DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds Week 12 Future of Virtual Worlds 6pm – 9pm Tuesday, October 16 th , 2007 Kathryn Merrick and Owen Macindoe DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, October 2007
Dec 30, 2015
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds
Week 12
Future of Virtual Worlds
6pm – 9pm
Tuesday, October 16th, 2007
Kathryn Merrick and Owen Macindoe
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, October 2007
Announcements
This lecture will begin with 15 minute demo in the Sentient
Level 2, through the glass door to the Key Centre, then first door on your left
Please join me downstairs
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, October 2007
Lecture Overview
Blurring the line between the virtual and the physical
Virtual worlds as platforms for advanced AI
Technological improvements and growth models for virtual worlds
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, October 2007
Blurring the Line Between Physical and Virtual
Augmented reality Augmented virtuality Mixed reality Alternate reality Mirror worlds
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, October 2007
Augmented Reality
Combination of the real world with computer generated data:
Current research concerned with use of live video imagery, which is processed and ‘augmented’ with computer generated graphics
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, October 2007
Augmented Reality: Tools and Techniques
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, October 2007
Head mounted display
Square marker patterns
Tangible pointer
Kyoto Garden
Augmented Reality Applications
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, October 2007
Kyoto Garden AR Toolkit
Research Challenges with Augmented Reality
Problem of tracking the user’s viewpoint
Camera calibration
Speed for real time use
Use of obtrusive, worn hardware
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, October 2007
Mixed Reality
The merging of real world and virtual worlds to produce new environments where physical and digital objects can co-exist and interact in real time.
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, October 2007
Paul Milgram’s Virtuality Continuum
Mixed Reality: Human Pacman
Overlay of physical with virtual
Bluetooth used to give physical objects digital meaning
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, October 2007
Human pacman
Mixed Reality Research Challenges
Wearable hardware
Networking and communication
Real time function
Health and safety
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, October 2007
Wearable hardware for human pacman
Alternate Reality
Physical and virtual worlds are merged as an interactive narrative
Virtual world may be revealed through: Internet, telephone, email, mail Not necessarily through computer
graphics
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, October 2007
Alternate Reality Terms
Rabbitholes (trailheads): mark the entry to the alternate reality
Puppetmasters control virtual content while players interact with it
TINAG (this is not a game)
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, October 2007
Alternate Reality Research Issues
Can we create alternate reality games without human puppet masters?
Combination of alternate reality and mixed reality
Applications of alternate reality Education, information literacy, advertising
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, October 2007
Alternate Reality Examples
The Beast (2001) Promotion for A.I.:
Artificial Intelligence
I Love Bees (2004) Promotion for Halo
2
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, October 2007
www.ilovebees.com
Virtual Worlds as Platforms for Advanced Artificial Intelligence
AI and virtual worlds are merging in two ways:
Virtual worlds as test-beds for AI AI to enhance virtual worlds
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, October 2007
AI Enhancing Virtual Worlds
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, October 2007
The promise of high quality AI is a major selling point for virtual worlds
Especially true for game worlds
AI makes the world dynamic Changing worlds have greater ‘replay-
ability’
AI Enhancing Virtual Worlds
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, October 2007
Current AI techniques for virtual worlds are relatively simple:
Ensures predictability Easy to implement
Virtual worlds are a complex application domain for AI research…
Complexity of Virtual Worlds
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, October 2007
AIs must monitor large amounts of data and choose from many different actions
World can change while AI is thinking
Changes may be unpredictable due to Open-endedness of virtual environment The presence of humans
Virtual Worlds Enhancing AI
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, October 2007
Complex virtual worlds require research of new AI techniques
Implementation complexity
scriptedbehaviours
cognitiveagents
swarmagents
motivatedagents
Be
hav
iou
ral com
ple
xity
learningagents
Motivated Agents for Dynamic Virtual Worlds
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, October 2007
Motivated agents are one emerging research area for virtual worlds
The idea is to combine computational models of human motivation with artificial intelligence techniques
Interest, curiosity, competence motivation
Advantages of Motivated Agents
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, October 2007
Motivated agents find their own goals If the world changes, motivated agents
can change too by finding new goals In complex worlds, motivated agents
focus on a small number of goals
Motivated agents also have applications in other research fields
A Model of Motivation for Agents in Virtual Worlds
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, October 2007
Agents monitor changes (events) in the world
Events with moderate novelty are highly motivating
Positive feedback
Negative feedback
Interest
-1
-0.5
0
0.5
1
0 0.5 1 1.5 2Novelty 2N(t)
Inte
rest
(R
ewar
d)
I(2N
(t))
= R
(t)
.
Future Technical Directions
Virtual world technologies are driven by (and also drive) other computer technologies:
Graphics, chips, memory… Servers, databases…
The increasing prevalence of virtual worlds is also influenced by social, cultural and economic values
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, October 2007
Have Virtual Worlds Reached A Tipping Point?
What further changes will promote growth?
Release of client code has already prompted improvements
Release of server code would also facilitate growth
BUT companies such as Linden would need to find new ways to make money from virtual worlds
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, October 2007
Possible Growth Models for Virtual Worlds
Open source server code
Software licences for server code
APIs allowing other companies to build clones of virtual world software
Co-location facilities with hardware outsourced to other companies
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, October 2007
Summary
Virtual worlds are an exciting, emerging technology
We can expect to see: Merging of the virtual and physical Improvements in artificial intelligence New technologies to support virtual worlds New business models for virtual world
providers New applications of virtual worlds
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, October 2007
Today’s Tutorial
Preliminary critiques: Spend 10 minutes demonstrating your
design to another group Discuss strengths, weaknesses and
strategies for improvement
Work on Task 2
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, October 2007
Next Week
Each group will give a 20 minute presentation
Presentation should include: Slides describing plot, strengths,
weaknesses (2 marks) Demonstration of game-play sequences (3
marks)
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, October 2007