proxemiku

Proxemiku is a neologism used in digital media studies and performance arts to describe the deliberate use of proxemic cues in virtual environments and synthetic performances. It refers to how distance, orientation, gaze, and enclosure are encoded in avatars, holographic projections, or voice-driven characters to communicate social relationships and emotional states. The concept extends the study of proxemics from physical spaces to digital spaces, where perceptual cues can be tuned with precision.

Origin and etymology

The term appears in discussions of virtual performance and AI-driven characters in the early 2020s. It combines proxemics—the study of personal space—with a cultural reference to digitally generated pop performances, signaling an aesthetic and theoretical focus on staged presence in virtual formats.

Key characteristics

Proxemiku involves three core layers: spatial arrangement (how far the avatar is from the user or camera, including framing and scale); motion and orientation (gaze direction, body angle, and hand gestures); and timing or latency (synchronization between audio and visual cues). It also encompasses interface choices that influence perceived intimacy, formality, or social stance, shaping how audiences interpret the performer’s relationship to them.

Applications

The concept is applied in virtual concerts, character design for video games and chatbots, and VR/AR social platforms. By calibrating proxemic cues, creators aim to evoke specific social meanings such as trust, excitement, or distance, and to guide audience attention through dynamic spatial presentation.

Reception

Scholars note that proxemiku can reflect cultural norms around space and hierarchy and that its effectiveness depends on context. Critics caution against over-quantifying social presence in synthetic agents and emphasize the need for cultural sensitivity in its use.

See also

Proxemics, affective computing, virtual avatar, digital performance.