All-Women Initiatives in Art and Technology 1986-2020. Atenea: Mentoring and Networking Project in Steam

[ES] La presente tesis doctoral es una exploración sobre las iniciativas auto-organizadas de mujeres que han surgido en la intersección del arte y la tecnología a nivel internacional. Estas iniciativas comunitarias han ido apareciendo en lugares donde existe una escena de arte y nuevos medios, la cual es generalmente de dominación masculina y baja en diversidad. Este trabajo de investigación es un mapeo de este fenómeno tecno-social y artístico, tratando de identificar las primeras prácticas. A través de entrevistas, encuestas y métodos de investigación etnográfica, esta tesis aspira a comprender el contexto que ha dado lugar a semejantes iniciativas a lo largo de tres décadas y media, examinando las diferentes tipologías por los formatos, extensión, espacio y estructura que éstas han adoptado para afrontar la situación de las mujeres en estas áreas. Existe un vació de referencias sobre formas organizativas y de comisariado en las áreas de arte y tecnología. Además, la literatura general señala las subculturas digitales de los noventa, tales como el ciberfeminismo y el movimiento DIY, como los primeros y principales referentes para las alianzas de mujeres y el activismo translocal en la era digital. Sin embargo, las estrategias de colaboración y segregación en áreas de arte y tecnología no han sido analizadas desde los estudios feministas desde una perspectiva histórica en profundidad. Por lo tanto, esta tesis establece la relación entre dichas iniciativas con la historia de los grupos de mujeres artistas y espacios de arte alternativos, la historia de las mujeres en el arte de nuevos medios y la cultura de redes. Las nuevas tecnologías de la información y comunicación han permitido nuevas formas de comunicación y conectividad transfronterizas; sin embargo, este trabajo investiga en qué medida estas iniciativas dependen de las TIC para el establecimiento de su comunidad, comparado con los formatos analógicos. Con los resultados, esta tesis aspira a convertirse en una fuente de referencias que enriquezca la escasa bibliografía de la temática, proporcionando una lista de formas organizativas y de comisariado, así como las practicas más tempranas nunca publicadas, y en conjunto contribuir a la historiografía actual sobre mujeres. Por último, a la vez que se comenta la situación actual de las mujeres en las áreas de arte y tecnología, este trabajo presenta Atenea, un proyecto de mentorización y networking para mujeres en las artes y carreras STEM. Atenea está compuesto de un programa de actividades con diferentes actividades organizativas y de comisariado, así como una plataforma de networking. Adicionalmente, el proyecto tiene un programa enfocado en transmitir conocimientos STEM a niñas a través de prácticas artísticas con tecnología de la mano de mujeres artistas nacionales como mentoras.[CAT] La present tesi doctoral és una exploració sobre les iniciatives autoorganitzades de dones que han sorgit en la intersecció de l'art i la tecnologia a nivell internacional. Aquestes iniciatives comunitàries han anat apareixent en llocs on hi ha una escena d'art i nous mitjans, la qual és generalment de dominació masculina i baixa en diversitat. Aquest treball de recerca és un mapeig d'aquest fenomen tecno-social i artístic, tractant d'identificar les primeres pràctiques. A través d'entrevistes, enquestes i mètodes d'investigació etnogràfica, aquesta tesi aspira a comprendre el context que ha donat lloc a semblants iniciatives al llarg de tres dècades i mig, examinant les diferents tipologies pels formats, extensió, espai i estructura que aquestes han adoptat per afrontar la situació de les dones en aquestes àrees. Hi ha un buit de referències sobre formes organitzatives i de comissariat en les àrees d'art i tecnologia. A més, la literatura general assenyala les subcultures digitals dels noranta, com ara el ciberfeminisme i el moviment DIY, com els primers i principals referents per a les aliances de dones i l'activisme translocal en l'era digital. No obstant això, les estratègies de col·laboració i segregació en àrees d'art i tecnologia no han estat analitzades des dels estudis feministes des d'una perspectiva històrica en profunditat. Per tant, aquesta