Multispace behavioral model for face-based affective social agents

This paper describes a behavioral model for affective social agents based on three independent but interacting parameter spaces: knowledge, personality, andmood. These spaces control a lower-level geometry space that provides parameters at the facial feature level. Personality and mood use findings in behavioral psychology to relate the perception of personality types and emotional states to the facial actions and expressions through two-dimensional models for personality and emotion. Knowledge encapsulates the tasks to be performed and the decision-making process using a specially designed XML-based language. While the geometry space provides an MPEG-4 compatible set of parameters for low-level control, the behavioral extensions available through the triple spaces provide flexible means of designing complicated personality types, facial expression, and dynamic interactive scenarios

Face modeling and animation language for MPEG-4 XMT framework

This paper proposes FML, an XML-based face modeling and animation language. FML provides a structured content description method for multimedia presentations based on face animation. The language can be used as direct input to compatible players, or be compiled within MPEG-4 XMT framework to create MPEG-4 presentations. The language allows parallel and sequential action description, decision-making and dynamic event-based scenarios, model configuration, and behavioral template definition. Facial actions include talking, expressions, head movements, and low-level MPEG-4 FAPs. The ShowFace and iFACE animation frameworks are also reviewed as example FML-based animation systems

Processing Structured Hypermedia : A Matter of Style

With the introduction of the World Wide Web in the early nineties, hypermedia has become the uniform interface to the wide variety of information sources available over the Internet. The full potential of the Web, however, can only be realized by building on the strengths of its underlying research fields. This book describes the areas of hypertext, multimedia, electronic publishing and the World Wide Web and points out fundamental similarities and differences in approaches towards the processing of information. It gives an overview of the dominant models and tools developed in these fields and describes the key interrelationships and mutual incompatibilities. In addition to a formal specification of a selection of these models, the book discusses the impact of the models described on the software architectures that have been developed for processing hypermedia documents. Two example hypermedia architectures are described in more detail: the DejaVu object-oriented hypermedia framework, developed at the VU, and CWI's Berlage environment for time-based hypermedia document transformations

Processing Structured Hypermedia - A Matter of Style

Vliet, J.C. van [Promotor]Eliens, A. [Copromotor

Model-Driven Development of Interactive Multimedia Applications

The development of highly interactive multimedia applications is still a challenging and complex task. In addition to the application logic, multimedia applications typically provide a sophisticated user interface with integrated media objects. As a consequence, the development process involves different experts for software design, user interface design, and media design. There is still a lack of concepts for a systematic development which integrates these aspects. This thesis provides a model-driven development approach addressing this problem. Therefore it introduces the Multimedia Modeling Language (MML), a visual modeling language supporting a design phase in multimedia application development. The language is oriented on well-established software engineering concepts, like UML 2, and integrates concepts from the areas of multimedia development and model-based user interface development. MML allows the generation of code skeletons from the models. Thereby, the core idea is to generate code skeletons which can be directly processed in multimedia authoring tools. In this way, the strengths of both are combined: Authoring tools are used to perform the creative development tasks while models are used to design the overall application structure and to enable a well-coordinated development process. This is demonstrated using the professional authoring tool Adobe Flash. MML is supported by modeling and code generation tools which have been used to validate the approach over several years in various student projects and teaching courses. Additional prototypes have been developed to demonstrate, e.g., the ability to generate code for different target platforms. Finally, it is discussed how models can contribute in general to a better integration of well-structured software development and creative visual design

Model-based engineering of animated interactive systems for the interactive television environment

