Interaction channels

Understand what interaction channels are and how to work with them

An interaction channel is the means through which an interaction occurs.

They help to define specific triggers to parameterize the behavior of solutions. They also help to channel triggered actions as the output or result of interactions.

You can also use interaction channels (through external signals) to share information about specific events with your solution.

Sharing information through interaction channel is different from feeding interactions (actions of type interaction).

Feeding is the process of creating and configuring actions (and the attributes that group them) for your projects either manually or by importing them.

On the other hand, in this case, you can declare an interaction channel to capture arbitrary information (for example, the change in the state of an environmental object) and incorporate it into your solution's behavior.

Interaction channel types

In Affective Computing (powered by Virtue), you can work with the following types of interaction channels:

Interaction channel type	Description
Input interaction channel	An input interaction channel defines how an interaction with the solution starts. Consider a solution that triggers a logic (to deliver personalization) based on user presence at a specific location within the experience environment. The method of detecting the user's presence is the input interaction channel, as it is the starting point of the interaction with the solution (based on the logic). For example, whenever a user enters a room (which is detected through facial recognition by a camera), a personalized greeting message ("Welcome back, Josie") is displayed on a screen. In this example, the camera is the input interaction channel.
Output interaction channel	An output interaction channel defines how an action is delivered in an interaction with the solution. Consider a solution that triggers a logic (to deliver personalization) based on user presence at a specific location within the experience environment. The method of delivering personalization is the output interaction channel. For example, whenever a user enters a room, a personalized greeting message ("Welcome back, Josie") is displayed on a screen. In this example, the screen is the output interaction channel. In simulations, you can also define a specific entity as the interaction output. Consider a simulation solution that enables users to design a custom outfit, make changes, and visualize them instantly. Whenever a user selects a different outfit, the changes are reflected in the outfit worn by the corresponding Virtual Human (VH) (cloned from their psychological profile) in the solution environment. In this example, the VH entity is the output interaction channel. Similarly, consider a simulation solution that enables users to validate an outdoor experience, taking into account real world environmental parameters such as day and night, seasons, and more. A logic based on an external signal can trigger rainfall in the experience environment. In this example, the environment entity is the output interaction channel

The same interaction channel can serve as the input and output interaction channel. For example, in a solution that simulates a gaming experience, both the input and output interaction channel could be the game itself.

Input interaction channel categories

Input interaction channel categories classify input interaction channels for easy organization and management.

Creating and managing interaction channels in projects

You can create and manage interaction channels using the Portal, our no-code SaaS GUI platform, or through a low-code integration with our APIs.

Working with interaction channels using the Portal

Creating interaction channels

Working with interaction channels using APIs

Working with interaction channels