ACM 978-1-4503-0268-5/11/05.

This paper outlines our recent research that is providing users with a 3D avatar representation, and in particular focuses on studies in which the avatar is self-animated in real time. We use full body motion tracking, so when participants move their hands and feet, these movements are mapped onto the avatar. In a recent study (Dodds et al., CASA 2010), we found that a self-animated avatar aided participants in a communication task in a head-mounted display immersive virtual environment (VE). From the perspective of communication, we discovered it was not only important for the person speaking to be self-animated, but also for the person listening to us. Further, we show the potential of immersive VEs for investigating embodied interaction, and highlight possibilities for future research