Open-source AVATAR app gives AI agents an animated desktop presence

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ARPA Hellenic Logical Systems has released AVATAR, a free open-source desktop companion that places an animated VRM character on your screen alongside AI tools and voice pipelines. The app runs as a transparent, always-on-top overlay on Windows and syncs character lip movements to live audio from system output, microphone, or a chosen application. Designed to be local-first, AVATAR requires no mandatory cloud service, making it suitable for users running local large language models or custom voice setups. The latest release, v0.7.0, adds support for custom motion clips, a Motion Deck for binding gestures to keyboard shortcuts, and a streamlined environment picker. Target users include streamers, educators, accessibility researchers, and VRM creators who want a reactive visual presence without a full virtual avatar broadcasting setup.

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