Aug 222023
 


Synplant: Cymatics Visualization of Plant-Environment Interaction Based on Plants Biosignals
Synplant is an installation consisting of multiple hybrid plant sensing units. By analyzing biosignals, it can interpret the natural environment from the perspective of plants and translate their experiences into audiovisual expressions that can be experienced by humans. This work is based on a supervised learning system that analyzes the changes in biosignals when plants receive environmental stimuli. The analysis results are used to control acoustic-lighting devices to generate variable cymatics patterns. Through the utilization of wind and rain as vehicles to bridge different sensing units, it creates an immersive audiovisual field that represents the trajectories of the invisible interaction between plants and different elements in the natural environment. This work combines an intelligent machine with botanical perception to extend our understanding of the natural environment and to connect with the land from a non-human perspective.”

+infos(oficial): LINK


Lights! Dance! Freeze!: Exploring the dance-musical filmic space using embodied search in an interactive installation
Conventionally, spectators enjoy films passively. This paper describes an interactive film installation that invites participants to use their entire body as a query to search and explore a large corpus of musical films in a novel way. Using an RGB camera, ML-based skeleton tracking technology and a unique pose and film indexing system, this installation tracks a participant’s movements and mirrors them in real-time by finding matching poses among hundreds of thousands from well-known musicals. When the participant freezes in a pose, the installation instantly plays back the short film clip that begins with that pose, immersing them in the music and dance from musicals of different eras. This approach explores themes of tangible interfaces and the new possibilities that emerge from employing embodied interaction to traverse the dance pose space, which is traditionally difficult to index and interact with in real time. The pose indexing system and whole-body interaction we propose in this paper open new pathways for cultural participation, as they lend themselves to different datasets and require no technical skills from participants.”

+infos(oficial): LINK


Streamlined approach to 2nd/3rd graders learning basic programming concepts
There is a growing need to teach schoolchildren programming at an increasingly younger age. The goal of this study is to determine if it is possible to teach schoolchildren basic programming concepts in a streamlined manner. In order to present the new knowledge in a way schoolchildren could understand easily, analogies between basic programming concepts and traffic were used. A simple video game was developed with this in mind and an effort was made to avoid design pitfalls commonly found in edutainment titles. The study involved 112 schoolchildren ages 7 to 9. Test group and control group were given a pre-test, a re-test and a post-test. The re-test and the post-test respectively showed 16% and 7% score difference in favor of the test group. Focusing on questions featuring content analogous to basic programming concepts showed 36% and 20% difference in scores.”

+infos(oficial): LINK

Aug 062023
 

“NodeXL is a template for Microsoft® Excel® (2007, 2010, 2013 and 2016) on Windows (XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10) that lets you enter a network edge list into a workbook, click a button, see a network graph, and get a detailed summary report, all in the familiar environment of the Excel® spreadsheet application. Customize the network graph’s appearance. Zoom, scale and pan the graph. Calculate basic graph metrics. Dynamically filter vertices and edges. Alter the graph’s layout. Find clusters of related vertices. The NodeXL Pro application can be licensed for a 12 month period, adding additional features. Calculate advanced graph metrics. Import and export graphs to a variety of file formats. Get social networks using built-in connections to Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, YouTube, Wikis, Blogs, Instagram, Network Surveys, and email. Automate network graph collection and creation. If you use Excel® on Windows you can download and use NodeXL Basic now. Or license NodeXL Pro for additional features.”

+infos(oficial): https://www.smrfoundation.org/

+infos(versão basic): https://www.smrfoundation.org/nodexl/nodexl-basic/

e ainda sobre o assunto de análise de dados encontrei este grupo de investigação em PT ..

“SMART Data Sprint is an intensive hands-on work driven by digital methods-oriented research projects. We sprint with media methods; web environments, practices and vernaculars; (research) software and web-based tools – while engaging with (learning from and repurposing) the technicity of computational media.”

+infos(oficial): https://metodosdigitais.fcsh.unl.pt/

Jul 082023
 

A Springer tem uma série de livros “International Series on Computer, Entertainment and Media Technology” que este ano vai publicar o livro “The Structure of Game Design” com as secções de:
Part I
Front Matter
Creating a Game Idea
Defining a Game Idea
The Appeal of Games
Game Design Elements
Understanding Game Loops
Randomness in Games
Psychology in Games
Game Balance
Part II
Front Matter
Understanding Fun
Fun in Movement
Fun in Puzzles
Fun in Combat
Fun in Strategy
Fun in Economics
Fun in Storytelling
Part III
Front Matter
Turning a Game Idea into a Real Game

O resumo:
“The Structure of Game Design is designed to help aspiring and existing game designers turn their ideas into working games. Creating a game involves understanding the core foundational elements of all types of games from paper-based games to the latest video games. By understanding how these core principles work in all types of games, you can apply these same principles to design your own game.

