Nicola Privato, Intelligent Instruments Lab
Date: 04 October 2023 at 12:00 Hrs. Madrid, 10:00 Reikiavik
Speaker: Nicola Privato,
PhD Researcher at Intelligent Instruments Lab
Abstract:
The Intelligent Instruments Lab is an ERC-funded project in Reykjavik, Iceland. At IIL we explore how creative intelligent technologies are shaping our understanding of the world and our social interactions. We use music as the ideal ground for our research as it is a place of intimate, first-person interaction with technology as well as a complex social experience.
My work at IIL focuses on building new interfaces and compositions that facilitate the understanding of AI algorithms and suggest playful musical interaction.
In this talk I will walk you though my first year at IIL, explore concepts such as Explainable AI, Embodiment, Agency, and on how these might be contextualised through the building of interfaces for Neural Synthesis models, through musical practice, sound spatialisation and participatory art.
Nicola Privato is a PhD researcher at IIL. His academic background is in Jazz studies, electronic music composition and linguistics. He performs both as a jazz guitarist and as an electronic musician, using self-built instruments and AI-based software. Formerly director of Keptorchestra, an Italian cultural association dealing with improvised music as a cultural catalyst, he has been incorporating participatory practices both in his works and as a curator.
His current research at IIL is on AI explainability and its framing within the sociality of musical practices.
www.nicolaprivato.com
Dr. Pawel Tacikowski, University of Coimbra, Portugal
Date: 5 July 2023 at 2 pm
Speaker: Dr. Pawel Tacikowski, University of Coimbra, Portugal
Title: “The link between self-concept and own body perception”
Abstract
What makes us who we are? Is it the body we wake up in every morning and use as a “vehicle” throughout our daily activities? Or is it a collection of thoughts and beliefs about ourselves as individuals with specific skills, traits, and social identities? If it is a combination of the two, how would a unified sense of self emerge from such a fusion of conscious beliefs and bodily perceptual experience? In this talk, I will present a series of behavioral experiments where we used multisensory “body-swap” illusions to show that the perception of one’s own body dynamically shapes the content of self-concept, including gender identity. I will discuss the implications of these findings and future directions.
Bio
Pawel Tacikowski will soon start his Assistant Professor position at the University of Coimbra. He previously worked as an Assistant Project Scientist in the Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory at UCLA and as a postdoc in the Brain, Body, and Self Laboratory at Karolinska Institute. Dr. Tacikowski’s research focuses on how the human brain constructs a sense of self. His research aims to facilitate the development of new diagnostic tools and therapies for the atypical sense of self.
Philippe Pasquier (Simon Fraser) Metacreations Lab
Date: 26 July 2023 at 5 pm
Speaker: Philippe Pasquier, Associate Professor at Simon Fraser Unuversit
Abstract:
Creative AI is the scientific field that studies the partial or complete automation of creative tasks. Be it through the augmentation of existing creative software or through embedded real-time generation, these algorithms have a growing impact on creative practices. Creative AI will not take over the world, but it will certainly impact creators, students, educators, and the industry at large.
Now that generative algorithms have human-competitive skills for many creative tasks and are being deployed for professional and amateur alike, it is critical to evaluate and discuss the implications of such developments. We introduce challenges and opportunities arising through a series of examples of generative systems developed at the Metacreation Lab and experiments conducted with these systems. We will present interfaces for computer-assisted music composition, sound design, movement computing, generative animation and moving images, and discuss their common implications on creative processes and workflow. We will present results of evaluations conducted with the industry focusing on user experience, and technological acceptance, be it by creators or their audiences.
Bio:
Philippe Pasquier is a professor at Simon Fraser University’s School of Interactive Arts and Technology, where he directs the Metacreation Lab for Creative AI. He leads a research-creation program around generative systems for creative tasks. As such, he is a scientist specialized in artificial intelligence since 2001, a software designer, a multidisciplinary media artist, an educator, and a community builder. Pursuing a multidisciplinary research-creation program, his contributions bridge fundamental research on generative systems, machine learning, affective computing, and computer-assisted creativity, with applied research in the creative software industry, and artistic practice in interactive and generative art.
