Julia Haile, from UWA’s School of Psychological Science, is researching how to make the facial expressions of digital avatars more believable, focussing on eye gaze as the key to solving the puzzle.

The study, which combines psychology with the latest evolving digital technology, has implications for a range of fields – from films and video games, to healthcare applications, to AI technology.

The PhD student explains to Research on the Record how she hopes unlocking the secret of what makes an expression realistic will also enhance our understanding general human perception and how we interact with the world around us.

The podcast episode also explores the possible applications of her findings – including how cracking the code to creating realistic facial expressions might also help better recognise false digital avatars, potentially helping address some of the current concerns around the use of deepfake technology.

Ms Haile also discusses what set her on an early higher degree research career that hasn’t followed a straight path and how a background in acting and drama led to this fascinating new area of research.