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.

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.

Le concept de « motivation » se distingue par une multitude d’approches et d’études déterminant ses aspects et ses impacts dans le champ des sciences humaines et sociales. Il se présente comme un élément important pour mobiliser le facteur humain et stimuler son niveau de performance. En référence aux sciences de l’information et de la communication et aux sciences de l’éducation, la motivation, de type intrinsèque ou extrinsèque, se manifeste dans un environnement qui favorise, parmi d’autres, l’expression, l’interaction et l’engagement. Dans une vision d’apprentissage, les pratiques de formation évoluent introduisant de nouvelles techniques sophistiquées, plus efficaces, telles que l’usage de dispositifs immersifs de formation à distance. Dès lors, notre thèse se penche sur l’étude du phénomène de la motivation au sein d’un dispositif sociotechnique animé par des avatars. Ceci va montrer la force de l’immersion dans le monde virtuel et son impact sur la motivation de l’usager de ce système de communication. Il s’agit donc de traiter une problématique traduisant les ambitions de l’apprenant de réussir son concours de Ma thèse en 180 secondes en combinant les pratiques et l’environnement qui stimulent son comportement au cours de sa formation. Un apprentissage favorisant la motivation par l’usage des personnages virtuels reproduisant les mouvements et les émotions de l’usager est un nouveau modèle de médiation porteur dans les sciences de l’information et de la communication.Notre thèse est d’avancer un outil de formation à distance qui optimise la communication entre les apprenants et leurs enseignants et développe un cercle d’apprentissage basé sur la motivation. Notre choix méthodologique est fondé sur une approche compréhensive permettant d’élucider la nature des liens conçus entre le monde réel et le monde virtuel mettant en interaction un sujet et son avatar. Pour ce faire, une expérimentation est engagée sur notre terrain de recherche, balisée par des techniques d’observations et d’entretiens qualitatifs afin de comprendre la nature des liens forgés entre les acteurs du système immersif et de saisir les stimuli de la motivation de l’apprenant dans une mise en situation de formation à distance. / The concept of “motivation” can be characterized by several approaches and studies that determine its aspects and its impacts in the fields of human and social science. It constitutes an important element that mobilizes human factors and stimulates performance level. In reference to information, communication and education science, intrinsic or extrinsic types of motivation can manifest in an environment that promotes expression, interaction and engagement. In a learning outlook, learning practices evolve introducing new and more efficient sophisticated techniques, such as the usage of immersive e-learning systems. Our research studies motivation phenomena through a sociotechnical protocol, animated by avatars. This will show immersion strength in the virtual environment and its impact on the motivation of the user of that communication system. The main point is to analyze a problematic that determines the ambitions of the trainee associated with winning the competition “My thesis in three minutes”, by combining practices and an environment that stimulates his behavior during the course. A learning process favoring motivation by the usage of virtual characters who reproduce the user’s movements and emotions is a new promising model of mediation in information and communication science.Our thesis is to present an e-learning tool that optimizes communication between teachers and learners and develops a learning circle based on motivation. Our methodology choice is based on a comprehensive approach that allows clarifying the nature of the actual links between the real and the virtual worlds, which creates an interaction between an individual and his avatar. To accomplish this, an experiment was set up and performed in our research field using observation techniques and qualitative interviews in order to understand the nature of the links existing between actors of the immersive system and to unravel the stimuli of the trainee’s motivation in an e-leaning situation.

