An Investigation of the Digital Sublime in Video Game Production

This research project examines how video games can be programmed to generate the sense of the digital sublime. The digital sublime is a term proposed by this research to describe experiences where the combination of code and art produces games that appear boundless and autonomous. The definition of this term is arrived at by building on various texts and literature such as the work of Kant, Deleuze and Wark and on video games such as Proteus, Minecraft and Love. The research is based on the investigative practice of my work as an artist-programmer and demonstrates how games can be produced to encourage digitally sublime scenarios. In the three games developed for this thesis I employ computer code as an artistic medium, to generate games that explore permutational complexity and present experiences that walk the margins between confusion and control. The structure of this thesis begins with a reading of the Kantian sublime, which I introduce as the foundation for my definition of the digital sublime. I then combine this reading with elements of contemporary philosophy and computational theory to establish a definition applicable to the medium of digital games. This definition is used to guide my art practice in the development of three games that examine different aspects of the digital sublime such as autonomy, abstraction, complexity and permutation. The production of these games is at the core of my research methodology and their development and analysis is used to produce contributions in the following areas. 1. New models for artist-led game design. This includes methods that re-contextualise existing aesthetic forms such as futurism, synaesthesia and romantic landscape through game design and coding. It also presents techniques that merge visuals and mechanics into a format developed for artistic and philosophical enquiry. 2. The development of new procedural and generative techniques in the programming of video games. This includes the implementation of a realtime marching cubes algorithm that generates fractal noise filtered terrain. It also includes a versatile three-dimensional space packing architectural construction algorithm. 3. A new reading of the digital sublime. This reading draws from the Kantian sublime and the writings of Deleuze, Wark and De Landa in order to present an understanding of the digital sublime specific to the domain of art practice within video games. These contributions are evidenced in the writing of this thesis and in the construction of the associated portfolio of games

Investigation of photovoltaic device operation under varying spectral conditions

A unique system for the synchronous measurement of photovoltaic module electrical parameters and solar spectral irradiance is described. Data quality control is addressed in depth and the practices followed to ensure integrity for the ensuing analysis are explained. Irradiance spectra have been characterised with a single-number descriptor, the average photon energy. Unlike previous spectral characterisation work, the figure employed here is independent of artificially imposed references, such as the spectral response of a solar cell. This has allowed it to be used in a full analysis of spectral variation in the UK, with comparison made to a second site of significantly different climate. This simple characterisation has also allowed spectral irradiance measurements to be included for the first time in a thorough investigation of the effects of different environmental factors on photovoltaic device performance in real operating conditions. Discussion is entered on each of the main influences on key device parameters and concludes with a quantification of the principal effects on electrical energy generation. The development of an enhanced spectral irradiance model is described, which can simulate solar spectra under non-ideal weather conditions, as experienced by many locations. In validation against measured data, it is proved a convenient solution to the problem of poor availability of spectral irradiance data for use in photovoltaic performance modelling. The inclusion of spectral effects into photovoltaic device modelling is undertaken and shown to significantly improve existing modelling approaches. Finally, improvements are identified and suggestions made to further the work

Degradation of power output of photovoltaic modules due to accelerated ageing

This research work focusses on a type of indoor accelerated stress test (AST) which is an extension of the damp-heat (DH) test proposed by the international electrotechnical commission in IEC-61215-2, to reproduce the field failures by applying environmental stresses (temperature (T), relative humidity (RH)) to photovoltaic (PV) mini-modules as well as to compare whether the calculated activation energy associated with such degradation modes is consistent with the range of values reported in literature. In addition, the effect of curing time during PV module lamination on the durability of the PV-modules will be evaluated for crystalline silicon (c-Si) PV mini-modules produced from the same materials

Whiter, brighter, and more stable cellulose paper coated with antibacterial carboxymethyl starch stabilized ZnO nanoparticles

Small, carboxymethyl-starch-stabilised zinc oxide nanoparticles with a defined shape, size and morphology were prepared in situ in water at relatively low reaction temperatures using soluble carboxymethyl starch (CMS) as a combined crystallising, stabilising and solubilising agent and triethanolamine as the reducing agent. Aqueous colloidal solutions of these CMS-stabilised ZnO nanoparticles were used to deposit a coating of ZnO nanoparticles on cellulose paper by a wet-chemistry, polyelectrolyte, layer-by-layer approach using water as the only solvent. Such cellulose paper samples, coated with these CMS-stabilised ZnO nanoparticles, show higher brightness and whiteness than that of blank reference paper and are more stable to UV-radiation than the paper reference as well as demonstrating good antibacterial activity against MRSA and A. baumannii

Accuracy assessment of models estimating total irradiance

The accuracy of estimating total in-plane irradiance is investigated for the UK climate. Several models, which differ in essence in an assumed diffuse irradiance distribution at different levels of sky cloudiness, were used to calculate solar irradiance on inclined planes from horizontal irradiance data. The accuracy of this calculation was validated against measured data. It transpires that there is not massive difference between the various methodologies, but on average the Reindl model seems to be slightly better than other methods, followed by Perez et al. model

Outlier identification in outdoor measurement data - effects of different strategies on the performance descriptors of photovoltaic modules

Outdoor measurement campaigns of PV module performance are normally affected by a relatively large number of outliers. The aim of this paper is to develop a statistically sound approach of obtaining a dataset that allows one to analyse continuously monitored devices. This paper uses ISC as a self-reference parameter to measure the incident irradiance on the module, which largely reduces the error due to spectral and angular effects. The outlier identification procedure is based on statistical distribution analysis of different performance descriptors and it assures 0.99 confidence level and the same skewness for the remaining data. This approach can be applied to whole datasets as well as for data in specific irradiance-temperature bins. The developed methodology will be used to analyze outdoor data from different devices at different locations with reduced uncertainty

Choroidal Neovascularization Following Implantation of Verisyse™ Iris-Supported Phakic Intraocular Lens in a Pregnant Myopic Patient

Both choroidal neovascularization during pregnancy, and choroidal neovascularization following implantation of phakic intraocular lenses have been reported in the literature. To our knowledge, this is the first case reported of a gravid woman developing choroidal neovascularization in an eye with a phakic intraocular lens. A 31-year-old woman became aware of her pregnancy three weeks after placement of the Verisyse™ iris-supported phakic intraocular lens. She was at 15 weeks gestation when she developed a Fuch’s spot consistent with choroidal neovascularization. By eight months gestation, her symptoms nearly resolved. While the development of choroidal neovascularization in this patient may appear incidental, women of childbearing age considering phakic intraocular lenses warrant additional discussion on the possible increased likelihood of choroidal neovascularization