Published on
September 23, 2025
The research project "Gen-AIvatar - Universal Creation of Emotional and Diverse Avatars through Generative AI" has received approximately €2 million in funding from NEXT.IN.NRW. Scientists from the University of Bonn and Cologne University of Applied Sciences, together with MindPort GmbH, are developing a novel, AI-supported solution for generating emotions for realistic avatars.
Gen-AIvatar develops innovative and cost-effective methods for creating lifelike avatars. "We attach particular importance to holistic animation, in which voice, body movement, gestures, and facial expressions are harmonious, thus expressing authentic emotions in the avatar," emphasizes Prof. Dr. Reinhard Klein, who coordinates the project at the Institute of Computer Science at the University of Bonn. "With Gen-AIvatar, we want to simplify the previously highly specialized and complex creation of animated 3D characters so that even people without in-depth technical knowledge can create professional, authentic avatars and use them, for example, in virtual reality scenarios," adds Prof. Dr. Roland Klemke from the Cologne Game Lab (CGL) at the Cologne University of Applied Sciences. Together with David Lähner, CEO of MindPort GmbH, and their teams, they are developing the "Gen-AIvatars."
The emotional avatars are also intended for practical use. This could include training in human resources management or customer service, for example, to practice how to deal with angry customers. "Virtual reality training has already been successfully established in many companies for hard skills training. There is also a high demand for soft skills training, but the currently available methods for animating avatars pose a major hurdle. This is because they are either very expensive or the quality is not sufficient for efficient training. This is precisely where we are addressing this with new AI methods," explains David Lähner of MindPort GmbH. Further possible applications are also being considered, for example, in virtual experiments in neuroscience.
Gen-AIvatar is intended to offer developers, teachers, and companies the opportunity to implement high-quality virtual reality applications with emotionally responsive virtual characters without high costs or time expenditure. This approach is being tested in practice in the project by the Cologne Game Lab at the TH Köln, which will develop a virtual reality presentation training course using this AI.
The technological basis for the project is provided by the newly created Visual Computing Incubator (VCI) at the University of Bonn: a state-of-the-art light stage. This dome-shaped arrangement of controllable light sources and synchronized cameras makes it possible to simultaneously capture people and their interactions with objects or other people from hundreds of perspectives. "The data obtained in this way forms the basis for the development of highly realistic avatars that faithfully reproduce even the finest nuances such as skin texture, reflective properties, and facial expressions. A particular focus here is on the authentic representation of a broad emotional spectrum," explains Prof. Klein.
The project also complements other ongoing research, such as the 'HistoVear' project based at the Cologne Game Lab, which is also funded by NEXT.IN.NRW. Here, researchers are investigating the AI-based production of realistically animated historical clothing for virtual reality, film, museums, and games.
The "Gen-AIvatar" project is receiving three-year funding through the "NEXT.IN.NRW" innovation competition, which is being implemented as part of the European regional funding program (ERDF/JTF NRW 2021-2027) under the leadership of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of North Rhine-Westphalia (MWIKE) in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and Science of North Rhine-Westphalia (MKW). This program aims to support innovative ideas that contribute to digital transformation.