home contents changes options help

last edited 4 years ago by antont

First and Last

First and Last reflects divergence and convergence in organic systems.
The installation consists of audio-visual artificial worlds, from natural land-
scapes to fractal universes. Viewers can participate into worlds over internet
using computers or on site with phones or PDA by using avatars with limited life spans.
Avatars can move, propose and refuse to mate. By mixing and varying parent
characteristics the offspring extends avatar life and viewer participation time.

A Tower of Babbelon

A way to see this work is how it connects existing elements. The goal is not so much to invent all new things, but to compose a new meaningful whole of different elements so that they will complement each other in novel ways. There are already massively multi-player on-line roleplaying games (mmorpg), where people participate in different worlds. Also, there are public displays with which people can interact with using their mobile phones, also with game-like content (famously on TV). Furthermore, socially critical works and communities live on the net. We take a look at those areas, how we see their current state and why and how certain parts of them will take place in the installation.

Computer games are technologically at the forefront in both the quality of real-time visualisations and fluency of network interaction. For example, Unreal Tournament 2003 (and Quake3) utilize recent advances in graphics cards and feature efficient servers where virtual worlds are hosted for the gamers. Additional tools, such as IRC and voice-over-IP (TeamSpeak? etc.) make playing over a high-bandwidth computer network a very engaging experience. For some games, the content, i.e. gameplay, can be described as virtual sports. Perhaps similarly to traditional sports, the action is not in relation with things happening elsewhere/otherwise in the real world (of course this is all too narrow a metaphor to look at GamePlay as a whole, see the note about SportS). In First and Last, such connections will be explored in two directions, as elaborated in the following.

Mobile phones (and PDAs?) already outnumber the desktop computers and are increasingly doing so. They introduce originally computed-based applications such as information organising, communication networks, media processing and games to many people who are not interested nor able to use more powerful, yet more cumbersome desktop computers.

However, there is a tendency to separate mobile services from similar, perhaps already existing ones in the stationary computing world. One clear and much discussed reason for this is of course the differing contexts and hence the needs of a mobile user. Another derives from the fact that on the Internet people are not used to pay, but over mobile phone networks the operators charge for each service. For example, e-mail does not cost per message sent (not to mention any length limits), whereas sending an mms does. Besides all that and other reasons for the separation (such as technical differences), it is known that same services can well be made usable from both stationary computers and mobile phones / PDAs?. First and Last invites audience to participate in the same worlds in both ways. A social motivation for this is to try to connect computer gamers, often separated in their dedicated communities, with non-computer non-gamers, who might just be passing by the installation on the street. Also the use of mobile devices and physical installation sites enable connections to the physical world, that are usually not present in virtual worlds (on-line games). A simple way to begin exploring such PhysicalMapping :s would be to e.g. tie the colour of the sky in a place in the virtual world to the air temperature of the installation site.

An additional type of connection in the system is to other, external systems. In particular, common news / economic databases can be mined to determine some variables, such as stock exchange indexes, currency exchange rates etc. Also, analogous to how physical sensors can read environmental information at the installation site, the condition of the network is monitored (e.g. the latency between First and Last main server and Whitehouse.Gov). These variables can be mapped to basically any features of the artificial worlds, but they may often be non-critical: e.g. dollar vs. euro determining wind direction, latency in the network the colour of the sky. These kinds of mappings, or ones to more trivial things, reflect how such strongly communicated (in case of economic figures) news in the mass media form and shape common consciousness about things that remain remote and seem irrelevant to actual actions of people in the everyday lives. Artistic expression is also a means to connect game worlds and entertaining virtual environments to information systems commonly used in boring everyday office work.

