Papers by Philippe Pasquier
2019 IEEE Conference on Games (CoG), 2019
We present Taksim, an Answer Set Programming (ASP) framework for generating content in games thro... more We present Taksim, an Answer Set Programming (ASP) framework for generating content in games through constrained graph partitioning. We illustrate its expressivity by implementing logical constraints that are relevant to generating the spaces of game levels. Furthermore, we present a case study for creating game levels from a given Mission Graph. Finally, we propose key concepts that make constrained graph partitioning, coupled with ASP, an asset for Procedural Content Generation. Index Terms-answer set programming , procedural content generation , graph partitioning , game level design We acknowledge the support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).
One of the most important decisions made when training neural networks, is how to represent the d... more One of the most important decisions made when training neural networks, is how to represent the data. Despite the large number of possible representations, the piano roll dominates recent literature on modelling music [2, 3]. Furthermore, previous work suggests that modelling simpler conditional probability distributions such as p(pitch|rhythm), may be an advantageous approach to the complex task of modelling music [5]. However, many alternate representations are more difficult to implement than the piano roll. Motivated by these factors, we propose an accessible framework for symbolic musical data storage, and dataset construction, which supports a variety of representations.
This paper proposes a system’s design for generating comics based on the incongruity theory of hu... more This paper proposes a system’s design for generating comics based on the incongruity theory of humour. We describe the field of Computational Humour, while also examining the nature of humour in the context of images and text to help provide frameworks for developing a system, comedy53, to produce computer generated comics. Based on the results of comedy53, we then propose strategies to help improve the future development of comic generation in the context of Computational Humour.
Proceedings of the 3rd International Symposium on Movement and Computing, 2016
In this paper we present a state of the art of the current approaches to visualization of motion ... more In this paper we present a state of the art of the current approaches to visualization of motion capture data. We discuss the data representation, pre-processing techniques, and the design of existing tools and systems. Next we outline the advantages and disadvantages of the systems, some of which are explicitly noted by the original authors. Lastly we conclude with an overall summary and future directions.
Proceedings of the 9th ACM Conference on Creativity & Cognition - C&C '13, 2013
It has been suggested that creativity can be functionally segregated into two processes: spontane... more It has been suggested that creativity can be functionally segregated into two processes: spontaneous and deliberate. In this paper, we propose that the spontaneous aspect of creativity is enabled by the same neural simulation mechanisms that have been implicated in visual mentation (e.g. visual perception, mental imagery, mind-wandering and dreaming). This proposal is developed into an Integrative Theory that serves as the foundation for a computational model of dreaming and site-specific artwork: A Machine that Dreams.
Proceedings of the second international joint conference on Autonomous agents and multiagent systems, 2003
Different approaches have investigated the syntax and semantic of agent communication. However, a... more Different approaches have investigated the syntax and semantic of agent communication. However, all these approaches (including : agent communication languages, conversation policies and dialogue games) have not indicated how agents should dynamically use communications. In fact, most of these approaches have mainly focused on "structure" of dialogues even though developers are more interested in agents' capabilities of having "useful" conversations in respect to their goals rather than in their abilities to structure dialogues. This leads us to propose a theory of use of conversations between agents. This pragmatic theory extends and adapts the cognitive dissonance theory (a major theory of social psychology) to multi-agent systems. In this paper, we show how this theory allows us to provide generic conceptual tools for the automation of both agent communicational behavior and attitude change processes. The cognitive coherence that we propose is formulated in terms of constraints and elements of cognition and allows us to define cognitive incoherences and dialogue utility measures. We show how these measures could be used to solve common problems and answer some critical questions concerning agent communication frameworks use. Finally, the theory is illustrated with an example of dialogue games automatic use.
Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2005
In this paper, we present the latest version of our dialogue games based agent communication lang... more In this paper, we present the latest version of our dialogue games based agent communication language (DIAGAL) which allows the agents to manipulate the public layer of social commitments through dialogue. We show that DIAGAL is complete according to the sequential creation, cancellation, update and discharge of social commitments. We also extend and refine notions of success and satisfaction previously associated with speech-acts to this new dialogical setting. Finally, we explain why DIAGAL is a good candidate for open and heterogeneous MAS development. 1 This semantics verification should not be mistaken with the formal semantics checking: agents are implemented in accordance with the ACL mathematical or logical semantics.
Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2005
For over a decade, agent research has shown that social commitments support the definition of ope... more For over a decade, agent research has shown that social commitments support the definition of open multiagent systems by capturing the responsibilities that agents contract toward one another through their communications. These systems, however, rely on the assumption that agents respect the social commitments they adopt. To overcome this limitation, in this paper we investigate the role of sanctions as elements whose enforcement fosters agents' compliance with adopted commitments. In particular, we present a model of flexible social commitments to which sanctions are attached, and where the enforcement of sanctions act as a social control mechanism for the satisfaction of commitments.
Lecture Notes in Computer Science
This paper presents a coherentist approach to argumentation that extends previous proposals on co... more This paper presents a coherentist approach to argumentation that extends previous proposals on cognitive coherence based agent communication pragmatics (inspired from social psychology) and propose (1) an alternative view on argumentation that is (2) part of a more general model of communication. In this approach, the cognitive aspects associated to both the production, the evaluation and the integration of arguments are driven by calculus on a formal characterization of cognitive coherence.
Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2009
Software agents are situated in an environment with which they interact reactively or in a goal-d... more Software agents are situated in an environment with which they interact reactively or in a goal-directed fashion. Generally, such environments do not assume a structure, hence are deemed to be unpredictable. Recent approaches adopt an environment model where artifacts form the building blocks which represent functional components that an agent can exploit for reaching its goals. It has been argued that software agents can improve/amend their capabilities at run time through the use of (new) artifacts as possible means. We argue that such a run time adaptation by the agents can be realized by creating an appropriate relationship between agent reasoning and the functionality of the artifacts. We have coined the term extrospection to refer to the act of an agent reasoning about the tools. In this paper, we first identify the features of extrospection, then, we extend the belief, desire, intention (BDI) agent deliberation cycle to encompass extrospection.
Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2010
This paper presents a generative system for the automatic creation of video game levels. Our appr... more This paper presents a generative system for the automatic creation of video game levels. Our approach is novel in that it allows high-level design goals to be expressed in a top-down manner, while existing bottom-up techniques do not. We use the FI-2Pop genetic algorithm as a natural way to express both constraints and optimization goals for potential level designs. We develop a genetic encoding technique specific to level design, which proves to be extremely flexible. Example levels are generated for two different genres of game, demonstrating the system's broad applicability.
Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2010
Area coverage is one of the emerging problems in multi-robot coordination. In this task a team of... more Area coverage is one of the emerging problems in multi-robot coordination. In this task a team of robots is cooperatively trying to observe or sweep an entire area, possibly containing obstacles, with their sensors or actuators. The goal is to build an efficient path for each robot which jointly ensure that every single point in the environment can be seen or swept by at least one of the robots while performing the task.
Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2011
To promote sustainability consumers must be informed about their consumption behaviours. Ambient ... more To promote sustainability consumers must be informed about their consumption behaviours. Ambient displays can be used as an ecofeedback technology to convey household consumption information. Elements of Consumption (EoC) demonstrates this by visualizing electricity, water, and natural gas consumption. EoC delivers three key components: (1) an abstract art piece, (2) a visual way to display data, and (3) to use an abstract art piece as a visual way to display data in order to persuade homeowners to conserve.
Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2005
Message semantics are traditionally defined in terms of mental states, which is a trend that is c... more Message semantics are traditionally defined in terms of mental states, which is a trend that is criticized for assuming the sincerity and cooperativeness of agents. To circumvent these limitations, several proposals have been put forth to define the semantics of messages using social commitments. We follow this trend and present a conversational model where the meaning of messages is based on their use as coordinating devices advancing conversations that advance the state of social commitments and the state of the activities in which agents participate.
IEEE Transactions on Computational Intelligence and AI in Games, 2011
The Level Generation Competition, part of the IEEE CIS-sponsored 2010 Mario AI Championship, was ... more The Level Generation Competition, part of the IEEE CIS-sponsored 2010 Mario AI Championship, was to our knowledge the world's first procedural content generation competition. Competitors participated by submitting level generators -software that generates new levels for a version of Super Mario Bros tailored to individual players' playing style. This paper presents the rules of the competition, the software used, the scoring procedure, the submitted level generators and the results of the competition. We also discuss what can be learnt from this competition, both about organizing procedural content generation competitions and about automatically generating levels for platform games. The paper is co-authored by the organizers of the competition (the first three authors) and the competitors.
