A short automated slide show for use at the Salford University Postgraduate Research Conference 2013 SPARC. Gives an introduction to Betty a reminiscing conversational agent to assist with aging memory loss in older people.

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Introducing a conversational
agent for reminiscence
Collette Curry, James O’Shea, Keeley Crockett, Laura Brown
email: collette.curry@mmu.ac.uk
‘Betty’

2. Introduction
• Origins
• Aging
• Ontology
• Reminiscence
• Memory games
• Future
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The
Imitation
Game
1950’s
ELIZA
PARRY
1970’s
1960’s
Conversational agents
were first thought of in
1950’s by Alan Turing.
They developed
through the 60’s and
70’s.

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RACTER
Jabberwacky
Alice
2000’s
1990’s
1980’s
Right up to the 2000’s
and beyond with Alice
the AIML based agent.
Conversational agents
have strived to give the
impression of
intelligent
conversation.

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3.3 million
people
aged over 85
by 2033 in the
UK
With an aging
population there is a
need for computer
based interventions to
aid reminiscence and
recall of past events.

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Aging memory loss will become more common a
problem as more people live to a longer age.

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Increased well-being as
well as memory recall
can be improved by use
of the reminiscing
conversational agent
‘Betty’.

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An ontology of
reminiscence will
inform the agent
‘Betty’ and allow the
reminiscence ontology
to grow with the user.

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Betty was given a male
and a female persona
before the name Betty
was decided upon. The
female persona was
preferred by the
majority of users.

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Betty was given a
rounder face with
rounder glasses that
allowed her eyes to be
seen clearly. This face
was preferred by users.

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Every person has a life
story to relate. The
reminiscing agent
Betty, facilitates this.

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Betty works on a
variety of platforms

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Don’t panic Mr
Mainwaring!
Using Betty should
become easier for the
user once they get used
to the initial
requirements.

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Betty can be a shared
experience or an
isolated experience.

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Betty can play games
with the user to
improve recall and
generate themes to
talk about.

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Betty can be part of a
range of facilities
available on the
computer.
Encompassing email
and family photos.

20. ‘Betty’ the conversational agent
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