Research

[MyResearch] Looking for a catchbob2 scenario

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In order to move forward from our catchbob environment, I need a more complex task, where there should be a mapping between a problem space and the space visited by the participants. A good example would be a cluedo-like task where people need to gather cues all around the campus (finding the weapons used for a crime). Here the mapping is simple: a cue found at a certain location...inference...this cue shows that a specific behavior has occured in this place...inference...However, Pierre argues that this is not semantically complex enough...

[MyResearch] Next Step for CatchBob

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We plan to export the PDA version of CatchBob on tablet PCs. The point is to get rid of the communication problem (at the moment the communication feature only consists in drawing strokes) by allowing users to draw and write directly on the screen. There should be two zones on the tablet PC display: - 1 column (1/3 of the screen) to allow people to write there. - The map (2/3 of the screen): people can also draw there

A 'Clean' button should also be added so that people can clear the screen.

This should be a 'broadcast mode': the drawings should be sent to the group.

To be discussed: - keep the size of the drawing or resize them (lower size) ? - a scroller?

[Prospective] Spinrad's syndicalism anarchism

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In the Social Future as seen by six SF Writers, I mentioned yesterday: as I stated earlier, I like the idea of syndicalist anarchism — 'anarchism that knows how to do business' — no national governments per se.”

Norman Spinrad too is skeptical of global control systems but sees a break-up of the old nationalisms: “Way back when, I sort of liked the idea of a world government. Then I heard Lenny Bruce say: 'If you want to imagine a world government, think of the whole world run by the phone company and nowhere else to go.' On the other hand, I think that the concept of absolute national sovereignty is on the way out and good riddance. The European Union is one model. My own, as in Greenhouse Summer, is some form of syndicalist anarchism — 'anarchism that knows how to do business' — no national governments per se.”

[Research] Picking up a siulation tool for social science

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SInce I am trying to figure out which kind of simulation tool I would use for my phd thesis (HCI guys!), I stumbled across this interesting report: An Evaluation of Seven Software Simulation Tools for Use in the Social Sciences by Julie Dugdale.

The aim of this article is to discuss which software simulation tool(s) would be useful for partners working on the COSI project. The goal is to find a tool which is well suited to simulating the various social mechanisms which are of interest to each of the COSI partners, and, which takes into account the various levels of expertise of using simulation software that exist amongst the COSI partners. Given these two points, the aim is then to suggest a choice of useful simulation tools.

[Research] What is a phd in HCI

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Lately, at our lab, we've been discussing the would-be content of our phd thesis: is it social science (social/cognitive psychology? sociology?), computer science... Well, it is abourt Human Computer Interaction definitely, that was where we reached in the discussion. HCI because it is really interdisciplinary. But what is a phd in HCI. I googled a bit and I found this paper: What is a PhD in HCI? by Chris Johnson (1996). Few quotes:

The criteria imposed in the field of Psychology cannot easily be applied to assess the quality of work in the field of Computer Science or Sociology. In consequence, external and internal examiners from individual disciplines cannot easily judge the quality of work that may draw upon several different fields.(...) Many Universities require that PhD candidates contribute to their field of research. (...) A second criteria for a doctorate in HCI is that the candidate shows a proper grounding in experimental techniques. (...) A third criteria that might be used to judge a 'good thesis' in HCI is whether the candidate contributes to the design and implementation of interactive systems. (...) An Understanding of Inter-disciplinary Research

[Locative Media] RDF/Geospatial workshop in October

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A workshop about RDF and locative media is likely to happen in Budapest, 4/5 October.

The goal of these workshops is to bring together a group of developers (the FOAF workshop recently completed in Galway had over 100 participants, but we are generally looking for something in the order of 20 or so) working on different aspects of a topic. It would include some semi-formal presentations, some discussions of difficult or interesting issues, and some informal discussion and meeting people whose expertise is in a different aspect of the problem.

The results of the workshop are a formal report, listing presentations, topics of discussion, interesting tools mentioned, and so on, as well as the sharing of knowledge among a group focussed on a particular area but with some different perspectives.

[MyResearch] Comments on CatchBob

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At the workshop about game analysis in Leeds, CatchBob received a good interests and some comments: - cbob definitely need a better communication tool: VoIP, chat... - (paper in ACM about visualization of maps in quake... released this month) - messaging system: broadcast to everyone or to a specific player? - john asked how to deal with frustration/anger with our communication tool - VoIP: barry advised to use 3 ipaqs running skype and a desktop computer that runs a skype session and record the conversation? is it possible to do multiple conference with skype? - oskar made comments about my paper: + the 'spatial feature' thing is unclear (it could be spatial arrangements of chair, topology...), I should really explain this sentence "we are interested in ubiquitous computing games in order to use it as a platform to study how people rely on spatial features in terms of collaborative interactions." + why using ubicomp for this research question? He asked this because he did not understand what I meant with spatial features (so he said that I could use normal psychological task withouth any tech) + he advised me to reformulate my research question, something like: the world can be augmented with information (like location awareness), how this augmentation modifies collaboration? impacts collaborative processes. + he questioned the fact that we extracted lots of data and the unclear research question: we got lots of data, so what? how this relates to the research question. the paper is certainly too dense. + put more references to uncle roy or can you see my now