tesi estableix la relació entre aquestes iniciatives amb la història dels grups de dones artistes i espais d'art alternatius, la història de les dones en l'art de nous mitjans i la cultura de xarxes. Les noves tecnologies de la informació i comunicació han permès noves formes de comunicació i connectivitat transfrontereres; però, aquest treball investiga en quina mesura aquestes iniciatives depenen de les TIC per a l'establiment de la seva comunitat, comparat amb els formats analògics. Amb els resultats, aquesta tesi aspira a convertir-se en una font de referències que enriqueixi l'escassa bibliografia de la temàtica, proporcionant una llista de formes organitzatives i de comissariat, així com les pràctiques més primerenques mai publicades, i en conjunt contribuir a la historiografia actual sobre dones. Finalment, alhora que es comenta la situació actual de les dones en les àrees d'art i tecnologia, aquest treball presenta Atenea, un projecte de mentorització i networking per a dones en les arts i carreres STEM. Atenea està compost d'un programmea d'activitats amb diferents activitats organitzatives i de comissariat, així com una plataforma de networking. Addicionalment, el projecte té un programmea enfocat a transmetre coneixements STEM a nenes a través de pràctiques artístiques amb tecnologia de la mà de dones artistes nacionals com mentores.[EN] This dissertation explores a series of all-women self-organised initiatives that have emerged at the intersection of art and technology internationally. These grassroot initiatives have continued to appear in places where there is a new media arts scene, generally male-dominated and low in diversity. This research work is a mapping of this techno-social and artistic phenomenon, attempting to identify its earliest practices. Through interviews, surveys and ethnographic research, this thesis seeks to comprehend the context that has given rise to such initiatives over three decades and half, examining the different typologies by formats, extension, space and structure that they have adopted to address the situation of women in these fields. There is a void of references on all-women curatorial and organisational forms in art and technology. Moreover, general literature points at digital subcultures of the 1990s such as cyberfeminism and DIY movement as first referents for women's alliance and translocal activism in the digital age. However, collaboration and segregation strategies in new media arts have not been discussed in feminist scholarship from a deeper historical perspective. Therefore, this dissertation elaborates the linkage of such initiatives to early history of all-women art groups and alternative art spaces, history of women in new media arts and to network cultures. New information and communication technologies have enabled new forms of communication and connectivity cross-borders; however, this work investigates in which measure these initiatives are dependent upon ICT for the establishment of a community, compared to analog formats. With the results, this dissertation aims to become a source of references that enriches the scarce bibliography on the topic, providing a list of curatorial and organisational forms with the earliest and unpublished practices that altogether contribute to current women's historiography. Lastly, while discussing the current situation of women in art and technology fields, this works presents Atenea, a mentoring and networking platform for women in Arts and STEM careers. Atenea is comprised of a programme having different organizational, curatorial and networking activities. Additionally, the platform has a project focused on teaching STEM skills to girls through new media arts with female artists as mentors. Keywords: All-women, self-organised, initiatives, new media arts, digital arts, electronic arts, art, technology, activism, mapping, alternative art spaces, collaboration, segregation, ICT, digital age, virtual, community, network cultures, feminism, cyberfeminism, Atenea, STEM, STEAM, girls, organisational, curatorial, networking platform, mentoring,Robles Mateo, E. (2020). All-Women Initiatives in Art and Technology 1986-2020. Atenea: Mentoring and Networking Project in Steam [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/159248TESI