IEEE Transactions on Computational Intelligence and AI in Games, 2011
This work presents an approach to automatic video game level design consisting of a computational... more This work presents an approach to automatic video game level design consisting of a computational model of player enjoyment and a generative system based on evolutionary computing. The model estimates the entertainment value of game levels according to the presence of "rhythm groups," which are defined as alternating periods of high and low challenge. The generative system represents a novel combination of genetic algorithms and constraint satisfaction methods and uses the model as a fitness function for the generation of fun levels for two different games. This top-down approach improves upon typical bottom-up techniques in providing semantically meaningful parameters such as difficulty and player skill; in giving human designers considerable control over the output of the generative system; and in offering the ability to create levels for different types of games.
Cognitive Systems Research, 2005
Different approaches have investigated the syntax and semantics of agent communication languages.... more Different approaches have investigated the syntax and semantics of agent communication languages. However, these approaches have not indicated how agents should dynamically use communications. Instead of filling this pragmatics gap, most approaches have mainly focused on the ÔstructureÕ of dialogues even though developers are more interested in agentsÕ capabilities of having ÔusefulÕ automated conversations with respect to their goals rather than in their abilities to structure dialogues. This led us to work on a theory of the use of conversations between agents. In this paper, we propose a pragmatics theory which extends and adapts the cognitive dissonance theory (a major theory of social psychology) to multi-agent systems by unifying it with the theory of coherence in thought and action that issues from computational philosophy of mind. Precisely, we show how this theory allows us to provide generic conceptual tools for the automation of both agent communicational behavior and attitude change processes. This new motivational model is formulated in terms of constraints and elements of cognition and allows us to define cognitive incoherences and dialogue utility measures. We show how these measures could be used to solve common problems and answer some critical questions concerning agent communication frameworks use. Finally, our exploration in applying the cognitive coherence pragmatics theory as a new communication layer over classical BDI agents is presented. It relies on our dialogue games based agent communication language (DIAGAL) and our dialogue games simulator toolbox (DGS). The resulting framework provides the necessary theoretical and practical elements for implementing our theory. In doing so, it brings in a general scheme for automatizing agentsÕ communicational behavior as it is exemplified in this article.
Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems, 2006
In recent years, social commitment based approaches have been proposed to solve problems issuing ... more In recent years, social commitment based approaches have been proposed to solve problems issuing from previous mentalistic based semantics for agent communication languages. This paper follows the same line of thought since it presents the latest version of our dialogue game based agent communication language -DIAlogue-Game based Agent Language (DIAGAL) -which allows agents to manipulate the public layer of social commitments through dialogue, by creating, canceling and updating their social commitments. To make apparent such commitments, we consider here Agent Communication Language (ACL) from the dialectic point of view, where agents "play a game" based on commitments. Such games based on commitments are incorporated in the DIAGAL language, which has been developed having in mind the following questions: (a) What kind of structure does the game have? How are rules specified within the game? (b) What kind of games compositions are allowed? (c) How do participants in conversations reach agreement on the current game? How are games opened or closed? Using such games we show how we can study the commitments dynamic to model agent dialogue and we present metrics that can be used to evaluate the quality of a dialogue between agents. Next, we use an example (summer festival organization) to show how DIAGAL can be used in analyzing and modeling automated conversations in offices. Finally, we present the results and analysis of the summer festival simulations that we realized through our dialogue game simulator (DGS).
Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems, 2010
While argumentation-based negotiation has been accepted as a promising alternative to game-theore... more While argumentation-based negotiation has been accepted as a promising alternative to game-theoretic or heuristic based negotiation, no evidence has been provided to confirm this theoretical advantage. We propose a model of bilateral negotiation extending a simple monotonic concession protocol by allowing the agents to exchange information about their underlying interests and possible alternatives to achieve them during the negotiation. We present an empirical study that demonstrates (through simulation) the advantages of this interest-based negotiation approach over the more classic monotonic concession approach to negotiation.
Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems, 2006
We propose an operational model that combines message meaning and conversational structure in one... more We propose an operational model that combines message meaning and conversational structure in one comprehensive approach. Our long-term research goal is to lay down principles uniting message meaning and conversational structure while providing an operational foundation that could be implemented in open computer systems. In this paper we explore our advances in one aspect of meaning that in theories of language use is known as "signal meaning", and propose a layered model in which the meaning of messages can be defined according to their fitness to advance the state of joint activities. Messages in our model are defined in terms of social commitments, which have been shown to entice conversational structure.
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Papers by Philippe Pasquier