Games are about goals, structure, play and fun. While everyone will always have their own idea of what might be “fun”, any game designer can maximize player enjoyment through meaningful choices that offer various risks and rewards. Such challenges, combined with rules and limitations, force players to overcome obstacles and problems using a variety of skills including dexterity, puzzle solving, intelligence, and strategy. Essentially games allow players to venture forth into new worlds and overcome problems in a safe but exciting environment that allows them to triumph in the end.
Just as playing games have proven popular around the world to all ages, genders, and cultures, so has game designing proven equally popular. Games can challenge players to make the best move, solve puzzles, engage in combat, manage resources, and tell stories. By understanding how randomness, psychology, and balance can change the way games play, readers can decide what game elements are best for their own game creation.

Whether your goal is to make money, learn something new, make a social statement, improve on an existing game idea, or challenge your artistic, programming, or design skills, game design can be just as much fun as game playing. By knowing the parts of a game, how they work, how they interact, and why they’re fun, you can use your knowledge to turn any idea into a game that others can play and enjoy.”

+infos(oficial): https://www.springer.com/series/13820/

Jul 082023
 

Uma malta de Harvard USA tem um repositório com algumas coisas interessantes e relacionadas com o “Pedagogy of Play“.  Alguns dos destaques vão para:
“WHY play is a core resource for learning
WHAT play looks and feels like in different cultural contexts
HOW educators can promote play and playful learning in schools, including practices and strategies for teaching and assessing learning through play
To understand and address social justice and equity issues associated with learning through play with teacher research and equity-centered teaching
To advocate for play as critical to children’s development and learning in schools
To use Playful Participatory Research to reflect on and deepen learning through play”

Deste projeto também surge o livro “A Pedagogy of Play: Supporting playful learning in classrooms and schools” com o resumo de:
“Play is at the heart of childhood. Through play, children learn how to collaborate, how to negotiate rules and relationships, and how to imagine and create. They learn to find and solve problems, think flexibly and critically, and communicate effectively. This book, written by researchers at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, draws on cross-cultural, empirical research to explore what it means to embrace play as a core part of learning in school. The authors address three questions: Why do educators need a pedagogy of play? What does playful learning in schools look and feel like? and How can educators promote playful learning? The book includes practices and strategies from the classroom to the staffroom, eight pictures of classroom practice from four countries, and 18 tools for teachers, school leaders, and professional development providers to support playful learning across content areas and age groups.”

+infos(oficial): https://pz.harvard.edu/projects/pedagogy-of-play

Jul 012023
 

“A Mixed Method Approach for Evaluating and Improving the Design of Learning in Puzzle Games”
resumo: “Despite the acknowledgment that learning is a necessary part of all gameplay, the area of Games User Research lacks an established evidence based method through which designers and researchers can understand, assess, and improve how commercial games teach players game-specific skills and information. In this paper, we propose a mixed method procedure that draws together both quantitative and experiential approaches to examine the extent to which players are supported in learning about the game world and mechanics. We demonstrate the method through presenting a case study of the game Portal involving 14 participants, who differed in terms of their gaming expertise. By comparing optimum solutions to puzzles against observed player performance, we illustrate how the method can indicate particular problems with how learning is structured within a game. We argue that the method can highlight where major breakdowns occur and yield design insights that can improve the player experience with puzzle games.”
+infos(oficial): LINK

May 022023
 

Understanding Interactive Digital Narrative Immersive Expressions for a Complex Time” de Hartmut Koenitz
onde consta..
“This remarkably clearly written and timely critical evaluation of core issues in the study and application of interactive digital narrative (IDN) untangles the range of theories and arguments that have developed around IDN over the past three decades.

Looking back over the past 30 years of theorizing around interactivity, storytelling, and the digital across the fields of game design/game studies, media studies, and narratology, as well as interactive documentary and other emerging forms, this text offers important and insightful correctives to common misunderstandings that pervade the field. This book also changes the perspective on IDN by introducing a comprehensive conceptual framework influenced by cybernetics and cognitive narratology, addressing limitations of perspectives originally developed for legacy media forms. Applying its framework, the book analyzes successful works and lays out concrete design advice, providing instructors, students, and practitioners with a more precise and specific understanding of IDN.

This will be essential reading for courses in interactive narrative, interactive storytelling, and game writing, as well as digital media more generally.”

+infos(oficial): LINK

HOMO LUDENS (ESP) VIDEOJUEGOS PARA ENTENDER EL PRESENTE” de CARRUBBA, LUCA (ED.)
onde consta..
“Homo ludens presenta diferentes posiciones respecto al videojuego yplantea preguntas que obligan a poner en cuestión nuestras certezas. Adiferencia de otras exposiciones sobre el tema, basadas en aspectoshistóricos, simbólicos y visuales, esta adopta una perspectiva crítica:invita al espectador a reflexionar y a tomar partido, al tiempo quemuestra todas las interpretaciones y potencialidades de los videojuegos:desde su impacto en el mundo del arte, la computación y la ciencia a losindie games que aportan visiones alternativas que permiten romperestigmas y estereotipos y contribuir a la aparición de una nuevasensibilidad social o medioambiental.”