Dataremix: Aesthetic Experiences of Big Data and Data Abstraction

This PhD by published work expands on the contribution to knowledge in two recent large-scale transdisciplinary artistic research projects: ATLAS in silico and INSTRUMENT | One Antarctic Night and their exhibited and published outputs. The thesis reflects upon this practice-based artistic research that interrogates data abstraction: the digitization, datafication and abstraction of culture and nature, as vast and abstract digital data. The research is situated in digital arts practices that engage a combination of big (scientific) data as artistic material, embodied interaction in virtual environments, and poetic recombination. A transdisciplinary and collaborative artistic practice, x-resonance, provides a framework for the hybrid processes, outcomes, and contributions to knowledge from the research. These are purposefully and productively situated at the objective | subjective interface, have potential to convey multiple meanings simultaneously to a variety of audiences and resist disciplinary definition. In the course of the research, a novel methodology emerges, dataremix, which is employed and iteratively evolved through artistic practice to address the research questions: 1) How can a visceral and poetic experience of data abstraction be created? and 2) How would one go about generating an artistically-informed (scientific) discovery? Several interconnected contributions to knowledge arise through the first research question: creation of representational elements for artistic visualization of big (scientific) data that includes four new forms (genomic calligraphy, algorithmic objects as natural specimens, scalable auditory data signatures, and signal objects); an aesthetic of slowness that contributes an extension to the operative forces in Jevbratt’s inverted sublime of looking down and in to also include looking fast and slow; an extension of Corby’s objective and subjective image consisting of “informational and aesthetic components” to novel virtual environments created from big 3 (scientific) data that extend Davies’ poetic virtual spatiality to poetic objective | subjective generative virtual spaces; and an extension of Seaman’s embodied interactive recombinant poetics through embodied interaction in virtual environments as a recapitulation of scientific (objective) and algorithmic processes through aesthetic (subjective) physical gestures. These contributions holistically combine in the artworks ATLAS in silico and INSTRUMENT | One Antarctic Night to create visceral poetic experiences of big data abstraction. Contributions to knowledge from the first research question develop artworks that are visceral and poetic experiences of data abstraction, and which manifest the objective | subjective through art. Contributions to knowledge from the second research question occur through the process of the artworks functioning as experimental systems in which experiments using analytical tools from the scientific domain are enacted within the process of creation of the artwork. The results are “returned” into the artwork. These contributions are: elucidating differences in DNA helix bending and curvature along regions of gene sequences specified as either introns or exons, revealing nuanced differences in BLAST results in relation to genomics sequence metadata, and cross-correlation of astronomical data to identify putative variable signals from astronomical objects for further scientific evaluation

Methods for Light Field Display Profiling and Scalable Super-Multiview Video Coding