Dans le cadre de la rééducation orthophonique des troubles de la parole associés à un mauvais positionnement de la langue, il peut être utile au patient et à l’orthophoniste de visualiser la position et les mouvements de cet articulateur naturellement très peu visible. L’imagerie échographique peut pallier ce manque, comme en témoignent de nombreuses études de cas menées depuis plusieurs années dans les pays anglo-saxons. Appuyés par de nombreux travaux sur les liens entre production et perception de la parole, ces études font l’hypothèse que ce retour articulatoire visuel faciliterait la rééducation du patient. Lors des séances orthophoniques, le patient semble, en effet, mieux appréhender les déplacements de sa langue, malgré la difficulté d’interprétation sous-jacente de l’image échographique liée au bruit inhérent à l’image et à l’absence de vision des autres articulateurs. Nous développons dans cette thèse le concept d’échographie linguale augmentée. Nous proposons deux approches afin d’améliorer l’image échographique brute, et présentons une première application clinique de ce dispositif. La première approche porte sur le suivi du contour de la langue sur des images échographiques. Nous proposons une méthode basée sur une modélisation par apprentissage supervisé des relations entre l’intensité de l’ensemble des pixels de l’image et les coordonnées du contour de langue. Une étape de réduction de la dimension des images et des contours par analyse en composantes principales est suivie d’une étape de modélisation par réseaux de neurones. Nous déclinons des implémentations mono-locuteur et multi-locuteur de cette approche dont les performances sont évaluées en fonction de la quantité de contours manuellement annotés (données d’apprentissage). Nous obtenons pour des modèles mono-locuteur une erreur de 1,29 mm avec seulement 80 images, performance meilleure que celle de la méthode de référence EdgeTrak utilisant les contours actifs. La deuxième approche vise l’animation automatique, à partir des images échographiques, d’une tête parlante articulatoire, c’est-à-dire l’avatar d’un locuteur de référence qui révèle les structures externes comme internes de l’appareil vocal (palais, pharynx, dent, etc.). Nous construisons tout d’abord un modèle d’association entre les images échographiques et les paramètres de contrôle de la langue acquis sur ce locuteur de référence. Nous adaptons ensuite ce modèle à de nouveaux locuteurs dits locuteurs source. Pour cette adaptation, nous évaluons la technique Cascaded Gaussian Mixture Regression (C-GMR), qui s’appuie sur une modélisation conjointe des données échographiques du locuteur de référence, des paramètres de contrôle de la tête parlante, et des données échographique d’adaptation du locuteur source. Nous comparons cette approche avec une régression directe par GMR entre données du locuteur source et paramètre de contrôle de la tête parlante. Nous montrons que l’approche par C-GMR réalise le meilleur compromis entre quantité de données d’adaptation d’une part, et qualité de la prédiction d’autre part. Enfin, nous évaluons la capacité de généralisation de l’approche C-GMR et montrons que l’information a priori sur le locuteur de référence exploitée par ce modèle permet de généraliser à des configurations articulatoires du locuteur source non vues pendant la phase d’adaptation. Enfin, nous présentons les premiers résultats d’une application clinique de l’échographie augmentée à une population de patients ayant subi une ablation du plancher de la bouche ou d’une partie de la langue. Nous évaluons l’usage du retour visuel en temps réel de la langue du patient et l’usage de séquences enregistrées préalablement sur un orthophoniste pour illustrer les articulations cibles, par des bilans orthophoniques classiques pratiqués entre chaque série de séances. Les premiers résultats montrent une amélioration des performances des patients, notamment sur le placement de la langue. / In the framework of speech therapy for articulatory troubles associated with tongue misplacement, providing a visual feedback might be very useful for both the therapist and the patient, as the tongue is not a naturally visible articulator. In the last years, ultrasound imaging has been successfully applied to speech therapy in English speaking countries, as reported in several case studies. The assumption that visual articulatory biofeedback may facilitate the rehabilitation of the patient is supported by studies on the links between speech production and perception. During speech therapy sessions, the patient seems to better understand his/her tongue movements, despite the poor quality of the image due to inherent noise and the lack of information about other speech articulators. We develop in this thesis the concept of augmented lingual ultrasound. We propose two approaches to improve the raw ultrasound image, and describe a first clinical application of this device.The first approach focuses on tongue tracking in ultrasound images. We propose a method based on supervised machine learning, where we model the relationship between the intensity of all the pixels of the image and the contour coordinates. The size of the images and of the contours is reduced using a principal component analysis, and a neural network models their relationship. We developed speaker-dependent and speaker-independent implementations and evaluated the performances as a function of the amount of manually annotated contours used as training data. We obtained an error of 1.29 mm for the speaker-dependent model with only 80 annotated images, which is better than the performance of the EdgeTrak reference method based on active contours.The second approach intends to automatically animate an articulatory talking head from the ultrasound images. This talking head is the avatar of a reference speaker that reveals the external and internal structures of the vocal tract (palate, pharynx, teeth, etc.). First, we build a mapping model between ultrasound images and tongue control parameters acquired on the reference speaker. We then adapt this model to new speakers referred to as source speakers. This adaptation is performed by the Cascaded Gaussian Mixture Regression (C-GMR) technique based on a joint model of the ultrasound data of the reference speaker, control parameters of the talking head, and adaptation ultrasound data of the source speaker. This approach is compared to a direct GMR regression between the source speaker data and the control parameters of the talking head. We show that C-GMR approach achieves the best compromise between amount of adaptation data and prediction quality. We also evaluate the generalization capability of the C-GMR approach and show that prior information of the reference speaker helps the model generalize to articulatory configurations of the source speaker unseen during the adaptation phase.Finally, we present preliminary results of a clinical application of augmented ultrasound imaging to a population of patients after partial glossectomy. We evaluate the use of visual feedback of the patient’s tongue in real time and the use of sequences recorded with a speech therapist to illustrate the targeted articulation. Classical speech therapy probes are led after each series of sessions. The first results show an improvement of the patients’ performance, especially for tongue placement.

