Re: COMP/ART: Emoitonal Mark-Up Language

From: GBurch1@aol.com
Date: Sun Feb 11 2001 - 11:04:35 MST


In a message dated 2/1/01 2:35:56 PM Central Standard Time, T0Morrow@aol.com
writes:
> In a message dated 1/31/01 6:07:08 AM, GBurch1@aol.com writes:
>
> >With the rapid improvement in 3-D avatar generation (see www.ananova.com,
> >etc.), it seems like there might be a place for development of some
> >standard
> >system of machine-readable annotation for human emotional expression.
> >I think of this as a system of "Emotional Mark-Up Language" or "EML".
>
> What a clever idea, Greg!

Thanks - I thought so :-)
  
> So long as those applying EML concern themselves mostly with appearances
(as
> opposed to the sort of complex internal states--like anomie, nostalgia,
> transcendent ecstacy, and so forth--the description of which novelists
> specialize in), I should think that it would suffice for EML to correlate
> directly with face muscles. Consider, for instance, that recent research
> suggests that analysis of the muscles involved can distinguish between
"fake"
> (read, "consciously generated") and genuine smiles.

Actually, I envision EML as developing in stages corresponding to different
"levels" in a fully mature EML:

"Level 1 EML" is confined to strictly descriptive terms corresponding to
actuation of the human muscular/affective system, i.e. the "appearances" you
talk about, Tom. The vast majority of terms in "Level 1 EML" would address
the activity of facial musculature, although whole-body gestural positioning
should also be included.

"Level 2 EML" would be in essence a programming language for scripting
streams of Level 1 commands. I can foresee a healthy market developing for
various useful and interesting scripts.

"Level 3 EML" would add a higher level of structure and would amount to a
"Character Mark-up Language" (CML) or "Personality Mark-up Language" (PML).
The idea with Level 3 EML would be to group Level 2 scripts into
characteristic program calls specific to individual personalities or
characters. Thus, Level 3 EML achieves expression of the "complex internal
states" you mention, Tom. I envision a programming tool that would allow an
author to specify personality traits for a character that would automagically
craft characteristic Level 2 scripts in response to high-level terms such as
the ones you mention, e.g. anomie, nostalgia, etc. An EML author could tweak
these automatic scripting parameters to generate a "personality type" for a
character. At that point, one could see crafting interactive environments in
which calls are made to Level 3 EML terms, which activate Level 2 scripts
specific to particular characters. Thus, a dark, chaotic VR setting
containing threats to a character's safety could invoke "fear", and each
character would express that emotion in their characteristic way. Likewise,
the occurrence of verbal input could generate specific Level 2 scripts from a
"virtual person" based on their Level 3 "character traits".

       Greg Burch <GBurch1@aol.com>----<gburch@lockeliddell.com>
      Attorney ::: Vice President, Extropy Institute ::: Wilderness Guide
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        "We never stop investigating. We are never satisfied that we know
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