Captology Notebook

Although the systems in the article aren't described as voice agents which talk to the user, you could imagine a car which chides you for poor driving habits, "You just cut someone off. Please avoid doing that." "That was a risky lane change. Please signal longer in the future." "Calm down, tailgating in a traffic jam causes more delay and increases your chances of accident by 5 times." I am reminded of an arcade game called Silent Scope where you play a sniper. The game machine has a large mounted rifle and a LCD screen inside a scope. Because you are shooting at ranges of hundred of meters, the aim on the rifle is very sensitive to movement. To succeed in the game, you must locate, aim, and shoot the enemy. The challenge is that you need to stay calm in order to aim accurately while moving quickly between targets. Often times, you miss a target and quickly take 2nd and 3rd shots without aiming. The game detects that you are frustrated and a voice on the radio says, "Calm down." or "You are losing your touch."