Anna Ursyn: Computer Graphics, Digital Media, Knowledge Visualization, Concept Art and Digital Illustration

This poster will show directions in my knowledge visualization research as it relates to my students on undergraduate and graduate levels. Various approaches to technology and representation of abstract concepts will be presented

Computer Graphics, Imaging & Visualization — New Techniques and Trends

Computer graphics, imaging and visualization (CGiV) combined are used in some form or shape in most applications in this age. New applications show strong trends from graphics, imaging, and visualization. There are exciting explorations of theories and applications to a wide range of disciplines including social media, geo-sociology, health, business, security and more. Statistical analysis of literature illustrates that the chasm between academia and industries is being abridged as applications become more innovative and drive new research activities. The collection in this volume has the latest contributions from scientists, artists, and users from a cross section of disciplines in the area of computer graphics, imaging, and visualization. Though the classification is somewhat difficult because of the overlapping nature of the subject, there are three themes of graphics, imaging and visualisation running through this book. Chapters contribute towards different new techniques, applications, and tools within the theme of the book. The book is designed to have the best possible utility for researchers, computer scientists, practicing engineers, and many others around the globe. It will also be equally and extremely useful for graduate students in the areas of computer science, engineering, and other computational science disciplines

Drawing machines, bathing machines, motorbikes, the stars…: where are the masterpieces?

The term ‘digital drawing’ may imply a special kind of drawing, set against a natural approach. Previous generations also had to adjust to the new technologies of the time. Some resisted, some went ahead. New methods present difficulties as well as opportunities. The how-to-draw books of the 1900’s show not just one ‘traditional’ approach, but a wide range, and a healthy debate. For the past two centuries such books have here and there discussed both drawing machines, and the connected question of how to draw machines. One way or another the world of drawing will absorb the impact of computers, and it won’t be just as an isolated genre of slightly weird drawing. So it is wrong to exclude ‘digital’ drawing from surveys, to think of this category as distinct from mainstream drawing. Museums have already collected the significant works, and traced the history. The way forward should be to integrate digital tools within the broad spectrum of drawing types. There are no good reasons for not using digital devices, and no good reasons for not using pencils. All the same, I cite three cases where a pencil and paper technique would not be up to the job: football, a drawing jam session, and astronomy

Information Visualization (iV): Notes about the 9th IV ’05 International Conference, London, England

This review tells about the International Conference on Information Visualization that is held annually in London, England. Themes selected from the Conference Proceedings are focused on theoretical concepts, semantic approach to visualization, digital art, and involve 2D, 3D, interactive and virtual reality tools and applications. The focal point of the iV 05 Conference was the progress in information and knowledge visualization, visual data mining, multimodal interfaces, multimedia, web graphics, graph theory application, augmented and virtual reality, semantic web visualization, HCI, digital art, among many other areas such as information visualization in geology, medicine, industry and education

AN EXPLORATION OF IDENTITY THROUGH DATA DRIVEN ART

This creative project is an interdisciplinary exploration of identity through data driven fiber art using applied research methods. The purpose of the project is to explore female self-identification on the campus of the University of Northern Colorado (UNCO) in comparison to the overriding messages of identity and social position transmitted within the American educational system. This is achieved through the interview of 64 participants equally distributed between two distinct areas of academic life: the math and sciences departments in Ross Hall, and the Stryker Institute for Leadership Development. Each group of women has been asked the questions “who are you first?” and “who are you next?” down through seven levels of their identity. Participant’s responses have been color-coded and converted into quilt blocks, with the size of each color area determined by its location in the hierarchy of responses. These individual portraits of identity compose two quilts, grouped according to interview location, providing a visual cross section of the women at this university; the portrait of a group composed from individual portraits of the identities that occupy the same spaces. By presenting the creative project in a public forum, the collective portraits highlight commonalities between student groups, strengthening the foundation from which we drive forward the conversations of identity and social justice on our campus

