General general game AI

Arguably the grand goal of artificial intelligence research is to produce machines with general intelligence: the capacity to solve multiple problems, not just one. Artificial intelligence (AI) has investigated the general intelligence capacity of machines within the domain of games more than any other domain given the ideal properties of games for that purpose: controlled yet interesting and computationally hard problems. This line of research, however, has so far focused solely on one specific way of which intelligence can be applied to games: playing them. In this paper, we build on the general game-playing paradigm and expand it to cater for all core AI tasks within a game design process. That includes general player experience and behavior modeling, general non-player character behavior, general AI-assisted tools, general level generation and complete game generation. The new scope for general general game AI beyond game-playing broadens the applicability and capacity of AI algorithms and our understanding of intelligence as tested in a creative domain that interweaves problem solving, art, and engineering.peer-reviewe

ICS Materials. Towards a re-Interpretation of material qualities through interactive, connected, and smart materials.

The domain of materials for design is changing under the influence of an increased technological advancement, miniaturization and democratization. Materials are becoming connected, augmented, computational, interactive, active, responsive, and dynamic. These are ICS Materials, an acronym that stands for Interactive, Connected and Smart. While labs around the world are experimenting with these new materials, there is the need to reflect on their potentials and impact on design. This paper is a first step in this direction: to interpret and describe the qualities of ICS materials, considering their experiential pattern, their expressive sensorial dimension, and their aesthetic of interaction. Through case studies, we analyse and classify these emerging ICS Materials and identified common characteristics, and challenges, e.g. the ability to change over time or their programmability by the designers and users. On that basis, we argue there is the need to reframe and redesign existing models to describe ICS materials, making their qualities emerge

The Visual Rhetoric of Craftsmanship

Within the existing research about communicative devices within visual rhetoric, most published research exists regarding two-dimensional design such as documents and media graphics. In this paper, I discuss the rhetorical value of handmade items and specifically speak to the ethos that three-dimensional, tangible handmade products inherently possess based upon their visual aesthetic

Designing instruments towards networked music practices

It is commonly noted in New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME) research that few of these make it to the mainstream and are adopted by the general public. Some research in Sound and Music Computing (SMC) suggests that the lack of humanistic research guiding technological development may be one of the causes. Many new technologies are invented, however without real aim else than for technical innovation, great products however emphasize the user-friendliness, user involvement in the design process or User-Centred Design (UCD), that seek to guarantee that innovation address real, existing needs among users. Such an approach includes not only traditionally quantifiable usability goals, but also qualitative, psychological, philosophical and musical such. The latter approach has come to be called experience design, while the former is referred to as interaction design. Although the Human Computer Interaction (HCI) community in general has recognized the significance of qualitative needs and experience design, NIME has been slower to adopt this new paradigm. This thesis therefore attempts to investigate its relevance in NIME, and specifically Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) for music applications by devising a prototype for group music action based on needs defined from pianists engaging in piano duets, one of the more common forms of group creation seen in the western musical tradition. These needs, some which are socio-emotional in nature, are addressed through our prototype although in the context of computers and global networks by allowing for composers from all over the world to submit music to a group concert on a Yamaha Disklavier in location in Porto, Portugal. Although this prototype is not a new gestural controller per se, and therefore not a traditional NIME, but rather a platform that interfaces groups of composers with a remote audience, the aim of this research is on investigating how contextual parameters like venue, audience, joint concert and technologies impact the overall user experience of such a system. The results of this research has been important not only in understanding the processes, services, events or environments in which NIME’s operate, but also understanding reciprocity, creativity, experience design in Networked Music practices.É de conhecimento generalizado que na área de investigação em novos interfaces para expressão musical (NIME - New Interfaces for Musical Expression), poucos dos resultantes dispositivos acabam por ser popularizados e adoptados pelo grande público. Algum do trabalho em computação sonora e musical (SMC- Sound and Music Computing) sugere que uma das causas para esta dificuldade, reside numalacuna ao nível da investigação dos comportamentos humanos como linha orientadora para os desenvolvimentos tecnológicos. Muitos dos desenvolvimentos tecnológicos são conduzidos sem um real objectivo, para além da inovação tecnológica, resultando em excelentes produtos, mas sem qualquer enfâse na usabilidade humana ou envolvimento do utilizador no processo de Design (UCDUser Centered Design), no sentido de garantir que a inovação atende a necessidades reais dos utilizadores finais. Esta estratégia implica, não só objectivos quantitativos tradicionais de usabilidade, mas também princípios qualitativos, fisiológicos, psicológicos e musicológicos. Esta ultima abordagem é atualmente reconhecida como Design de Experiência (Experience Design) enquanto a abordagem tradicional é vulgarmente reconhecida apenas como Design de Interação (Interaction Design). Apesar de na área Interação Homem-Computador (HCI – Human Computer Interaction) as necessidades qualitativas no design de experiência ser amplamente reconhecido em termos do seu significado e aplicabilidade, a comunidade NIME tem sido mais lenta em adoptar este novo paradigma. Neste sentido, esta Tese procura investigar a relevância em NIME, especificamente nu subtópico do trabalho cooperativo suportado por Computadores (CSCW – Computer Supported Cooperative Work), para aplicações musicais, através do desenvolvimento de um protótipo de um sistema que suporta ações musicais coletivas, baseado nas necessidades especificas de Pianistas em duetos de Piano, uma das formas mais comuns de criação musical em grupo popularizada na tradição musical ocidental. Estes requisitos, alguns sócioemocionais na sua natureza, são atendidos através do protótipo, neste caso aplicado ao contexto informático e da rede de comunicações global, permitindo a compositores de todo o mundo submeterem a sua música para um concerto de piano em grupo num piano acústico Yamaha Disklavier, localizado fisicamente na cidade do Porto, Portugal. Este protótipo não introduz um novo controlador em si mesmo, e consequentemente não está alinhado com as típicas propostas de NIME. Trata-se sim, de uma nova plataforma de interface em grupo para compositores com uma audiência remota, enquadrado com objectivos de experimentação e investigação sobre o impacto de diversos parâmetros, tais como o espaço performativo, as audiências, concertos colaborativos e tecnologias em termos do sistema global. O resultado deste processo de investigação foi relevante, não só para compreender os processos, serviços, eventos ou ambiente em que os NIME podem operar, mas também para melhor perceber a reciprocidade, criatividade e design de experiencia nas práticas musicais em rede

Art on Instagram : the impact of art-related content on followers’ and artists´self-perception of creativity

Because Instagram is such a visually oriented social media platform, it is vital to understand the influence that it may have on its users' perceptions of their own creative abilities and potential. In part because of its scale, many artists now consider that their presence on the platform is mandatory; yet, the network has also offered art enthusiasts an unparalleled opportunity to get closer to these artists and their work. The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate the impact of art-related accounts on Instagram on artists and other followers who are not professional artists, especially in terms of their creativity. During the research, semi-structured interviews with artists who use Instagram were conducted, as well as focus groups with individuals who follow art-related accounts on the social media platform. The findings revealed that both artists and the followers agree that consuming artrelated content on Instagram has significant potential to aid in the creative and inspirational process. While the artists and non-artist followers’ motivations differ in a few ways, which are primarily related to artists' views of the platform as a tool for promoting and improving their work, and followers' views of the platform as a source of entertainment or distraction, they also share some motivations for following art-related content. The results also concluded that there were possible negative consequences on creativity, such as comparison and anxiety, that eventually discouraged artists, even while many were able to get creative inspiration on Instagram