[Research] Analyses factorielles et HCI

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Lu dans la mailing list ergo-ihm:

pour les études utilisant les analyses factorielles et plus largement des techniques de ce genre, l'équipe CHristol et CFH en ont réalisé quelques unes. Notamment une sur les accidents du travail à la RATP avec un étudiant de F. Hubault(publié dans Performances H&T, je peux vous retrouver le n° si vraiment ça vous interesse). On a utilisé ça avec Eric Hermann (CFH) pour la réalisation d'une méthodo de retour d'expérience FH dans la Marine Nationale avec dépouillement des données textuelles avec ces techniques (mais rien de publié, sinon communication orale Lambda mu Montpellier.

On utilise aussi ca beaucoup pour l'analyse des communications ( par exemple entre pilote, remorqueur, Stocker et autres lors du remplissage offshore de superTankers)en confrontant les résultats de ce qu'on observe sur le terrain et en simulateur. Rien de publié.

Dans les systèmes un peu complexes, c'est vraiment remarquable comme technique en confrontant terrain et simulateur : rien de nouveau sous le soleil, depuis le fameux article de jacques leplat. les outils sont plus pratiques, les terrains plus accessibles, mais la méthodo de nos ainés tient la route (et comment !). SI intéressé, expliquez moi ce que vous cherchez. Pour l'ergo dans les SI, il n'y a aucune position commune a tous les concepteurs, (a ce propos, une étudiante a fait un méméoire de DESS sur la représentation de l'ergo chez les informaticiens, et a mis en évidence des classes différentes, la aussi gros effort de recherche a faire pour le retrouver).

[Research] Programing and with starlogo

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Digging into the world of modeling and simulation, I tried the starlogo tutorial: programing ants to search for woodchips and place them into piles: This is cool but I am wondering if I can program more complex behavior. The other issue is that what I want to simulate is not a decentralized behavior. 3 agents collaborating might have a leader. Furthermore, I am in a context where I want to investigate the behavior or 3,4,5 agents and not 1000...

[Research] Physical distance and persuasion in virtual environment

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Moon, Y. (1999). The Effects of Physical Distance and Response Latency on Persuasion in Computer-Mediated Communication and Human-Computer Communication. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 5(4), 379--392

The present study investigates the effects of two variables - perceived physical distance and response latency - on persuasion in computer-mediated communication (CMC) and human-computer communication (HCC). Results from two experiments indicate a negative relationship between perceived physical distance and persuasion in both CMC and HCC. In addition, results from both experiments indicate a nonmonotonic relationship between response latency and persuasion, such that persuasion is greatest when response latencies are neither too short nor too long. Together, these experiments suggest that there are significant trade-offs associated with using long-distance computer networks to communicate persuasive messages. In addition, the findings suggest that whatever standards are used to evaluate human sources may also be used to evaluate non-human sources.

[Research] SOAR: a general cognitive architecture

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SOAR is a general cognitive architecture for developing systems that exhibit intelligent behavior.

Soar means different things to different people. Soar is used by AI researchers to construct integrated intelligent agents and by cognitive scientist for cognitive modeling. It can basically be considered in three different ways: 1. A theory of cognition. As such it provides the principles behind the implemented Soar system. 2. A set of principles and constraints on (cognitive) processing. Thus, it provides a (cognitive) architectural framework, within which you can construct cognitive models. In this view it can be considered as an integrated architecture for knowledge-based problem solving, learning and interacting with external environments. 3. An AI programming language.

The tutorial explains how to build a Soar Quakebot :)

[Simulation] Boids Boids Boids

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Not very up to date but still cool: Flocks, Herds, and Schools: A Distributed Behavioral Model by Craig Reynolds (1987). The guy who coined the notion of BOIDS

The aggregate motion of a flock of birds, a herd of land animals, or a school of fish is a beautiful and familiar part of the natural world. But this type of complex motion is rarely seen in computer animation. This paper explores an approach based on simulation as an alternative to scripting the paths of each bird individually. The simulated flock is an elaboration of a particle system, with the simulated birds being the particles. The aggregate motion of the simulated flock is created by a distributed behavioral model much like that at work in a natural flock; the birds choose their own course. Each simulated bird is implemented as an independent actor that navigates according to its local perception of the dynamic environment, the laws of simulated physics that rule its motion, and a set of behaviors programmed into it by the "animator." The aggregate motion of the simulated flock is the result of the dense interaction of the relatively simple behaviors of the individual simulated birds.