Document design decisions and provide clear communication to multidisciplinary teams
Key Skills:
- Proven experience in interaction design for emotionally expressive characters or AI companions
- Strong proficiency with Unity and iOS development environments
- Expertise in character animation, gaze modeling, and real-time interaction systems
- Background in game design, social robotics, XR, or related fields is highly desirable
- Deep understanding of emotional interaction design principles and user experience best practices
- Ability to collaborate effectively with engineers, animators, and AI specialists
- Excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail
- Strong communication and documentation abilities
Salary (Rate): undetermined
City: undetermined
Country: United Kingdom
Working Arrangements: undetermined
IR35 Status: undetermined
Seniority Level: undetermined
Industry: Other
Join an innovative project focused on developing an emotionally adaptive AI companion that leverages expressive animated eyes, conversational AI, and subtle embodied movement to deliver a real-time, persistent companionship experience. The system utilizes a smartphone as the core interface, paired with a motorized tracking dock to enable eye contact, orientation, and a sense of emotional presence. This role centers on designing and implementing emotionally expressive interaction systems, with a strong emphasis on believable, nuanced character behaviors rather than photorealism. You will collaborate closely with AI and backend teams to ensure seamless integration and a compelling user experience.
Deliverables
- Design and implement expressive eye animation systems for real-time interaction
- Develop emotional state visualizations and gaze behaviors that enhance user engagement
- Create mobile interaction flows and lightweight companion character features in Unity for iOS
- Coordinate with AI/backend teams to ensure emotional responsiveness and system integration
- Prototype and iterate on interaction concepts to achieve a sense of emotional presence
- Document design decisions and provide clear communication to multidisciplinary teams
Requirements
- Proven experience in interaction design for emotionally expressive characters or AI companions
- Strong proficiency with Unity and iOS development environments
- Expertise in character animation, gaze modeling, and real-time interaction systems
- Background in game design, social robotics, XR, or related fields is highly desirable
- Deep understanding of emotional interaction design principles and user experience best practices
- Ability to collaborate effectively with engineers, animators, and AI specialists
- Excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail
- Strong communication and documentation abilities
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