Bioaffect:Community Portal

information about yourself and your interests + ideas you’d like to explore CLASS PROJECT

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Terry Lavender

Background: army brat, ex-journalist, wannabe novelist, ex-PR hack for SFU, SIAT MSc (2009), current PhD student studying persuasive video games

Research interests: persuasive video games (especially social activism games), mobile games, immersion in games

Supervisor: Magy Seif el-Nasr

Ideas I'd like to explore in class: effect of immersion on the body and the emotions, biofeedback and emotions. I also like the iTunes U idea.

Ideas for projects: 1. create a game where progress is made by correctly pronouncing increasingly difficult phrases in shorter periods of time. The more agitated the player gets, the more the difficulty level rises; and vice versa. 2. measuring physiological reactions to playing a persuasive video game on an iPhone/iPad.

PROJECT: a video game that explores the effect of biofeedback on speech.

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Mark Nazemi

Background: Sound Designer, VJ Artist, teach and designing music production & audio engineering courses, music gear junkie, BA in Media Arts 2010, currently an MA student.

Research interests: Evaluate the use of interactive sound in VR systems for treating chronic pain.

Supervisor: Diane Gromala

Ideas I'd like to explore in class: controlling media such as sound & visuals using biofeedback. Interactive meditation systems using biofeedback.

Ideas for projects: Immersive soundscapes in VR that are controlled by biofeedback, techno-medicine for the body...more to come.... :D

PROJECT w/Sun Kyoung:

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Daniel Feuereissen

Background: Computer Science, Communication Technology, POS Systems, some exposure to traditional distribution media (TV News and Radio), Electronics, Classic Car Restoration, Reefkeeping.

Research interests: Reducing the perception of mediation in Virtual Reality, helping people with brain damage, injuries or disabilities through VR/adaptive systems, design and implementation of fully automated environmental systems that control marine habitats.

Supervisor: Dr. B. E. Riecke

Ideas I'd like to explore in class: I'd like to focus more on helping people get better and get back on track with their life after a life changing event. I have not yet spent much time and effort on this which led me to take this class and it looks like a good starting point. I am particularly interested in how we can exploit VR/adaptive technology/neural interfaces to train people use their perceptual systems after a related area of the brain has been damaged.

Ideas for projects: Not quite sure yet, preferably a craft and related software component that pertains to above stated topic.

PROJECT: w/Lonnie: develop

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Jay Vidyarthi

Background: Academic experience in cognitive psychology, industry experience in technological research/design, live music recording/mixing, performing on drums/guitar/vocals, songwriting.

Research interests: Social relationships between humans and technology, and how we can design specifically for them.

Supervisor: Bernhard Riecke and Diane Gromala

Ideas I'd like to explore in class: Using biosensors to create an intimate relationship between technology and user in a way that reduces stress/anxiety (just a brainstorm)

Ideas for projects: Was thinking about some kind of sound/music based stress detector for a computer users (again, just a brainstorm).

PROJECT w/D'Arcy:

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Lonnie Hastings

Background: Computer Science, cognitive systems, design and perception of interfaces-- specifically attention and how it modulates what we perceive, Visual Analytics

Research interests: How human perception in virtual reality differs from the real world. I'm particularly interested in perception of spatial information and spatial updating.

Supervisor: Bernhard Riecke

Ideas I'd like to explore in class: Sense of presence/immersion in virtual environments, and how biosensors could be used to measure this.

Ideas for projects: Possibly expanding the idea of landmarks in VR to include more than just visual stimuli

PROJECT: (see Daniel's description)

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Veronica Zammitto

Background: Psychology, usability, gaming

Research interests: Evaluating video game user's experience (using psychophysiology, for instance), and how such information can be used in crafting better game designs.

Supervisor: Steve DiPaola

Ideas I'd like to explore in class: the physiology of emotions and more 'abstract' concepts of experience such as flow, engagement, and immersion. The potentials of adaptive systems based of users' information, like biofeedback.

Ideas for projects: Maybe employing psychophysiological data to create art pieces, or to measuring affective responses to video games and represent them in a meaningful way, or still open for more.

PROJECT:

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Tyler Fox

Background: Intermedia (Video and Installation Art); critical theory, art history

Research interests: Affect, embodiment, experience, bodily connection to technology

Supervisor: Diane Gromala

Ideas I'd like to explore in class: bio-art, growing meat, bacteria

Ideas for projects: Video interface/database controlled through biofeedback (brainstorm)

PROJECT: agitating lumnescent bacteria via GSR

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Suk Kyoung Choi

Background: Fine Arts, Media Arts, educational media design

Research interests: Relationships between sensory remapping, installation, performance, and interactive aesthetics

Supervisor: Thecla Schiphorst

Ideas I'd like to explore in class: Mixed time and space, mixed bodies – objects (interfaces), perceptions, and memories in virtual times and spaces

Ideas for projects: Creating organic telemetric bio-synthetic interfaces by hybridizing plant and electronic I’Mplants. These units can represent prototype environmental, bio-organic, and network aware nodes that I term, in connected research, ‘Hovering Sensors’

PROJECT: (see Mark's description)

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D'Arcy O'Connor

Background:

Research interests:

Supervisor:

Ideas I'd like to explore in class:

Ideas for projects:

PROJECT: (see Jay's description)