Les interfaces graphiques étaient la plupart du temps statiques, et représentaient une succession d'états logiciels les uns après les autres. Cependant, les transitions animées entre ces états statiques font partie intégrante des interfaces utilisateurs modernes, et leurs processus de design et d'implémentations constituent un défi pour les designers et les développeurs. Cette thèse propose un processus de conception de systèmes interactifs centré sur les animations, ainsi qu'une architecture pour la définition et l'implémentation d'animations au sein des interfaces graphiques. L'architecture met en avant une approche à deux niveaux pour définir une vue haut niveau d'une animation (avec un intérêt particulier pour les objets animés, leurs propriétés à être animé et la composition d'animations) ainsi qu'une vue bas niveau traitant des aspects détaillés des animations tels que les timings et les optimisations. Concernant les spécifications formelles de ces deux niveaux, nous utilisons une approche qui facilite les réseaux de Petri orientés objets pour la conception, l'implémentation et la validation d'interfaces utilisateurs animées en fournissant une description complète et non-ambiguë de l'ensemble de l'interface utilisateur, y compris les animations. Enfin, nous décrivons la mise en pratique du processus présenté, illustré par un cas d'étude d'un prototype haute-fidélité d'une interface utilisateur, pour le domaine de la télévision interactive. Ce processus conduira à une spécification formelle et détaillée du système interactif, et incluera des animations utilisant des réseaux de Petri orientés objet (conçus avec l'outil PetShop CASE).Graphical User Interfaces used to be mostly static, representing one software state after the other. However, animated transitions between these static states are an integral part in modern user interfaces and processes for both their design and implementation remain a challenge for designers and developers. This thesis proposes a process for designing interactive systems focusing on animations, along with an architecture for the definition and implementation of animation in user interfaces. The architecture proposes a two levels approach for defining a high-level view of an animation (focusing on animated objects, their properties to be animated and on the composition of animations) and a low-level one dealing with detailed aspects of animations such as timing and optimization. For the formal specification of these two levels, we are using an approach facilitating object-oriented Petri nets to support the design, implementation and validation of animated user interfaces by providing a complete and unambiguous description of the entire user interface including animations. Finally, we describe the application of the presented process exemplified by a case study for a high-fidelity prototype of a user interface for the interactive Television domain. This process will lead to a detailed formal specification of the interactive system, including animations using object-oriented Petri nets (designed with the PetShop CASE tool)

MediaSync: Handbook on Multimedia Synchronization

This book provides an approachable overview of the most recent advances in the fascinating field of media synchronization (mediasync), gathering contributions from the most representative and influential experts. Understanding the challenges of this field in the current multi-sensory, multi-device, and multi-protocol world is not an easy task. The book revisits the foundations of mediasync, including theoretical frameworks and models, highlights ongoing research efforts, like hybrid broadband broadcast (HBB) delivery and users' perception modeling (i.e., Quality of Experience or QoE), and paves the way for the future (e.g., towards the deployment of multi-sensory and ultra-realistic experiences). Although many advances around mediasync have been devised and deployed, this area of research is getting renewed attention to overcome remaining challenges in the next-generation (heterogeneous and ubiquitous) media ecosystem. Given the significant advances in this research area, its current relevance and the multiple disciplines it involves, the availability of a reference book on mediasync becomes necessary. This book fills the gap in this context. In particular, it addresses key aspects and reviews the most relevant contributions within the mediasync research space, from different perspectives. Mediasync: Handbook on Multimedia Synchronization is the perfect companion for scholars and practitioners that want to acquire strong knowledge about this research area, and also approach the challenges behind ensuring the best mediated experiences, by providing the adequate synchronization between the media elements that constitute these experiences

Fully generated scripted dialogue for embodied agents

This paper presents the NECA approach to the generation of dialogues between Embodied Conversational Agents (ECAs). This approach consist of the automated construction of an abstract script for an entire dialogue (cast in terms of dialogue acts), which is incrementally enhanced by a series of modules and finally ''performed'' by means of text, speech and body language, by a cast of ECAs. The approach makes it possible to automatically produce a large variety of highly expressive dialogues, some of whose essential properties are under the control of a user. The paper discusses the advantages and disadvantages of NECA's approach to Fully Generated Scripted Dialogue (FGSD), and explains the main techniques used in the two demonstrators that were built. The paper can be read as a survey of issues and techniques in the construction of ECAs, focusing on the generation of behaviour (i.e., focusing on information presentation) rather than on interpretation