Preface

In the current information era, most aspects of life depend on and are driven by data, information, knowledge, user experience, and culture. The infrastructure of an information-dependent society relies on the quality of data, information and analysis of such entities for short to long term as well as past to future activities. Information Visualisation, Visual Analytics, Business Intelligence, Machine Learning and Application domains are just a few of the current state of the art developments that effectively enhance understanding of these driving forces

Advanced Proof Viewing in ProofTool

Sequent calculus is widely used for formalizing proofs. However, due to the proliferation of data, understanding the proofs of even simple mathematical arguments soon becomes impossible. Graphical user interfaces help in this matter, but since they normally utilize Gentzen's original notation, some of the problems persist. In this paper, we introduce a number of criteria for proof visualization which we have found out to be crucial for analyzing proofs. We then evaluate recent developments in tree visualization with regard to these criteria and propose the Sunburst Tree layout as a complement to the traditional tree structure. This layout constructs inferences as concentric circle arcs around the root inference, allowing the user to focus on the proof's structural content. Finally, we describe its integration into ProofTool and explain how it interacts with the Gentzen layout.Comment: In Proceedings UITP 2014, arXiv:1410.785

Video and storytelling in a digital world: interactions and narratives in videoclips

This paper presents a study about narratives in music videos. It discusses the arrangements of audio-visual languages from settings established by characteristics of the media, emphasizing the role of platforms for the diffusion of information and entertainment such as YouTube. It highlights a dialogue within cinema’s own language and shows that, in contemporary scenarios, music videos actually tell stories. It is argued that contemporary music videos, in great majority, increase the duration of music, with pauses, performances of characters, insertion of dialogues and other structuring elements that are not typical of the classic and conventional paradigms of a language. For our purposes, the objects of this study are the music videos of Canadian filmmaker Xavier Dolan. The theoretical foundation is established through authors involved in debates around a culture of convergence, transmedia storytelling and interactions among the audio-visual languages

Student Collaboration in Hybrid Classrooms Using PBWorks: a Study of University Students in Najran, Saudi Arabia

Modern classrooms are no longer always traditional, in face-to-face settings. Many students take part in online classes and hybrid classes. Education technology has made it possible for students to learn anytime and anyplace, which can be critical if attending class is difficult. This quantitative study explored the use of the wiki tool PBWorks for group collaboration in a hybrid setting. The participants were students from two classes, each studying the same course with the same professor at the University of Najran in Najran, Saudi Arabia. There were 21 students in the control group and 19 students in the experimental group (N = 40). Both classes were split into small groups for collaborative projects, with the experimental group working online using PBWorks to collaborate. The study explored if there were any differences in academic achievement between groups and if there were any differences in students’ attitudes toward collaboration. The results indicated that, although both classes had similar improvement academically, the experimental group improved at a faster rate. Both groups showed an improvement in attitude toward collaborative learning, however, there was no statistically significant difference between groups in pre- and post-survey or interaction between time and attitude. There are implications related to this study the demonstrate using online resources such as PBWorks can make a difference in how quickly students achieve academically, can help students become more self-regulated learners, and transfer educational experiences into their career experiences. Using online resources can be valuable in emergency and stressful situations when attending traditional classrooms is unmanageable, such as in war-torn areas

Cooperation of Nature and Physiologically Inspired Mechanism in Visualisation

A novel approach of integrating two swarm intelligence algorithms is considered, one simulating the behaviour of birds flocking (Particle Swarm Optimisation) and the other one (Stochastic Diffusion Search) mimics the recruitment behaviour of one species of ants – Leptothorax acervorum. This hybrid algorithm is assisted by a biological mechanism inspired by the behaviour of blood flow and cells in blood vessels, where the concept of high and low blood pressure is utilised. The performance of the nature-inspired algorithms and the biologically inspired mechanisms in the hybrid algorithm is reflected through a cooperative attempt to make a drawing on the canvas. The scientific value of the marriage between the two swarm intelligence algorithms is currently being investigated thoroughly on many benchmarks and the results reported suggest a promising prospect (al-Rifaie, Bishop & Blackwell, 2011). We also discuss whether or not the ‘art works’ generated by nature and biologically inspired algorithms can possibly be considered as ‘computationally creative’