Instructor: Dr. Nancy
Green
Email: nlgreen@uncg.edu
Phone: (336) 334-5836
Office Hours: 3:30-4:30 pm M, 1-1:50 pm W, and by appointment
Office: 322 Bryan
Meeting time: Wed. 3:30 pm - 4:45 pm (Seminar), Fri. 3:15-5:00 pm (Lab or Ashby Dialogue meeting)
Catalog description: Covers the design of artificial-intelligence-based
interactive graphical narrative computer systems for
entertainment and educational applications.
For whom planned: Undergraduate or graduate Computer Science majors who have completed either CSC529 (Artificial Intelligence) or CSC521/621 (Computer Graphics); other CSC majors with sufficient background may be admitted at the instructor's discretion. The course is suitable for students who are project-oriented, self-motivated, able to teach themselves how to use the necessary software tools with minimal instruction, and who are interested in studying the narrative arts for the purpose of designing artificial-intelligence-based computer systems. Enrollment is limited to a small number (5) of students.
Course objectives: The goal of the course is to explore both
computational and non-computational issues in designing
artificial-intelligence-based interactive graphical narrative computer
systems that will be used in the entertainment and educational systems
of the near future. During the semester, the student will design and implement
a computer project in order to explore these issues. The project will be
implemented using a toolkit such as Alice (see http://www.alice.org/)
or the Unreal Tournament editor (see http://www.epicgames.com/)
to implement the graphics, in conjunction with a full-scale programming
language such as C++ , Lisp, or Java for implementing the AI algorithms.
We will meet on Wednesdays to discuss readings and to discuss work on the
project. The readings will cover current research on design of computer
systems of this sort, as well as related topics in the narrative arts needed
to construct such systems, e.g., topics in animation, interactive drama,
etc.. On Fridays, the class will have a lab session or attend the UNCG
Spring 2002 Ashby Dialogue on AI and the Narrative Arts (see http://www.uncg.edu/~nlgreen/ashby.html).
Evaluation methods: The course grade will be based upon the project, participation in class discussion of the readings, and attendance of related Ashby Dialogue events. Graduate students will be expected to lead class discussion of some of the readings. The project will be documented in a written report and demonstrated at the end of the class. For graduate students, the written report will include discussion of related computer systems and describe how related work in the narrative arts contributed to the design of the project.
UNCG Library Reserve for CSC589 (go to Reserves, then search under CSC589)
Partial Bibliography of Readings (here)
Wednesday | Related reading | Friday | Related reading |
Jan 16 Introduction
|
|
Jan 18 (lab)
|
Alice or UT Documentation |
Jan 23 Interactive Drama: overview |
|
Jan 25 (lab) | 3-D Programming for Novices with Alice (draft) |
Jan 30 Interactive Drama requirements: believable characters |
|
Feb 1 (Ashby Dialogue) Michael Frierson | |
Feb 6 Interactive Drama requirements: AI models of personality |
|
Feb 8 (lab)
Demo assignment 1 |
|
Feb 13 Interactive Drama requirements: AI models of emotion |
|
Feb 15 (Ashby Dialogue) David Herman | |
Feb 20 Interactive Drama: Agent Architectures |
|
Feb 22 (continue discussion of production systems) | |
Feb 27 Interactive Drama | Download
these 2 papers from AAAI 99 Fall Symposium on Narrative Intelligence:
|
Mar 1 (lab) Demo assignment 2 | |
Mar 6 System Design case study: Carmen's Bright Ideas | Marsella et al. Interactive Pedagogical Drama. [pdf] | Mar 8 Bayesian reasoning | Tutorial [html] |
Mar 13 (Spring Break) | Mar 15 (Spring Break) | ||
Mar 20 Animation of human motion |
|
Mar 22 Bayesian reasoning (meet in lounge) | |
Mar 27 no class (away at AAAI Spring Symposium on AI and Interactive Entertainment) |
|
Mar 29 (UNCG holiday) | |
Apr 3 AI & Film Techniques
(discussion co-leader: Brad) |
|
Apr 5 (lab) Demo assignment 3 | |
Apr 10 (Ashby Dialogue) Joyce Rudinskky | Apr 12 AI & Film Techniques continued (discussion co-leader: Brad -- meet in lounge) | ||
Apr 17 Telepresence |
|
Apr 19 UNC Chapel Hill VR Lab tour | |
Apr 24 AI Planning |
|
Apr 26 (Ashby Dialogue) Mike Young | |
May 1 Story generation |
|
May 3 Demo assignment 4 | |
Tues. May 7 (last class) (TBA) | |||
Finals May 9-15 |
Some Topics
AI-based Approaches
Tools
Miscellaneous Alice Demos
Projects/Research Groups/Commerical Spin-offs
On-line Reference Books
Similar courses at other universities
Pages with useful links
Conferences
Computer Scientists Looking at Computer Games