ABC Seminar: Brain-Computer Interfaces to Interactive Narratives

Prof Marc Cavazza presents research on using brains to direct the unfolding of an interactive story.

Professor Marc Cavazza (Engineering and Digital Arts, University of Kent) 

Brain-Computer Interfaces to Interactive Narratives

The development of Interactive Narratives, in which story unfolding can be influenced by user intervention, has raised unforeseen challenges in terms of interaction techniques. It appears that the most appropriate interaction modalities are those that contribute to an integrated user experience. This, in turn, has resulted in an interest for affective interfaces, which embed intervention within the user’s affective response to the narrative. In this talk, I will discuss how affective Brain-Computer Interfaces can support Interactive Narrative based on my recent research (2013-2016). After briefly reviewing the two main approaches to affective filmic response, I will introduce an equivalent framework for Interactive Narrative based on physiological input. Considering how affective response to a narrative depends on the spectator’s relationships to feature characters, we have investigated affective BCI that can capture such relationships, and narrative generation mechanisms that emphasise situations generating concern or empathy. Our background narrative is a 3D animated medical drama inspired by popular TV series, which provides the ground for beleaguered situations, as well as various levels of conflict between characters.  The discussion will be illustrated by results from fully-implemented prototypes using various BCI paradigms: EEG, EEG/fMRI, and fNIRS. Finally, I will conclude by outlining the potential of BCI for Interactive Narratives, but also as a mechanism to control affective response during traditional filmic experience. 

Coffee and pulla served afterwards.