WebAnima: A web-based embodied conversational assistant to interface users with multi-agent-based CSCW applications

WebAnima is an interface agent specially designed to assist team members of a CSCW application during their daily work based on computers. In WebAnima, the intelligent behavior is guaranteed thanks to a conversational interface and ontologies that support semantic interpretation. We believe that embodied conversational assistants will improve the quality of assistance and increase collaboration between project members. In this paper, we present the embodied conversational assistant and its insertion into a multi- agent system designed for research and development projects. We describe the design of the agent, highlighting the role of ontologies for semantic interpretation and the dynamic behavior of the embodied animated agent.