When the Interface is the User ’ s Face : Ideas for Research and Applications

INTRODUCTION There has been an interest in research on exploring the use of faces as interfaces [2,10,11]. These projects show that using faces can help interfaces seem more credible to the user [10], help with learning [2], and make the user feel more engaged and excited [11]. However, only a few researchers have looked at using one’s own face as an interface [10]. Using one’s own face has several benefits. Facial resemblance has been shown to have positive effects in social interaction and can lead to trust [4] and influence [1]. From the cocktail party phenomenon and scanning for one’s own face in a photograph, we know that one's own face can be recognized immediately. Practically, the face of the user is immediately available and that may alleviate the need to design agents or to use celebrity faces which can be difficult to obtain and can be prohibitively expensive.