Light field 3D displays reproduce the light field of real or synthetic scenes, as observed by multiple viewers, without the necessity of wearing 3D glasses. Reproducing light fields is a technically challenging task in terms of optical setup, content creation, distributed rendering, among others; however, the impressive visual quality of hologramlike scenes, in full color, with real-time frame rates, and over a very wide field of view justifies the complexity involved. Seeing objects popping far out from the screen plane without glasses impresses even those viewers who have experienced other 3D displays before.Content for these displays can either be synthetic or real. The creation of synthetic (rendered) content is relatively well understood and used in practice. Depending on the technique used, rendering has its own complexities, quite similar to the complexity of rendering techniques for 2D displays. While rendering can be used in many use-cases, the holy grail of all 3D display technologies is to become the future 3DTVs, ending up in each living room and showing realistic 3D content without glasses. Capturing, transmitting, and rendering live scenes as light fields is extremely challenging, and it is necessary if we are about to experience light field 3D television showing real people and natural scenes, or realistic 3D video conferencing with real eye-contact.In order to provide the required realism, light field displays aim to provide a wide field of view (up to 180°), while reproducing up to ~80 MPixels nowadays. Building gigapixel light field displays is realistic in the next few years. Likewise, capturing live light fields involves using many synchronized cameras that cover the same display wide field of view and provide the same high pixel count. Therefore, light field capture and content creation has to be well optimized with respect to the targeted display technologies. Two major challenges in this process are addressed in this dissertation.The first challenge is how to characterize the display in terms of its capabilities to create light fields, that is how to profile the display in question. In clearer terms this boils down to finding the equivalent spatial resolution, which is similar to the screen resolution of 2D displays, and angular resolution, which describes the smallest angle, the color of which the display can control individually. Light field is formalized as 4D approximation of the plenoptic function in terms of geometrical optics through spatiallylocalized and angularly-directed light rays in the so-called ray space. Plenoptic Sampling Theory provides the required conditions to sample and reconstruct light fields. Subsequently, light field displays can be characterized in the Fourier domain by the effective display bandwidth they support. In the thesis, a methodology for displayspecific light field analysis is proposed. It regards the display as a signal processing channel and analyses it as such in spectral domain. As a result, one is able to derive the display throughput (i.e. the display bandwidth) and, subsequently, the optimal camera configuration to efficiently capture and filter light fields before displaying them.While the geometrical topology of optical light sources in projection-based light field displays can be used to theoretically derive display bandwidth, and its spatial and angular resolution, in many cases this topology is not available to the user. Furthermore, there are many implementation details which cause the display to deviate from its theoretical model. In such cases, profiling light field displays in terms of spatial and angular resolution has to be done by measurements. Measurement methods that involve the display showing specific test patterns, which are then captured by a single static or moving camera, are proposed in the thesis. Determining the effective spatial and angular resolution of a light field display is then based on an automated analysis of the captured images, as they are reproduced by the display, in the frequency domain. The analysis reveals the empirical limits of the display in terms of pass-band both in the spatial and angular dimension. Furthermore, the spatial resolution measurements are validated by subjective tests confirming that the results are in line with the smallest features human observers can perceive on the same display. The resolution values obtained can be used to design the optimal capture setup for the display in question.The second challenge is related with the massive number of views and pixels captured that have to be transmitted to the display. It clearly requires effective and efficient compression techniques to fit in the bandwidth available, as an uncompressed representation of such a super-multiview video could easily consume ~20 gigabits per second with today’s displays. Due to the high number of light rays to be captured, transmitted and rendered, distributed systems are necessary for both capturing and rendering the light field. During the first attempts to implement real-time light field capturing, transmission and rendering using a brute force approach, limitations became apparent. Still, due to the best possible image quality achievable with dense multi-camera light field capturing and light ray interpolation, this approach was chosen as the basis of further work, despite the massive amount of bandwidth needed. Decompression of all camera images in all rendering nodes, however, is prohibitively time consuming and is not scalable. After analyzing the light field interpolation process and the data-access patterns typical in a distributed light field rendering system, an approach to reduce the amount of data required in the rendering nodes has been proposed. This approach, on the other hand, requires rectangular parts (typically vertical bars in case of a Horizontal Parallax Only light field display) of the captured images to be available in the rendering nodes, which might be exploited to reduce the time spent with decompression of video streams. However, partial decoding is not readily supported by common image / video codecs. In the thesis, approaches aimed at achieving partial decoding are proposed for H.264, HEVC, JPEG and JPEG2000 and the results are compared.The results of the thesis on display profiling facilitate the design of optimal camera setups for capturing scenes to be reproduced on 3D light field displays. The developed super-multiview content encoding also facilitates light field rendering in real-time. This makes live light field transmission and real-time teleconferencing possible in a scalable way, using any number of cameras, and at the spatial and angular resolution the display actually needs for achieving a compelling visual experience

