Abstract: A system and method of controlling the movement of a virtual agent while the agent is listening to a human user during a conversation is disclosed. The method comprises receiving speech data from the user, performing a prosodic analysis of the speech data and controlling the virtual agent movement according to the prosodic analysis.

Abstract: A system and method of controlling the movement of a virtual agent while the agent is listening to a human user during a conversation is disclosed. The method comprises receiving speech data from the user, performing a prosodic analysis of the speech data and controlling the virtual agent movement according to the prosodic analysis.

Abstract: In order to be able to economically package with foil banderoles e.g. lettuces and bunches of carrots, asparagus, bananas, etc, the packaging apparatus has technical means for holding and grasping the foil web end, so that on removing the web from the foil web storage drum it can be placed round the article to be packaged and the foil web end can be kept within hand reach for new packaging processes. To this end, the foil web, together with its foil web storage drum is wound by means of a swivel round the article to be packaged, between two successive trays having a gap between them, the two ends of the article being supported on the trays. The gripping of the foil web end takes place by means of two foil web ends holding tubes, which are provided with circumferentially distributed air intakes and are connected to a vacuum producing device which can be switched on and off. The foil web is separated by means of a cutting knife.