Inferring player experiences using facial expressions analysis

© 2014 ACM. Understanding player experiences is central to game design. Video captures of players is a common practice for obtaining rich reviewable data for analysing these experiences. However, not enough has been done in investigating ways of preprocessing the video for a more efficient analysis process. This paper consolidates and extends prior work on validating the feasibility of using automated facial expressions analysis as a natural quantitative method for evaluating player experiences. A study was performed on participants playing a first-person puzzle shooter game (Portal 2) and a social drawing trivia game (Draw My Thing), and results were shown to exhibit rich details for inferring player experiences from facial expressions. Significant correlations were also observed between facial expression intensities and self reports from the Game Experience Questionnaire. In particular, the challenge dimension consistently showed positive correlations with anger and joy. This paper eventually presents a case for increasing the application of computer vision in video analyses of gameplay

Creating a Worldwide Network For the Global Environment for Network Innovations (GENI) and Related Experimental Environments

Many important societal activities are global in scope, and as these activities continually expand world-wide, they are increasingly based on a foundation of advanced communication services and underlying innovative network architecture, technology, and core infrastructure. To continue progress in these areas, research activities cannot be limited to campus labs and small local testbeds or even to national testbeds. Researchers must be able to explore concepts at scale—to conduct experiments on world-wide testbeds that approximate the attributes of the real world. Today, it is possible to take advantage of several macro information technology trends, especially virtualization and capabilities for programming technology resources at a highly granulated level, to design, implement and operate network research environments at a global scale. GENI is developing such an environment, as are research communities in a number of other countries. Recently, these communities have not only been investigating techniques for federating these research environments across multiple domains, but they have also been demonstration prototypes of such federations. This chapter provides an overview of key topics and experimental activities related to GENI international networking and to related projects throughout the world

"Phenomenal Conservatism" - Ch 2 of Seemings and Epistemic Justification

In this chapter I introduce and analyse the tenets of phenomenal conservatism, and discuss the problem of the nature of appearances. After that, I review the asserted epistemic merits phenomenal conservatism and the principal arguments adduced in support of it. Finally, I survey objections to phenomenal conservatism and responses by its advocates. Some of these objections will be scrutinised and appraised in the next chapters

Universal, multi-channel ultraviolet detection in the purity analysis of 2-ethyl-3-(4-hydroxybenzoyl)indolizine by high-performance liquid chromatography

The use of a multi-channel UV—visible detector coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography in purity analysis is decribed. A discussion of some advantages and disadvantages in comparison with a conventional (single-wavelength) UV detector is given. Detection and identification limits for a particular contaminant of 2-ethyl-3-(4-hydorxybenzoyl)indolizine are determined. Sensitivities for both detectors with regard to the same contaminant are derived from the calibration curves

Photoemission study of the Bi/CuO interface

The formation of the BiCuO interface was studied by photoelectron spectroscopy using synchrotron radiation in the VUV range. The CuO layer was prepared by depositing a thin copper layer onto a SrTiO3(100) substrate and oxidising it with atomic oxygen to form CuO. Bismuth overlayers with increasing thickness were deposited using a Knudsen cell. The variation of the shape and intensity of the Bi 5d photoemission lines shows the formation of an oxidised Bi species during the initial stages of growth, followed by the appearance of metallic bismuth. The oxidation state of Bi is initially very similar to that found in high temperature superconductors containing Bi or in Bi2O3. Valence band spectra recorded in the vicinity of the Cu 3p-3d resonance photon energy (76 eV) indicate that the copper at the interface has been reduced. Curve fitting to the Bi 5d core level spectra revealed the contributions from metallic and oxidised bismuth and enabled the growth mode to be determined as layer plus island (Stranski-Krastanov)

Copper/oxide interface formation: a vibrational and electronic investigation by electron spectroscopies

In this study, we deposited copper on a MgO(100) surface at room temperature (using a Knudsen cell) and studied the interface formation using electron spectroscopy. The evolution of the AES peak intensities showed that copper grows on MgO(100) in the Stranski-Krastanov mode. In HREELS experiments, the intensity and the position of the energy loss corresponding to the MgO surface optical phonon at 80.7 meV, both decrease with increasing Cu coverage. These results agree with theoretical spectra simulated from the dielectric theory by considering a Cu2O overlayer on a semi-infinite MgO crystal substrate at the beginning of the growth. From the HREELS data, both the formation of a homogeneous Cu metallic overlayer or a CuO overlayer on MgO can be ruled out. The synchrotron-radiation (SR) photoemission measurements were performed in the vicinity of the Cu3p3d resonance. The positions of the Cu resonance peaks as a function of Cu coverage on MgO show that at low coverage the difference in energy between the main Cu 3d peak and the resonance peak is close to that found in Cu2O and at higher coverage close to metallic copper indicating the formation of an interacting phase at the beginning followed by the growth of metallic copper