Finally, artificial life has already been demonstrated in different systems throughout the years, and we do not expect to make a (theoretical) breakthrough in that area - our implementation and use of evolutionary programming technologies will be innovative and esthetically motivated. For the sake of simplicity the idea is to limit the use of GA and GP constructs to proven and well-understood ones. We find that many basic ideas there are are still new to most people and not that much is artistically explored. Also the applications in commercial games are rare and in their early form. Most importantly, we plan to contextualise them in intellectually and emotionally meaningful settings where artifacts communicate to people and people can learn to communicate with each other.

A never ending journey through worlds in Kyperia

The installation consists of a series of artificial worlds, ranging from videoscapes to fully abstract spaces (e.g. from natural landscapes to fractal universes) that represent the development of a fictional universe. We call them worlds. Viewers can participate in worlds remotely over the Internet from their personal computers or on site with suitable mobile devices. Installation can take place in any public place with high bandwidth internet access, enough room and facilities for projecting a view to the world. Viewers are given a basic selection of AvataR s that act as their AgenT s in WorlD s, each world has initially avatars matching its appearance. Avatars have limited lifespans but they can cross worlds when activated.

Basic possible user InteractionS? are moving the avatar in four directions, proposing to mate ( ProposeMating? ) and refusing a mating proposition ( RefuseMating? ). MatinG , when accepted, replaces the parents with their OffSpring. Their appearances and properties are a CrossOver of the mated parents and their lifespans are reset to full length. To simplify the odds of participants surviving a change of the worlds any two avatars can mate and get more game time by seeking to switch properties - i.e. evolve.

What's Behind the Curtain

All worlds put together form a virtual reality - Kyperia - that exists and lives in the web as a community site (network of sites in the future hopefully). Kyperia is divided into worlds that are represented by PlacE s - whatever is displayed on the big screen or computer display. Places are populated by ProP s, TooL? s and viewer or computer controlled AgenT s - places have their associated SoundScape? s and other properties. On the display the agents are represented by avatars (micons, animations etc.); tools and props are basically represented as inanimate images. In Kyperia agents use tools to perform tasks and props pasted on a background display the place of a world to the viewer. Kyperia offers a more complex gameplaying interface for the computer user. For practical reasons (ease of use, minimal instructions etc.) the user interface for mobile on-site viewers is limited. More sophisticated mobile clients will be made available for later installations.

All of Kyperia is governed by the following rules. 1. The mating restriction with only two crossovered children. Mating rules and restriction with only two crossovered children apply at the time of this writing only to on-site remote controlled avatars. We have some ideas how to allow crossbreeding between Kyperia game-character type of agents and thin on-site mostly avatar entities but nothing to tell yet. 2. Agents can only exist in a place - no place like home (database), 3. they can move between places by permission. I.e. a place permits agents to enter, sometimes taxing the agent for permission. 4. Agent is always permitted to its birthplace without a fee. 5. On-site avatars have shorter individual lifespans than the total world lifetime is, in order to avoid stagnation into homogeneity. 6. If the produced children do not differ from their parents enough, their aging will speed up. 7. Individual worlds may extend and complement these locally as long as the global rules are not compromised or undermined.

Kyperia with its inhabitants is displayed for the installation audience. Kyperia is implemented with open source software and peer-to-peer networking in mind. We will welcome all simultaneous set-ups and development of new worlds as long as it does not interfere with the basic rules and, more importantly, requires from us only a download address with packages and installation instructions with some sample worlds. We aim to build an international virtual community so that when an installation such as First and Last is advertised, it will hopefully attract a multitude of Kyperia inhabitants. For example an intresting possibility is to have a band of webplayers' agents spontaneously play music live at the installation place.

Getting Technical

User and Proxemic Awareness

I (hexa) try to outline some ideas and experiments on what to expect from the user in terms of how many user interface elements and operations we need to (or can) present for the average joe or jill in ProxemicS.

SemioticTriangle

An attempt to formalize how concepts and objects relate to each other and to the symbols used in talking about them.

KyperiaOntology

Why would someone want to develop an ontology? Some of the reasons are:

By way of introduction check out this article ''Ontology Development 101: A Guide to Creating Your First Ontology'' at http://www.ksl.stanford.edu/people/dlm/papers/ontology101/ontology101-noy-mcguinness.html .

A starting point could be setting up an ontology server such as OpenCyc?, http://www.opencyc.org/ .

KyperiaGenetics?

KyperiaEncyclopedia?

CandidateWorlds for Public Display

In the age of tv reruns we circulate effectively 10-20 worlds continuously on the public display for the set-up period. Each world has seasons (scenarios, modes) that vary during its projection time creating dramatic suspenses and reliefs. Transitions from a world to another are subtle and may take up to half an hour of time. The worlds vary from natural to symbolistic and from very simple to quite complex.

For one, there are game-like natural simulations. In FlyingWorld, participants guide gliders or snowflakes and mating is about shapes and flying capabilities. PlantWorld is inhabited by growing trees, flowers and fantasy flora which cultivate to gain different locations and patterns of growth. A realisation of this is TextWorld .

On the symbolistic side, there is e.g. LogoWorld where each avatar is a logo resembling those of corporations, brands and/or monetary currencies. Mating mechanisms there draw from the logic of mergers, branding and economic integration. Quite a different example is the PictureBookWorld, which is purposefully primitive in appearance and features imagery from ancient civilizations of e.g. Egypt and Rome, medieval tournaments and so-called pagan cultures. And of course a PornWorld, if not else to see what becomes of the cross-overs of pricks, dildos and other paraphemalia..)

Designing environments that base on, or at least emphasize, audio is a challenge we look forward to tackling with the partners. Pieces are there, as mixing audio and genetic and other algorithms for varying tunes are known, but especially representing the different avatars in the public space is difficult because background noise and poor of sense of separation.

A set of computer-based environments is not complete without fractals, so we have planned a MandelbrotWorld where places are different sets and participants kinetic textures.

Finally, there are sketches about special worlds that focus on special aspects that, after some experiments, may become features of many worlds. Instances of MoralWorld implement moral theories, where things like good/bad, karma and entropy are evaluated as states of the worlds and visualized for viewers. Check out DeadlySins for a set of possible dichotomies.

FoodWorld, where, besides the default time constraint, beings need to eat (or else be eaten).

Since worlds have a genotype we can apply genetic algorithms and genetic programming in developing new worlds as well as their inhabitants.

System Design

Locally large displays and projections are controlled by a computer, which is connected also to BlueTooth and WirelessLan? base stations that provides the link for capable mobile devices.

On the other hand, as years go by, it is interesting to hear of amazing novelties, such as a VirtualMaterializer

We expect the organizers to provide the network connection, the display device and audio devices for the public installation and a places for the computers behind the scenes. We are seeking partners/funding for the server and network components.

ServeR

For the first release, one server will suffice. It will be located both physically and networkwise near the installation site to guarantee it will always work there. A normal poweful server computer will suffice for serving a large number of participants (hundreds).

InstallationRenderer and InstallationNetwork

At the installation site, a computer with the best affordable graphics and audio cards feeds the display and sound devices. It can use the same client that remote participants, but has special camera controls/presets designed for the public display where several participants must see their avatars. A more advanced installation can be built using several displays. There may be several installation sites using the same server (or later perhaps the network of them).

For MobileClient s, there are basestations for nearby participants. Both BlueTooth and WirelessLan? should be supported. The installation setup provides connections to the server from those networks.

DesktopClient

For remote participants, there is a client program similar to existing on-line game applications (e.g. unreal tournament, eve online, ultima online etc.) that can be the same which are used for installations with public displays, but tailored for a single player. The view is focused on the own avatar, showing the surrounding part of the environment and nearby avatars.

There may be additional features, e.g. for examining the states of the worlds.

MobileClient

Participants at the / an installation site use a remote control application. Besides an appropriate application in a MobilePhone? or a [PDA]?, this could be also a dedicated physical item, as expored in ubiquitous computing projects such as TangibleBits?. For example, small blocks with similar connectors than in puzzle pieces could be used by the participants to couple with the selected partner by connecting the blocks. The blocks would include some controllers (e.g. a joystick) for moving, a sensor for identifying the coupling with other blocks and a bluetooth module for data connection.

Organising the Organism of Worlds

(D)evelopment has Started

The art of doing the simplest thing that could possibly work.

We try avoid excessive planning, although we are familiar with a wealth of design methodologies and planning techniques (perhaps just because...). In planning and storyboarding we adhere to the Agile Modeling (AM) principles such as document only when necessary. We like to organise the implementation work loosely, adopting principles like release early, release often, test while you work from eXtreme Programming (XP) paradigm. ReleasePlan.

Open source tools are just fine for us. In order to cultivate collective initiative and innovation we have to be able to offer as much of the environments as economically as possible, so open source software platforms come naturally. We endeavour to offer a bulk of worlds in Kyperia as open sourced content. That is another story.

We have already started negotiations with some local partners within the relevant business and research fields. However we are openly welcoming all collaboration in as much as we can cope with our limited resources. We will provide access to our FirstAndLast wiki upon request to our collaborators - wiki is our group work environment.

Project Partners

As of this writing we have already started collaborating with the following.

Gamelot http://www.gamelot.fi/ mobile games, mobile content, multiplayer gaming.

Gamelot Ltd. creates Internet and mobile solutions specializing in game and entertainment products. The company's main focus is in online-games, which are developed using our competence and expertise on crossmedia content and Internet applications.

PAC http://www.pac.fi/ Professional Audio Company - soundscapes, shared audio.

PAC Ltd. is a provider of audio software, audio content and integrated software/content solutions for the mobile environment. Their technology enables the creation, delivery and modification of rich, interactive mobile audio content and covers the whole mobile audio value chain from production to playback.

Ludocraft, http://ludocraft.oulu.fi/ game design, implementation and research.

LudoCraft, Game Design & Research Unit in University of Oulu has recently published AirBuccaneers game (mod for UT2003). More information can be found from: http://ludocraft.oulu.fi/airbuccaneers . In addition to this the unit has knowledge and experience from various areas of game design and development.

InterReality, http://interreality.org/ -

InterReality develops a virtual object system (vos) that may be used in implementing this, more information about that in EnginE:InterReality (might move to EnginE:VirtualObjectSystem)

Key Concepts and References

(k)opyright (k)yperjokki what is this? a wiki?, a zwiki?? --> InstructionsPage

and well, the public Kyperjokki-site http://www.kyperjokki.com/

FALGeneralCommentary

Comments:

These are comments from visitors, please feel free to add your own using the text input box below:


comments:

kyläilyä -- 2003/10/02 13:53 EET reply
esitelty OAMKissa?

what has he done -- 2003/10/20 03:02 EET reply
See SportS comment (read in relation to the text its linked to, in The Tower of Babbelon), and FALGeneralCommentary (you can move these around, if you don't like my hierarchics).

Additional: fixed edit mistakes, and trimmed the around bush in FALGeneralCommentary. pekkok

will look how FALGeneralCommentary and GamePlay (linked earlier from some WolrD? s) relate --antont, 2003/10/22 01:02 EET reply

... -- Thu, 29 Apr 2004 04:54:35 +0300 reply

Organising the Organism of Worlds -- Thu, 29 Apr 2004 04:57:36 +0300 reply
I thought it was untrue. It was so wrong that it drove me crazy! Just joking it was superb

contracting --antont, Thu, 09 Sep 2004 19:51:55 +0300 reply
http://erights.org/smart-contracts/index.html is something to digest in these contexts

ToDo --antont, Thu, 28 Oct 2004 00:20:37 +0300 reply

again on an interesting project that might be related --antont, Thu, 13 Jan 2005 12:53:27 +0200 reply
AgiSim AGISIM (Artificial General Intelligence Simulated world) is a virtual world for the interation of artificial intelligences, and other agent systems, as well as allowing humans to interact too. A side project of this is an Interaction Channel Proxy.

asd -- Wed, 19 Jan 2005 00:36:39 +0200 reply
asd

TimeSpace --antont, Sat, 19 Mar 2005 23:33:59 +0200 reply

NewFrontPage --antont, Sun, 20 Mar 2005 02:13:51 +0200 reply
has been thought of

ModFilms? --antont, Sun, 26 Jun 2005 03:07:00 +0300 reply
http://modfilms.com/archives/20040206_about_mod_films.html

MathWorld --antont, Sun, 26 Jun 2005 03:30:31 +0300 reply
http://mathworld.wolfram.com/ChangeofVariablesTheorem.html and http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Jacobian.html

DemandMedia? --antont, Wed, 20 Jul 2005 13:50:08 +0300 reply
http://demandmedia.net/ has some nice videos - how are these in Kyperia, VideoWorld? ?-o

LatticeDrawing? --antont, Wed, 20 Jul 2005 14:11:04 +0300 reply
http://www.nedbatchelder.com/text/lattice.html?PHPSESSID=8605d6885074f32e50328c95490f5ba3 - there is a drawing app (in python) too

GeneLand? --antont, Thu, 21 Jul 2005 18:30:48 +0300 reply
is a term for considering spatial stuff in genomics, related to ProxemicS then too .. http://www.inapg.inra.fr/ens_rech/mathinfo/personnel/guillot/Geneland.html is an R package for LandscapeGenetics?

PlaneShift? --antont, Thu, 11 Aug 2005 09:30:50 +0300 reply
see e.g. the discussion on MainingActivity at http://planeshift.oodlz.com/wbboard/thread.php?threadid=5140&boardid=11

SolarSystem -- Tue, 22 Nov 2005 18:15:48 +0200 reply
is of course modelled in many ways, in e.g. OpenUniverse, and there are cool PlanetaryMaps? at http://www.mmedia.is/~bjj/planetary_maps.html .. might be nice textures for some things

SunSet -- Wed, 07 Dec 2005 19:02:02 +0200 reply
a classic, of course :)

ElephantsDream --antont, Fri, 10 Mar 2006 22:49:35 +0200 reply
has ProogsWorld and EmosWorld? and a SafePlace?

TheEndlessForest -- Fri, 17 Mar 2006 13:55:09 +0200 reply
The Endless Forest is a social screensaver, virtual place where you can play with your friends. When your computer goes to sleep you appear as a deer in this magical place. There are no goals to achieve or rules to follow. You just steer your deer through the forest and see what happens

AnT --antont, Wed, 10 May 2006 03:07:12 +0300 reply
to satisfy http://an.org/t/

installations --antont, Sun, 24 Sep 2006 23:40:20 +0300 reply
now there is an actual first step implementation running as an installation at the UniversityOfOulu? in VlaB - featuring FlyingWorld with BlueTooth RemoteControl? and nice LissaJous? wind curves :)

ProjectSolipsis --antont, Mon, 15 Jan 2007 00:45:13 +0200 reply
http://solipsis.netofpeers.net/wiki2/index.php/Main_Page

SecondLife --antont, Wed, 28 Feb 2007 19:07:24 +0200 reply
"If they actually allowed an entire Second Life World War to break
out, I'd join immediately. It would be recorded as one of the lamest
online battles of all time and I'd Fraps every second of its furry
fighters until dildo rainbows rose above silent battlefields."

--

InfoGraphics? is ways of visualising things, a quite nice collection of diverse examples is at http://www.yayhooray.com/thread/107338/Infopornographic-Datagraphic-Diagramatic , and a neat thing on its own is http://www.threadless.com//product/103/zoom.gif - http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/Adolescent%20romantic%20network_reviseda.jpg is .. dazzling?