+infos(oficial): LINK

May 022023
 

Seminário de Ensino de Videojogos e a Conferência Videojogos’23

“28-30 de Novembro de 2023 porque a 13ª edição Videojogos regressa novamente num moliceiro sob inspiração marítima, sendo adocicada por receitas divinas na Universidade de Aveiro. A data para submissão dos artigos é 31 de julho de 2023. Não se esqueçam de passar também a palavra nas vossas redes nacionais e internacionais.”

+infos(oficial): https://videojogos2023.spcvideojogos.pt/

May 022023
 

Gostava de ler este artigo “The Pursuit of Fun in Digital Games: From the Sandpit to the Console and Beyond” d eDiego Fellipe Tondorf, e Marcelo da Silva Hounsell

“Fun has long been considered inherent in the act of playing. Some authors argue that it is an element always present in games, and others that it is not, that there are several types of fun and several factors that change the perception of fun, but fun has always been associated with positive effects on players. As a subjective concept, and dependent on context and player experience, understanding fun in games is a challenge for developers. With the development of the industry and the research on digital games, it became necessary to create new artifacts for the design and validation of fun. Understanding fun is also essential for serious games, which have been criticized for not being fun. Thus, better understanding fun and how to achieve it is a big challenge where crucial outcomes could benefit application areas such as education, health, and others. But the roadmap for such an area of research has not been established. This chapter presents fun as a grand challenge in games and digital entertainment and proposes a path for future research.”

+infos(oficial): LINK

Gostava de ler este artigo “Platform for Interactive Audiovisual Productions and Generative Art Using Processing” de P. D‘Amato e Diana Karina Leon

“Through computers, artists have found a way to enhance their production, discovering new ways for communicating their productions and devising new forms of expression. Being able to make the most of these facilities requires interdisciplinary groups that seek to enhance creativity and at the same time generate new forms of creation. In particular, an artist takes advantage of the different tools available, from sound to draws in order to provide immersive experiences. This paper presents a platform that implements image and audio processing algorithms, to facilitate the artist’s task, in what is called generative art. With the platform it is possible to create animated digital images in real time that adapt to the sound’ properties and that can be used in live audiovisual performances.”

+infos(oficial): LINK

Apr 212023
 

“Call for Papers KuI 2023
To this day, our understanding of technology has been shaped by the idea of industrialisation as progress that makes our daily life safer and easier, but at the same time more diverse. In our post-digital age, physical and virtual systems are becoming more and more inseparable. Concepts for new products and systems are often conceived, implemented, and tested in digital and real environments at the same time. This is especially true for extended reality applications in which code and materiality, virtuality and reality form a unit.
Discussions of new materiality go hand in hand with physical and hybrid realities. At the same time, software and computer programs are increasingly helping to develop physical innovative materials for product design and other application fields. However, this new understanding of materiality is not only found in product design, but also in arts and culture created and/or presented in combination with digital technologies such as extended reality (VR, MR, AR).
The entanglement between the physical world and computer-generated data cuts across and expands far beyond disciplines such as human-computer interaction, machine-to-machine communication, computer graphics, sensor systems, humanities, and artistic sciences such as sound, visual, culture and design studies. With our 21st International Conference on Culture and Computer Science we want to address the multifaceted bridges between physicality and virtuality, between culture, arts, and engineering.
The Culture and Computer Science conference series will focus on best practice examples, challenges and future trends in the fields of physical and virtual spaces, mixed, extended, augmented, and virtual reality, hybrid systems, 3D technology, data collection and management, media integration, modelling, visualisation, and interaction. The conference addresses employees of cultural and creative industries, art and culture professionals, media, and communication scientists as well as computer scientists and engineers, who conduct research and development on cultural topics.

topicos:
Physical and virtual spaces, especially hybrid spaces
Code and materiality
Mixed reality, augmented reality, augmented virtuality, and virtual reality systems, applications, and technologies
Hybrid applications
Analogue and digital exhibition design
Collections – exploitation, design, exhibition, and conveyance
Cultural heritage (tangible and intangible)
Influence of art and culture on future technical developments and vice versa
Interdependence between culture and computer science
Human–computer interaction
Intuitive usage of media systems
Natural user interfaces
Sketching
Simulation of cultural sites (acoustic, visual, and material)
Machine Learning for cultural applications
Cultural techniques
Ethics in culture and computer science

Further Key Aspects of the Conference:
Technologies for physical and virtual spaces
3D technologies
Digitalisation in the cultural and creative industries
Visualisation and interaction technologies
Interactive multimedia solutions for museums, theatres, concert halls, exhibitions etc.
Collaboration in physical and virtual spaces
Digital exhibitions, science centres, museums, and galleries
Virtual reconstructions
Location-based and context-sensitive services in a cultural context
Documentation, visualisation and interaction in museums and archives
Digital and hybrid storytelling”

+infos(oficial): https://kui.htw-berlin.de/call-2023/