Added Value Access to New Technologies and services on the Internet (IST-2000-28585). AVANTI aims to use digital avatars in public service provision, with the objective of increasing the acceptability of technology for the use of citizens. The avatars are animated characters designed to guide a person through online transactions and services, by asking a series of questions in simple language and responding to a wide range of questions from the person. In this way, the AVANTI prototype is intended to overcome some of the barriers that ordinary people face in using digital services. The project involves 4 European public authorities and 3 other research and development partners in addition to ITC, whose role is evaluation of the prototype.

AVANTI was an EC funded project (IST-2000-28585) that finished in July 2003. It focused on the use of a software toolkit to produce prototype digital avatars. These aimed to enhance the acceptability of e-government services to citizens and other stakeholders in service delivery, targeting the 'digitally excluded' in particular.

The avatars were animated characters designed to guide a person through online transactions and services, by asking a series of questions in simple language and responding appropriately. In this way, the AVANTI prototype aimed to address the barriers that ordinary people face in using digital services. The project involved 4 European public authorities and 3 other research and development partners in addition to ITC, whose role was evaluation of the prototype.

More about the AVANTI project