This essay examines YouTube comments to videos with male and female streaming players of the online game League of Legends. The research carries out a critical discourse analysis with the aim to find gender relevant language in order to analyze ideologies about gender stereotypes among viewers of streamers. The results showed that comments concerning players’ bodies and appearance were more common in comments on female than male players. There was also a higher expectation for female players to match sexual stereotypes close to the imagery of avatars than for male players to do so. Female players received more comments with sexual implications. Both male and female players received offers of sexual acts, but violent acts were only aimed against women. Written comments defending female players showed that there are ideological power struggles between viewers in this specific genre and that some viewers defend the female players’ place in the scene of streamed gaming. / Denna studie undersöker kommentarer på YouTube-videos med spelare av ett online-spel vid namn League of Legends. Undersökningen för en kritisk diskursanalys med syfte att hitta diskurs relevant för kön för att utreda vilka ideologier om kön och sexuella stereotyper som återfinns bland konsumenter av sådana videos. Resultatet visar att kommentarer som nämner spelarens kropp och utseende är betydligt vanligare för kvinnliga än manliga spelare. Resultatet visade också att det fanns en högre förväntan att kvinnliga spelare skulle matcha sexuella stereotyper som liknar bilden av kvinnliga avatarer än att manliga spelare skulle göra det. Kvinnliga spelare fick fler kommentarer av sexuell karaktär. Både manliga och kvinnliga spelare fick erbjudanden om sexuella handlingar, men våldsamma sexuella handlingar var bara riktade mot kvinnor. Svar på kommentarer som försvarar kvinnliga spelare visar på en kraftmätning mellan de som tittar på manliga och kvinnliga spelare inom denna specifika genre och att kvinnliga spelares plats inom denna sfär försvaras av vissa tittare.

Denna kandidatuppsats utfördes i samarbete med designteam från två svenska konfektionsföretag och riktas mot designteknik inom ämnesområdet textilteknologi. Studien syftar främst till att undersöka likheter och skillnader mellan 3D-avprovning och fysisk avprovning och vilka eventuella fördelar eller risker som 3D-avprovningar i så fall kan medföra i produktutvecklingen. Studien undersöker även, via uppföljningsintervju, designteamens upplevelser av att analysera 3D-avprovningar. Tidigare studier visar att företag i konfektionsbranschen använder 3D-avprovningar som verktyg för att bland annat reducera ledtiden i produktutvecklingen, genom att inte vara bundna till fysiska avprovningar och prototyper. Även om 3D-användning gör tidsbesparing möjlig så har fysisk avprovning en betydande faktor för produktens slutliga komfort och estetik. Respektive designteam, som inte hade erfarenhet av 3D, fick därför analysera och kommentera 5 stycken 3D-simulerade plagg. Dessa kommentarer jämfördes sedan med kommentarer från utförda designteamens fysiska avprovningar. Jämförelsen visade att designteamens önskade justeringar vid 3D-avprovning skulle medföra fler design- och mönsterändringar än vid fysisk avprovning. Detta tyder på att beslut som avgör plaggets passform och design inte bör utföras genom enbart 3D-avprovningar. Inga justeringar utfördes via beslut i 3D, endast fysiska avprovningar har legat som grund för designteamens eventuella vidare produktutveckling av plaggen. Hade designteamen däremot utfört justeringar baserat på 3D-avprovningar, parallellt med ändringar baserat på fysiska avprovningar, hade följande fysiska prototyper troligtvis medfört synliga skillnader i passform och design. Dock visade intervjuer med erfarna användare av 3D, samt uppföljningsintervjuerna med designteamen, att designteam kan använda 3D-teknik som kommunikationsverktyg, i ett tidigt skede i produktutvecklingen. Detta för att verifiera att designteamet har en gemensam uppfattning om plaggets generella utformning. / This bachelor’s thesis is written with a focus on design technology in the field of textile technology and was in a collaboration with design teams from two Swedish clothing companies. The study is primarily aimed to examine similarities and differences between 3D-fitting and physical fitting. The study also investigates what benefits or risks 3D-fitting might result in regarding the garment development. Further, the study examines each of the design team's individual experiences of analyzing 3D-fitting via follow-up interview. Previous studies show that companies in the clothing industry use 3D-fitting as a tool to reduced lead time in garment development, by not being tied to physical fitting and physical prototype. Although 3D use makes time saving possible, physical fitting is a significant factor for the comfort and aesthetics of the final garment. Each design team, having no