Application-driven visual computing towards industry 4.0 2018

245 p.La Tesis recoge contribuciones en tres campos: 1. Agentes Virtuales Interactivos: autónomos, modulares, escalables, ubicuos y atractivos para el usuario. Estos IVA pueden interactuar con los usuarios de manera natural.2. Entornos de RV/RA Inmersivos: RV en la planificación de la producción, el diseño de producto, la simulación de procesos, pruebas y verificación. El Operario Virtual muestra cómo la RV y los Co-bots pueden trabajar en un entorno seguro. En el Operario Aumentado la RA muestra información relevante al trabajador de una manera no intrusiva. 3. Gestión Interactiva de Modelos 3D: gestión online y visualización de modelos CAD multimedia, mediante conversión automática de modelos CAD a la Web. La tecnología Web3D permite la visualización e interacción de estos modelos en dispositivos móviles de baja potencia.Además, estas contribuciones han permitido analizar los desafíos presentados por Industry 4.0. La tesis ha contribuido a proporcionar una prueba de concepto para algunos de esos desafíos: en factores humanos, simulación, visualización e integración de modelos

Application-driven visual computing towards industry 4.0 2018

245 p.La Tesis recoge contribuciones en tres campos: 1. Agentes Virtuales Interactivos: autónomos, modulares, escalables, ubicuos y atractivos para el usuario. Estos IVA pueden interactuar con los usuarios de manera natural.2. Entornos de RV/RA Inmersivos: RV en la planificación de la producción, el diseño de producto, la simulación de procesos, pruebas y verificación. El Operario Virtual muestra cómo la RV y los Co-bots pueden trabajar en un entorno seguro. En el Operario Aumentado la RA muestra información relevante al trabajador de una manera no intrusiva. 3. Gestión Interactiva de Modelos 3D: gestión online y visualización de modelos CAD multimedia, mediante conversión automática de modelos CAD a la Web. La tecnología Web3D permite la visualización e interacción de estos modelos en dispositivos móviles de baja potencia.Además, estas contribuciones han permitido analizar los desafíos presentados por Industry 4.0. La tesis ha contribuido a proporcionar una prueba de concepto para algunos de esos desafíos: en factores humanos, simulación, visualización e integración de modelos

Blurring the boundaries between real and artificial in architecture and urban design through the use of artificial intelligence

[Abstract] This doctoral thesis explores the use of three-dimensional (3D) technologies for architectural representation and modelling of both ‘real world’ and ‘artificially generated’ 3D objects. Current 3D architectural representation has reached high levels of reality, to the extent that it’s often hard to distinguish between ‘pictures from the real world’ and ‘artificially generated’ 3D renderings. The thesis will make use of the latest available 3D technologies in combination with artificial intelligence (AI) processes to increase the visual realism and geometrical precision of 3D models. The first line of research relates to architectural representation and visualization, by exploring the use of ‘Light Imaging Detection And Ranging’ (LIDAR) technology and proposing a point-based rendering (PBR) methodology, to seamless merge models obtained directly from the ‘real world’ with ‘artificially generated’ ones. The second line of research is related to geometrical architectural modelling, and proposes the use of evolutionary computation and self-organization logic to achieve more geometrical realism and accuracy in the 3D modelling process, by exploring the idea of auto-form generation. The research consists of three case studies, and algorithms are proposed for each one. The first one is related to 3D visualization through LIDAR scans and PBR rendering, the second to geometrical generation through evolutionary morphogenesis and the third one to human made self-organized systems (cities). From the results obtained from each case study final conclusions will be draw. The final objective is to determine the efficiency of using point-based technologies and artificial intelligence as a methodology to further blur the boundaries between ‘real world’ 3D models and ‘artificially generated’ ones.[Resumen] La Tesis explora el uso de tecnologías tridimensionales (3D) para la representación arquitectónica y modelado 3D, tanto de objetos ‘reales’ como de objetos generados ‘artificialmente’. El uso de tecnologías 3D ha permitido a la representación arquitectónica alcanzar niveles de realidad similares a fotografías, hasta tal punto que a menudo es difícil distinguir entre imágenes reales y representaciones 3D generadas artificialmente por ordenadores. La Tesis estudia el uso de las últimas tecnologías 3D disponibles, combinadas con procesos de inteligencia artificial como una forma que permita aumentar el nivel de realidad visual y exactitud geométrica de modelos 3D. Para ello la Tesis sigue dos líneas principales de investigación. La primera está relacionada con la representación y visualización arquitectónica, explorando el uso de la tecnología láser para detectar imágenes y medidas (LIDAR) y proponiendo una metodología de visualización mediante el uso de técnicas de infografías basadas en puntos (PBR) con el fin de combinar directamente modelos 3D obtenidos directamente del ‘mundo real’ y modelos 3D ‘generados artificialmente’. La segunda línea de investigación está relacionada con el modelado de geometrías arquitectónicas. Mediante el uso de computación evolutiva y procesos de auto-organización con el fin de lograr un mayor grado de realismo y exactitud en el modelado 3D, mediante la introducción de parámetros del mundo real en los algoritmos de morfogénesis evolutiva, explorando así la idea de la auto-generación de formas. La Tesis propone a través de tres casos experimentales, algoritmos para cada uno de ellos. El primero está relacionado con la visualización, el segundo con la morfogénesis geométrica y el tercero con sistemas complejos auto-organizados realizados por el hombre (ciudades). A partir de la evaluación de los resultados obtenidos de cada caso experimental, la tesis extraerá conclusiones finales sobre el uso de técnicas de inteligencia artificial como metodología para difuminar los límites entre los 'modelos de 3D del ‘mundo real’ y los ‘generados artificialmente’.[Resumo] A Tese explora o uso de tecnoloxías 3D para representación arquitectonica e modelaxe 3D, tanto de obxectos ‘reais’, coma de obxectos xerados artificialmente. O uso de tecnoloxías 3D na representación arquitectónica pode acadar uns niveis de realidade similares a fotografías, na medida en que moitas veces é difícil distinguir entre imaxes reais e representacións 3D xeradas artificialmente por ordenadores. A tese estuda o uso das últimas tecnoloxías 3D dispoñibles, combinadas con procesos de intelixencia artificial como un xeito de aumentar o nivel de realidade visaual e exactitude xeometrica de modelos 3D. Esta tese segue dúas liñas principais de investigación. A primeira está relacionada coa representación e visualización arquitectónica, explorando o uso das tecnoloxías láser para detectar imáxes e medidas (LIDAR) e propoñe unha metodoloxía de visualización mediante o uso de infografías basadas en puntos (PBR) para combinar directamente modelos 3D obtidos directamente do ‘mundo real’ e modelos 3D ‘xerados artificialmente’. A segunda liña de investigación está relacionada coa modelaxe de xeometrías arquitectonicas. Usando procesos de computacion evolutiva e auto-organización a fin de acadar un maior grao de realismo en modelaxe 3D, a través da introdución de parámetros do mundo real en algoritmos evolutivos de morfoxénese, deste xeito explorando a idea de auto-xeración de formas. A tese propón a través de tres casos experimentais, algoritmos para cada un deles. O primeiro esta relaccionado coa a visualizacion, o segundo coa morfoxénese xeométrica eo terceiro cos sistemas complexos auto-organizados feitos polo home (cidades). A partir da avaliación dos resultados de cada caso experimental, a tese extraerá conclusións finais sobre o uso da intelixencia artificial como unha metodoloxía para difuminar as fronteiras entre os modelos 3D reais e os xerados artificialmente

Fourth Conference on Artificial Intelligence for Space Applications

Proceedings of a conference held in Huntsville, Alabama, on November 15-16, 1988. The Fourth Conference on Artificial Intelligence for Space Applications brings together diverse technical and scientific work in order to help those who employ AI methods in space applications to identify common goals and to address issues of general interest in the AI community. Topics include the following: space applications of expert systems in fault diagnostics, in telemetry monitoring and data collection, in design and systems integration; and in planning and scheduling; knowledge representation, capture, verification, and management; robotics and vision; adaptive learning; and automatic programming

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