Neural network fitness functions for a musical IGA

This paper describes recent enhancements to GenJam, a genetic algorithm-based model of a novice jazz musician learning to improvise. After presenting an overview and update of the current interactive version of GenJam, we focus on efforts to augment its human fitness function with a neural network, in an attempt to ease the fitness bottleneck inherent in musical IGAs. Specifically, a cascade correlation technique was used with data taken from populations of musical ideas trained by human mentors interactively. We conclude with a discussion of why this approach failed, and we speculate on approaches that might work

Humanizing robot dance movements

Tese de mestrado integrado. Engenharia Informática e Computação. Universidade do Porto. Faculdade de Engenharia. 201

Vector synthesis: a media archaeological investigation into sound-modulated light

Vector Synthesis is a computational art project inspired by theories of media archaeology, by the history of computer and video art, and by the use of discarded and obsolete technologies such as the Cathode Ray Tube monitor. This text explores the military and techno-scientific legacies at the birth of modern computing, and charts attempts by artists of the subsequent two decades to decouple these tools from their destructive origins. Using this history as a basis, the author then describes a media archaeological, real time performance system using audio synthesis and vector graphics display techniques to investigate direct, synesthetic relationships between sound and image. Key to this system, realized in the Pure Data programming environment, is a didactic, open source approach which encourages reuse and modification by other artists within the experimental audiovisual arts community.Holzer, Dere

Faces and hands : modeling and animating anatomical and photorealistic models with regard to the communicative competence of virtual humans

In order to be believable, virtual human characters must be able to communicate in a human-like fashion realistically. This dissertation contributes to improving and automating several aspects of virtual conversations. We have proposed techniques to add non-verbal speech-related facial expressions to audiovisual speech, such as head nods for of emphasis. During conversation, humans experience shades of emotions much more frequently than the strong Ekmanian basic emotions. This prompted us to develop a method that interpolates between facial expressions of emotions to create new ones based on an emotion model. In the area of facial modeling, we have presented a system to generate plausible 3D face models from vague mental images. It makes use of a morphable model of faces and exploits correlations among facial features. The hands also play a major role in human communication. Since the basis for every realistic animation of gestures must be a convincing model of the hand, we devised a physics-based anatomical hand model, where a hybrid muscle model drives the animations. The model was used to visualize complex hand movement captured using multi-exposure photography.Um überzeugend zu wirken, müssen virtuelle Figuren auf dieselbe Art wie lebende Menschen kommunizieren können. Diese Dissertation hat das Ziel, verschiedene Aspekte virtueller Unterhaltungen zu verbessern und zu automatisieren. Wir führten eine Technik ein, die es erlaubt, audiovisuelle Sprache durch nichtverbale sprachbezogene Gesichtsausdrücke zu bereichern, wie z.B. Kopfnicken zur Betonung. Während einer Unterhaltung empfinden Menschen weitaus öfter Emotionsnuancen als die ausgeprägten Ekmanschen Basisemotionen. Dies bewog uns, eine Methode zu entwickeln, die Gesichtsausdrücke für neue Emotionen erzeugt, indem sie, ausgehend von einem Emotionsmodell, zwischen bereits bekannten Gesichtsausdrücken interpoliert. Auf dem Gebiet der Gesichtsmodellierung stellten wir ein System vor, um plausible 3D-Gesichtsmodelle aus vagen geistigen Bildern zu erzeugen. Dieses System basiert auf einem Morphable Model von Gesichtern und nutzt Korrelationen zwischen Gesichtszügen aus. Auch die Hände spielen ein große Rolle in der menschlichen Kommunikation. Da der Ausgangspunkt für jede realistische Animation von Gestik ein überzeugendes Handmodell sein muß, entwikkelten wir ein physikbasiertes anatomisches Handmodell, bei dem ein hybrides Muskelmodell die Animationen antreibt. Das Modell wurde verwendet, um komplexe Handbewegungen zu visualisieren, die aus mehrfach belichteten Photographien extrahiert worden waren

Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Live Coding

Open Access peer reviewed papers on live coding published at the 1st International Conference on Live Coding (ICLC) in Leeds

Affective Computing

This book provides an overview of state of the art research in Affective Computing. It presents new ideas, original results and practical experiences in this increasingly important research field. The book consists of 23 chapters categorized into four sections. Since one of the most important means of human communication is facial expression, the first section of this book (Chapters 1 to 7) presents a research on synthesis and recognition of facial expressions. Given that we not only use the face but also body movements to express ourselves, in the second section (Chapters 8 to 11) we present a research on perception and generation of emotional expressions by using full-body motions. The third section of the book (Chapters 12 to 16) presents computational models on emotion, as well as findings from neuroscience research. In the last section of the book (Chapters 17 to 22) we present applications related to affective computing

2018 Annual Research Symposium Abstract Book

2018 annual volume of abstracts for science research projects conducted by students at Trinity College

Change blindness: eradication of gestalt strategies

Arrays of eight, texture-defined rectangles were used as stimuli in a one-shot change blindness (CB) task where there was a 50% chance that one rectangle would change orientation between two successive presentations separated by an interval. CB was eliminated by cueing the target rectangle in the first stimulus, reduced by cueing in the interval and unaffected by cueing in the second presentation. This supports the idea that a representation was formed that persisted through the interval before being 'overwritten' by the second presentation (Landman et al, 2003 Vision Research 43149–164]. Another possibility is that participants used some kind of grouping or Gestalt strategy. To test this we changed the spatial position of the rectangles in the second presentation by shifting them along imaginary spokes (by ±1 degree) emanating from the central fixation point. There was no significant difference seen in performance between this and the standard task [F(1,4)=2.565, p=0.185]. This may suggest two things: (i) Gestalt grouping is not used as a strategy in these tasks, and (ii) it gives further weight to the argument that objects may be stored and retrieved from a pre-attentional store during this task