prior experience in 3D, analyzed and commented on 5 pieces of 3D simulated garments. These comments were then compared with comments from the design teams’ physical fittings. The comparison showed that the design teams desired adjustments in 3D-fitting would result in more design and pattern changes than at the physical fitting. This indicates that decisions that effects deign or fit of the garment should not be performed only by decisions via 3D-fitting. No adjustments where done from decisions in 3D, only the physical fittings have been the basis for the design team's further product development of the garments. However, if the design team had made adjusted based on 3D fittings, in parallel with changes based on physical fittings, the following physical prototypes would likely show visible differences in fit and design. Interviews with experienced users of 3D, and follow-up interviews with the design teams, showed that design teams can use 3D technology as a communication tool, in the early stage of the garment development. This would be to verify that the design team has a common idea of garment's general design and fit.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-07-29T15:22:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Flavia Martins.pdf: 1499750 bytes, checksum: fda568da0414b9faeb33f02677beea08 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-07-05 / In the act of making the body more competitive in the market for appearances and more consistent with the subjectivity of individuals, two trends are evident: the expenditure of time, money and pain in an attempt to enhance the body by processes such as fitness, cosmetics and surgical interventions, and the desire to overcome the physical reality by means of scanning processes of the body, exemplified by the various moving avatars in virtual worlds third dimension such as Second Life. This study aims to identify the projection of contemporary subjectivities in the construction of virtual bodies, spurred by a supposedly imaginary post-human as well as reflect on the nature of the avatar, to identify investments for the construction and improvement of virtual bodies, and analyze the experiences bodily and everyday communication in cyberspace. For this purpose it is necessary for theoretical covering the body, subjectivity and cyberspace, composed by authors such as Foucault (1977, 2000, 2003, 2007), Le Breton (2007), Sibilia (2003, 2004), Deleuze (1988, 1991 ), Rüdiger (2002, 2007), Levy (1996, 1999, 2003), Baudrillard (1991, 1995, 2003), Guattari (1996, 2006), Maffesoli (1996, 1998, 2005), Lipovetsky (2004, 2005, 2007 ), among others. Through virtual ethnographic research technique, proposed by Hine (2004) and Kozinets (1997), was created avatar researcher Lia Olifone, which spent six months in interaction with other avatars within Second Life. In conclusion of this ethnographic experience, we establish the thesis that the avatar in that environment appears to be far beyond a mere representation body, but a locus of free trial, a marker of presence and status, which appears to be closely linked to individual that controls for subjective process. In its construction process, the avatar still has a strong influence of consumer society. It was observed that despite the numerous opportunities offered by reconfiguring the metaverse, there is a tendency to reproduce the social structures and patterns present in the body "first life". However, this reproduction features a one body sociality and aseptic, seeking to root out the negative traits considered, especially with regard to the embodiment, showing some influence of the imaginary post-human. / No ato de tornar o corpo mais competitivo no mercado das aparências e mais coerente com a subjetividade dos indivíduos, duas tendências tornam-se evidentes: o dispêndio de tempo, dinheiro e dor na tentativa de aprimorar do corpo por processos como o fitness, a cosmética e as intervenções cirúrgicas; e o desejo de superação da realidade corporal por meio dos processos de digitalização do corpo, exemplificados pelos diversos avatares que circulam em mundos virtuais de terceira dimensão como o Second Life. O presente trabalho pretende identificar a projeção das subjetividades contemporâneas na construção de corpos virtuais, impulsionadas por um suposto imaginário pós-humano, bem como refletir sobre a natureza do avatar, identificar os investimentos na construção e melhoramento de corpos virtuais, e analisar as vivências corporais e comunicacionais cotidianas do ciberespaço. Para tanto faz-se necessário um aporte teórico que contemple corpo, subjetividade e cibercultura, composto por autores como Foucault(1977; 2000; 2003; 2007), Le Breton (2007), Sibilia (2003; 2004), Deleuze (1988; 1991), Rüdiger (2002; 2007), Lévy (1996; 1999; 2003), Baudrillard (1991; 1995; 2003), Guattari (1996; 2006), Maffesoli (1996; 1998; 2005), Lipovetsky (2004; 2005; 2007), dentre outros. Por meio da técnica