Mary Seacole has become widely recognised as a healthcare pioneer, a British-Jamaican nurse who saved countless lives during the Crimean War. Born in Jamaica in 1806, Mary migrated to England aged only twelve and practised European and traditional Caribbean methods for medicine. Mary travelled the world and became famous for treating patients who suffered from Cholera and Yellow fever.
Although Mary passed away in 1881, the power of AI and digital tools, paired with historical accounts and modern performing arts, the VEC invites a new generation of changemakers to engage in conversation with a virtual avatar of Mary.
BACKGROUND
St George’s Hall is a Grade II listed building located in the heart of Liverpool. Their teams discussed with the VEC their eagerness to share and promote the story of Mary, highlighting her unique contribution to the people of Liverpool and beyond. By working together, St George’s Hall and VEC explored how emerging technologies could increase engagement and interaction with this historical figure and her background.
SOLUTION
Despite the extremely limited resources and photos of Mary, the VEC were able to utilise digital technologies such as Epic Games Metahumans, bespoke photogrammetry (mesh to Metahuman), AI, image detection and mesh generation to develop a life-like virtual character. Independent Film Producer Bae Freeman introduced the VEC to Jennifer John, a local Musical Director who could offer a realistic voice-over to accompany the virtual avatar, giving Mary an authentic voice which could draw audiences into her story and experiences.
By combining the avatar and facial tracking technology, the team could integrate performances with the virtual world through a recorded session or demonstrate real-time live tracking for a more dynamic result, creating a truly interactive experience.
Integrating AI technologies enables verbal cues and realistic conversations between real humans and the responsive avatar, as Mary can comprehensively answer questions about her life, regardless of whether these are pre-programmed or spontaneously asked by users.
BENEFITS
Conversational avatars are a highly effective and flexible tool for improving face-to-face communication and sharing a breadth of information with a wide range of audiences with varying backgrounds. By taking a realistic approach and providing an advanced experience that includes natural conversations, avatars can create an immersive environment that feels like a real-life conversation.
Additionally, avatars offer the possibility to recreate several historical figures, enabling their contribution to mankind to be celebrated, keeping their legacy alive for generations to come whilst improving historical records through extensive research.
IMPACT
The Mary Seacole avatar demonstration debuted at the UK’s Digital Heritage Symposium in April 2022. Subsequently, St George’s Hall hosted events for Black History Month 2023, with the VEC supporting educational tours about Mary Seacole. Children engaged with the avatar model, showing increased interest and asking questions, receiving real-time AI-generated responses.
Reimagining historical and significant characters can help boost tourism figures and, revenue for museums, by introducing innovative events and exhibitions.
Following this collaboration, the VEC launched the UK’s first National Centre for Digital Heritage Centre at the Sci-Tech Daresbury campus, following landmark AHRC funding as part of the UK Government’s World Class Laboratory initiative. The Centre is a hub for cutting-edge technology and expertise in heritage research, connecting researchers, practitioners, and entrepreneurs worldwide. It offers heritage organisations, museums, and SMEs the chance to explore digital transformation opportunities. Collaborating with the VEC allows organizations to experiment with various digital technologies, such as human avatars, to overcome challenges and boost public engagement.
Click below to access:
