This thesis´ aim is to discuss how different levels of details can contribute to creating perceived levels of representation and relatability. This was firstly done through a pilot study, which was made to gather more intel about female opinions on set player characters in games. Then through the creation of six stylized 3D busts, and finally through a main study, serving to find trends in female informants’ opinions about the levels of details, representation and relatability in said busts. Earlier research is presented and discussed, and notable connections between the earlier research and this thesis´s findings are presented. / Denna uppsats syftar till att presentera nya data och intressanta trender inom den aktuella debatten kring kvinnlig media-representation i spel. Detta genomfördes genom skapandet av en pilotstudie, gjord för att samla mer information om kvinnors åsikter om förbestämda spelkaraktärer, sedan genom skapandet av stiliserade 3D-byster, och slutligen genom utförandet av en huvudstudie, som tjänade till att hitta trender i kvinnliga informanters åsikter kring nivåerna av detaljer, representation och relatabilitet dem tidigare nämnda bysterna. Tidigare forskning redovisas och diskuteras, och anmärkningsvärda samband mellan den tidigare forskningen och uppsatsens resultat presenteras.

Internet commerce has risen steadily for over a decade. During this period, innovations have occurred to make using the Internet easier and more engaging as a consumer online shopping experience. An innovation with increasing availability is the three-dimensional (3D) representation of an area where the user has an agent, called an "avatar," to navigate in a computer-generated environment. As technical options become available to view standard web pages through this innovation, virtual reality envionments may change the overall look of a website and may potentially change the way a consumer perceives a website and shape the consumer's purchase intent. In this study, an experimental design was used in which student subjects were asked to view a set of products derived from a search of a retail webpage. Some subjects saw the webpage in a normal two-dimensional (2D) format, while others were shown the same page through a program called ExitReality that converts 2D webpages into 3D environments. Tests were first done to compare the results of some common constructs, as found in the Marketing literature on websites, between 2D and 3D online retail shopping to identify the differences in a set of variables. Second, the variables were combined into a path model to compare between 3 groups: A group trained in 2D and untrained in 3D who shopped in a 2D environment; a group trained in 3D who shopped in a 2D environment; and a group trained in 3D who shopped in a 3D environment. The perceptions used in the study centered on Attitude toward the Site (AST) and constructs that were related to AST in various other studies. The path model was defined through the use of partial least squares (PLS) path modeling techniques, based on previous research, to align the use of the new 3D environments with existing theory. One key potential consequence considered was the purchase intent as compared to the three groups studied. This study is important for two major reasons. First, it is an important step toward understanding the possible effects from presenting consumer online retail shopping experiences that more feasibly imitate physical-world shopping experiences. As technology advances and virtual spaces become easier to create, companies may be able to apply the lessons learned through this study to better understand the potential benefits of converting online retail websites into 3D virtual spaces. Second, this study fits into the research conducted to improve the understanding of how website-related constructs work. For example, the extant literature has shown some contention regarding the best measurement AST and whether AST has an impact on purchase intent. This study provides useful evidence in that debate.

In this study, 174 undergraduates from the University of Central Florida were asked to rate individual human and animal avatar features from the video game Spore on their level of femininity, masculinity, likability, and how well the feature represented them on a 7 point Likert scale of agreeability. Avatar features were presented on a neutral gray, quadruped body in two different views. It was expected that participants would show higher likability for avatar features that they perceived as corresponding to their Personal Attribute Questionnaire (PAQ) gender. Males liked feminine features approximately the same as females, however, in many categories females liked the most masculine features more than the most feminine features. Males liked the most masculine body detail feature more than females, and females liked the most masculine body detail more than males. It also was anticipated that avatar features rated as having both low femininity and low masculinity would be the features rated lowest in likability overall. These features did not have the lowest likability, but were somewhat close to neutral in likability. These results have implications for likable avatar creation for businesses, the military, and education.

Aphasia is an acquired communication disorder that affects the ability of a person to speak and understand spoken language. The purpose of the Aphatar project is to create a virtual clinician that will help suffers of aphasia improve their speech in common scenarios. The project will gauge the interaction and quality of this virtual clinician against those of a real clinician. Aphatar will be created using three major systems: (1) KINECT for audio and visual recording, audio input, and future work in reading the client's emotional state using the KINECT 3D Camera system, (2) The Olympus Speech Recognition System, provided by Carnegie-Mellon University which will accept the audio input of the user and translate it from speech to text then provide spoken feedback to the user, and (3) the Avatar display system, which will provide the graphical interface for the former, allowing the user to see the avatar and interact with it. / Computer and Information Science

Le jeu vidéo est une activité de loisir particulièrement répandue auprès des adolescents. Néanmoins, pour certains, une conduite addictive peut se mettre en place, remplissant une fonction précise et nécessaire à l'équilibre du sujet. L'objectif de ce travail de thèse est d'amorcer la construction d'un modèle explicatif de ce processus addictif. L'opérationnalisation de cette recherche repose sur une méthodologie quantitative permettant de mesurer le poids et l'implication de variables psychopathologiques, cognitivo-émotionnelles et de personnalité dans la mise en place de cette conduite addictive. Le monde virtuel et l'avatar sont les deux constituants majeurs de tout jeu vidéo. Ils permettent au sujet de mettre en scène et médiatiser son Soi Emotionnel. Le processus addictif résulte d'une cristallisation de cette dynamique, ne permettant pas au sujet de se réapproprier son expérience émotionnelle. Par ailleurs, ce travail a permis de mettre en avant l'existence d'une utilisation addictive des jeux vidéo en ligne et hors ligne. Ces deux formats se différencient dans la mise en scène d'aspects du Soi Identitaire qu'ils impliquent. Pour finir, ce travail nous amène à questionner la frontière entre une utilisation régulière et addictive/pathogène des jeux vidéo. / Video games cover preferential activity of adolescents. But for some, the practice becomes an addictive behavior, playing an important role in psychological functioning of adolescents. The global aim is to establish a comprehensive model of this addictive process. This research is based on a quantitative methodology in order to assess the weight and the involvement of psychopathological, emotional and personality variables in this addictive process. Avatar and virtual world are the two essential components of any video game. They allow subject to mediatize and enact his Emotional Self. The addiction process is the result of crystallization of this dynamic which does not allow the subject to reappropriate his emotional experience. Furthermore, the research puts the light on two different types of addictive processes with on line or outline video games. These two formats differ in the enacting of aspects of the Self Identity they imply. Finally, this work leads us to question the boundary between regular and addictive / pathogen use of video games.

O interesse no uso de técnicas de aquisição de dados 3D em vídeos interativos e sistemas de videoconferência imersiva aumentou significativamente nos últimos anos. A disponibilidade de sensores de profundidade baseados em luz estruturada no varejo apresenta uma série de novas oportunidades em sistemas de teleconferência, entretenimento e e-learning. No entanto, problemas de oclusão frequentemente ocorrem quando é utilizado um único sensor ou técnicas de reconstrução 2,5D. Outras técnicas de interação e aplicações de teleconferências podem exigir uma reconstrução mais completa do usuário. Uma possível solução para isso implica na utilização de múltiplos dispositivos simultaneamente, o que traz novos desafios relacionados ao processo de calibração de câmaras e a aferição do aumento da superfície capturada quando é adicionado um novo sensor. Neste trabalho é apresentada a proposta VMD (Video-avatar from Multiple Depth maps), uma arquitetura de sistema que trata esses dois problemas. Com a finalidade de validar a viabilidade dessa proposta, três experimentos foram feitos resultando em uma análise qualitativa e quantitativa a fim de encontrar uma configuração adequada de múltiplos sensores de profundidade. / The interest in the use of 3D data acquisition techniques in video based interaction and immersive videoconferencing systems has noticeably increased in recent years. The availability of structured light 3D sensors as off-the-shelf hardware presents a series of new opportunities in teleconferences, entertainment and e-learning. However, occlusion issues often occur when it is used a single sensor or 2,5D reconstruction techniques. Other interaction techniques and teleconferencing applications may require a more complete reconstruction of the user. One possible solution to this involves the use of multiple devices simultaneously, which may bring new challenges related to the calibration process of cameras and measurement of the increase in covered area when it is added a new sensor. In this work we present VMD (Video-avatar from Multiple Depth maps), a system architecture that addresses this two issues. In order to validate the feasibility of this proposal, three experiments were performed resulting in a qualitative and quantitative analysis with the purpose of finding a suitable setup with multiple depth sensors.

Cette thèse s'inscrit dans le cadre du projet Européen intégré VERE (Virtual Embodiement and Robotics re-Embodiement). Il s'agit de proposer une architecture logicielle intégrant un ensemble de stratégies de contrôle et de retours informationnels basés sur la "fonction tâche" pour incorporer (embodiment) un opérateur humain dans un humanoïde robotique ou un avatar notamment par la pensée. Les problèmes sous-jacents peuvent se révéler par le démonstrateur suivant (auquel on souhaite aboutir à l'issue de cette thèse). Imaginons un opérateur doté d'une interface cerveau-ordinateur ; le but est d'arriver à extraire de ces signaux la pensée de l'opérateur humain, de la traduire en commandes robotique et de faire un retour sensoriel afin que l'opérateur s'approprie le "corps" robotique ou virtuel de son "avatar". Une illustration cinématographique de cet objectif est le film récent "Avatar" ou encore "Surrogates". Dans cette thèse, on s'intéressera tout d'abord à certains problèmes que l'on a rencontré en travaillant sur l'utilisation des interfaces cerveau-ordinateur pour le contrôle de robots ou d'avatars, par exemple, la nécessité de multiplier les comportements ou les particularités liées aux retours sensoriels du robot. Dans un second temps, nous aborderons le cœur de notre contribution en introduisant le concept d'interface cerveau-ordinateur orienté objet pour le contrôle de robots humanoïdes. Nous présenterons ensuite les résultats d'une étude concernant le rôle du son dans le processus d'embodiment. Enfin, nous montrerons les premières expériences concernant le contrôle d'un robot humanoïde en interface cerveau-ordinateur utilisant l'électrocorticographie, une technologie d'acquisition des signaux cérébraux implantée dans la boîte crânienne. / This thesis is part of the European project VERE (Virtual Embodiment and Robotics re-Embodiment). The goal is to propose a software framework integrating a set of control strategies and information feedback based on the "task function" in order to embody a human operator within a humanoid robot or a virtual avatar using his thoughts. The underlying problems can be shown by considering the following demonstrator. Let us imagine an operator equipped with a brain-computer interface; the goal is to extract the though of the human operator from these signals, then translate it into robotic commands and finally to give an appropriate sensory feedback to the operator so that he can appropriate the "body", robotic or virtual, of his avatar. A cinematographic illustration of this objective can be seen in recent movies such as "Avatar" or "Surrogates". In this thesis, we start by discussing specific problems that we encountered while using a brain-computer interface for the control of robots or avatars, e.g. the arising need for multiple behaviours or the specific problems induced by the sensory feedback provided by the robot. We will then introduce our main contribution which is the concept of object-oriented brain-computer interface for the control of humanoid robot. We will then present the results of a study regarding the role of sound in the embodiment process. Finally, we show some preliminary experiments where we used electrocorticography (ECoG)~--~a technology used to acquire signals from the brain that is implanted within the cranium~--~to control a humanoid robot.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T18:13:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Pedro da Cunha Del Picchia.pdf: 1973312 bytes, checksum: c5d2c263dccd15795c0b3253c4aa4a57 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-05-24 / This research aims to further the understanding of the relationship between on and offline personalities in digital social networks. It focuses on the behavior of users from the online social network Twitter. This network was specifically chosen because it provides not only comunicational relevance but also three distinguishing characteristics. The first is an unique freedom to create an avatar. The second is a high speed in the exchange of messages, which is significant because of the premisse that relevant users are those that interact frequently with the network. And, finally, an also unique following/follower structure, which promotes the emergence of leaders and subgroups. The theoretical framework is based on the concepts of digital-glocal environments proposed by Trivinho Dal Bello (2009), digital avatars as defined by Cavalheiro in his master's dissertation (2008), Lazarsfeld's (1995) theory of two-step-flow of information and also in a context analysis of the freudian theory presented in Mass Psychology (1921). The hypothesis is that the creation of an avatar personality follows influence and leadership patterns. The methodology is based on an analysis of widely shared posts from several users and interviews with three study participants who have popular avatars in Twitter / A presente pesquisa tem como objetivo a compreensão, dentro das redes sociais digitais, da relação de uma personalidade on-line com a personalidade off-line. O seu objeto de estudo é o comportamento dos usuários da Rede Social na Internet Twitter, já que esta, além da sua relevância comunicacional, possui três aspectos que lhe distinguem: a liberdade singular na criação do avatar; a velocidade na troca de mensagens, uma vez que parto da proposta de que o usuário, para ter relevância, deve interagir com frequência em sua rede; e a estrutura proposta de seguidor-seguido, que é única e promove a formação de lideranças e subgrupos. A fundamentação teórica apoia-se no enquadramento de construção do ambiente digital-glocal proposto por Trivinho e Dal Bello (2009), no conceito de avatar digital apresentado por Cavalheiro em sua dissertação de mestrado (2008), em uma análise de contexto sob a ótica de Freud em seu texto Psicologia de Grupo (1921), bem como do fluxo de informação em two-step flow proposto por Lazarsfeld (1955). A hipótese é a de que a própria criação desta personalidade-avatarizada segue por padrões de influência e liderança. A metodologia se desenvolve por meio da análise de publicações de diversos usuários que se destacaram a partir do número de republicações e entrevistas com três personagens, cujos avatares têm grande exposição dentro do Twitter

Amener les personnes à réaliser spontanément un comportement, tel est l’objectif des techniques de soumission sans pression. Depuis les années 60, elles ont prouvé leur efficacité. La popularisation des communications médiatisées par ordinateur (CMO) amène à nous demander si les processus d’influence restent efficaces et sous quelles conditions. Parmi les CMO existantes, nous souhaitons privilégier le terrain d’étude offert par les Massively Multiplayer Online Game parce que les interactions interindividuelles sont nombreuses et parce qu’il est nécessaire de créer un avatar pour y accéder. En accord avec certains travaux, nous pensons que l’apparence de l’avatar est un facteur qui influence significativement les comportements des individus. Nos objectifs sont de répliquer les effets de techniques de soumission sans pression et de spécifier les critères à prendre en compte pour obtenir le comportement souhaité. Une série de quatre études testant des techniques de soumission sans pression (pied-dans-la-porte, foot-in-the-face, porte-au-nez, mais vous êtes libre de…) est mise en place. Pris ensemble, les résultats de ces recherches ne sont pas seulement interprétables au regard des théories utilisées lors d’étude dans la vie réelle. Toutefois, nos résultats amènent de nouvelles perspectives théoriques et méthodologiques en matière d’induction de changements comportementaux lors de CMO. / The aim of compliance without pressure techniques is to get people to spontaneously adopt a behavior. Since the 1960s, they have shown their efficiency. The popularization of computer-mediated communications (CMC) raises the question of whether the influence processes remain effective and on what conditions. Among the existing CMCs, we wish to use the study field provided by the Massively Multiplayer Online Game because the interindividual interactions are numerous and it is necessary to create an avatar to access them. In agreement with some research, we think that the avatar appearance is a variable that significantly influences the individual’s behavior. Our objectives are to replicate the effects of compliance techniques and to specify the criteria to be considered in order to achieve the target behavior. A series of four studies, testing techniques of compliance without pressure (foot-in-the-door, foot-in-the-face, door-in-the-face, but you are free to…) are put in place. Results cannot be explained to the full extend by the common theories used in real life studies, however, they present new theoretical and methodological perspectives in terms of behavior changes induction in CMC.

Este trabalho apresenta os resultados da pesquisa e da aplicação de técnicas de GPGPU (General-Purpose computation on Graphics Processing Units) sobre o sistema de vídeo-avatar com realidade aumentada denominado AVMix. Com o aumento da demanda por gráficos tridimensionais interativos em tempo real cada vez mais próximos da realidade, as GPUs (Graphics Processing Units) evoluíram até o estado atual, como um hardware com alto poder computacional que permite o processamento de algoritmos paralelamente sobre um grande volume de dados. Desta forma, É possível usar esta capacidade para aumentar o desempenho de algoritmos usados em diversas áreas, tais como a área de processamento de imagens e visão computacional. A partir das pesquisas de trabalhos semelhantes, definiu-se o uso da arquitetura CUDA (Computer Unified Device Architecture) da Nvidia, que facilita a implementação dos programas executados na GPU e ao mesmo tempo flexibiliza o seu uso, expondo ao programador o detalhamento de alguns recursos de hardware, como por exemplo a quantidade de processadores alocados e os diferentes tipos de memória. Após a reimplementação das rotinas críticas ao desempenho do sistema AVMix (mapa de profundidade, segmentação e interação), os resultados mostram viabilidade do uso da GPU para o processamento de algoritmos paralelos e a importância da avaliação do algoritmo a ser implementado em relação a complexidade do cálculo e ao volume de dados transferidos entre a GPU e a memória principal do computador. / This work presents the results of research and application of GPGPU (General-Purpose computation on Graphics Processing Units) techniques on the video-avatar system with augmented reality called AVMix. With increasing demand for interactive three-dimensional graphics rendered in real-time and closer to reality, GPUs (Graphics Processing Units) evolved to the present state as a high-powered computing hardware enabled to process parallel algorithms over a large data set. This way, it is possible to use this capability to increase the performance of algorithms used in several areas, such as image processing and computer vision. From the research of similar work, it is possible to define the use of CUDA (Computer Unified Device Architecture) from Nvidia, which facilitates the implementation of the programs that run on GPU and at the same time flexibilize its use, exposing to the programmer some details of hardware such as the number of processors allocated and the different types of memory. Following the reimplementation of critical performance routines of AVMix system (depth map, segmentation and interaction), the results show the viability of using the GPU to process parallel algorithms in this application and the importance of evaluating the algorithm to be implemented, considering the complexity of the calculation and the volume of data transferred between the GPU and the computer\'s main memory.