de pesquisa etnográfica virtual, proposta por Hine (2004) e Kozinets (1997), foi criado o avatar-pesquisador Lia Olifone, que esteve por seis meses em interação com os demais avatares dentro do Second Life. Como conclusão dessa experiência etnográfica, estabelece-se a tese de que o avatar naquele ambiente revela-se muito além de uma mera representação corporal, mas um lócus de livre experimentação, um marcador de presença e status, que mostra-se intimamente ligado ao indivíduo que o controla por vias subjetivas. Em seu processo de construção, a avatar apresenta ainda uma forte influência da sociedade de consumo. Observou-se que, apesar das inúmeras possibilidades de reconfiguração oferecidas pelo metaverso, existe uma tendência a reproduzir as estruturas sociais e os padrões corporais presentes na primeira vida . Contudo, essa reprodução apresenta uma socialidade e um corpo assépticos, que buscam extirpar os traços considerados negativos, principalmente no que diz respeito à corporeidade, revelando certa influência do imaginário pós-humano.

[Non communiqué] / In the past decade, 3D statistical face model (3D Morphable Model) has received much attention by both the commercial and public sectors. It can be used for face modeling for photo-realistic personalized 3D avatars and for the application 2D face recognition technique in biometrics. This thesis describes how to achieve an automatic 3D face reconstruction system that could be helpful for building photo-realistic personalized 3D avatars and for 2D face recognition with pose variability. The first systems we propose Combined Active Shape Model for 2D frontal facial landmark location and its application in 2D frontal face recognition in degraded condition. The second proposal is 3D Active Shape Model (3D-ASM) algorithm which is presented to automatically locate facial landmarks from different views. The third contribution is to use biometric data (2D images and 3D scan ground truth) for quantitatively evaluating the 3D face reconstruction. Finally, we address the issue of automatic 2D face recognition across pose using 3D Morphable Model

The objective of this thesis is to examine how respondents who self identify as transgender or genderqueer experience avatar creation systems in digital games. In the wake of GamerGate, gender has become a more prevalent topic of discussion, as such, this thesis seeks to survey transgender and genderqueer people in order to gain a better insight into their their experiences with avatar creation in games, and do they perceive the status quo of current avatar creation systems to be in need of change? If so, how? The results of the survey shows that the respondents use avatar creation systems as a means to experiment in a safe environment with aspects of their identity expression, and to improve avatar creation systems, more options need to be added for diverse body types and non-binary identities. / Syftet med denna studie är att examinera erfarenheterna bland respondenter som identifierar sig som trans eller icke-binära personer av avatar skapande system i digitala spel. I kölvattnet av GamerGate har genus blivit ett mer förekommande ämne för diskussion. På grund av detta kommer denna studie att utföra en undersökning bland trans och icke-binära personer om deras erfarenheter med avatar skapande system i spel, och om de anser att förändringar bör genomföras för mer inkluderande avatar skapande system? Och i så fall, vad? Resultaten från undersökningen visar att respondenterna använder avatar skapande system som ett verktyg för att experimentera i en säker miljö med aspekter av deras identitets uttryck, och för att förbättra avatar skapande system bättre krävs mer alternativ för olika kroppstyper och icke-binära identiteter.

In this essay, we have unpacked four different levels (the role of women as: a) a part of game history, b) design process, c) characters of the game and d) users) to get a better understanding of the users choice of characters in the popular fighting game Tekken 7.   We have examined the role of women as part of the game’s history and design-process to gain a deeper understanding into the background of the game’s designing process. We have interviewed users with qualitative methods and used analysis strategies such as semiotic analysis and thematic analysis.   The results of our analysis show that users choose their characters based on visual attributes and that they imagine the characters as being an extension of themselves. Users apprehend the characters as stereotypical and thereby reproduce gender-related norms. The process of picking a character to play with is difficult for some of the users - There is a difference between female and male users due to stereotypical visual attributes of the characters which means that it is more problematic for female users to identify themselves with many of the characters. This is affecting the female users experience in a negative way.