More about the Metacreation Lab: http://www.Metacreation.net
More about Philippe: http://www.sfu.ca/pasquier
Movement sonification for body perception
Date: 26 May 2023 at 2 pm
Speaker: María Concepción Valdez Gastelum, 2nd-year Ph.D. Student (CICESE, MX)
Title: Movement sonification for body perception
Abstract:
Recently the body of work in interactive sonification has made the compelling argument that understanding how to sonify the characteristics of movement is important and can alter one’s own perception (Knudsen et. al., 2017, Frid et. al., 2018). The characteristics of movements can be classified into two types according to their dynamics and qualities. Movement dynamics are the most commonly used characteristics and are related to the shape and trajectory of the movement, including examples like position, size, acceleration, and direction. In contrast, movement qualities refer to movement’s temporal and expressive aspects, including fluidity, contraction index, force, and velocity.
In this seminar, I will be presenting a case study where we explored the use of dynamics-based sonification to alter body and flexibility perception during yoga practice. Additionally, I will discuss the development of a movement-tracking algorithm designed to detect movement qualities during dance practice, with the aim of identifying abnormalities in movement behavior that may indicate concerns related to body image.
Touch for Material Recognition and Affective Communication
Dr. Hsin-Ni Ho, Kyushu University, Japan
Title: “Touch for Material Recognition and Affective Communication”
Touch is essential to our lives, playing crucial roles in both material recognition and affective communication. In recent years, haptic information presentation has gained traction in the fields of Human-Computer Interaction and Virtual Reality. In this presentation, I will discuss my research on utilizing touch to enhance material recognition and facilitate affective communication. My aim is to provide the audience with a fundamental understanding of haptics and spark interest in further research within this domain.
Exploring Multisensory Extended Reality Approaches for Autistic Children: Improve Well-Being and Assess Auditory Perception – Copy
Valentin Bauer, Paris-Saclay University, CNRS, LISN, VENISE team Title: Exploring Multisensory Extended Reality Approaches for Autistic Children: Improve Well-Being and Assess Auditory Perception
Cognitive and neural adaptations related to physical exercise
Date: 3 February 2023 Speaker: Daniel Sanabria Lucena, Universidad de Granada Abstract: This talk discusses evidence of the neural and cognitive functioning during physical exercise, together with an in-depth review of the alleged effects of regular exercise on cognitive performance in healthy individuals across the life span. In the first part of the talk, physical exercise at moderate-high intensity is framed as a strain state that induces cognitive and neural adaptations, similar to that occurring during drowsiness, at the opposite end of the arousal continuum. Behavioural and neural data, both from univariate and multivariate EEG analyses, will show how the brain adapts to increase physical demands and arousal. When repeated over long periods of time, sessions of moderate-to-high physical exercise are thought to induce permanent adaptations at the neural level, that results in improved cognition. The next part of the talk will review that literature, showing that the current evidence does not support the claims regarding the cognitive benefits of the regular practice of physical exercise. Bio: Daniel Sanabria is full professor at the Faculty of Psychology, University of Granada, and leads the Human Brain and Cognition research group at the Mind, Brain & Behavior research center. The group is interested in different topics, from the cognitive, neural and phenomenological underpinnings of strain states such as high intensity physical exercise, to the study of mood variability. They employ behavioral measures of performance and subjective experience, together with electroencephalography. If you are interested in giving a talk please write an email to: lab.imbody@gmail.com.
Characterization of EEG neural markers in the sensorimotor cortex when using movement sonification for walking ability
Date: 25th January 2023Speaker: Marta Matamala-Gomez Abstract: Little is known about responses to periodic auditory stimuli with periodicities found in human rhythmic behavior (0.5-5 Hz). However, some studies show a tonic synchronization response in the delta range, taken at the Cz-electrode, with a maximum response at 2 Hz, when using periodic auditory stimulation (drum sounds and clicks sound stimuli (Will & Berg, 2007). Recently, entrainment models of rhythmic motor behavior investigated intrinsic rhythmicity and frequency coupling in neural systems (Thaut et al., 1997). According to this, it is shown that a repetition rate frequency between 1-8 Hz is the most relevant to induce a human repetitive sensorimotor behavior (Large et al., 2009; Will & Berg, 2007). Further, a recent study developed a validated new approach to define the brain responses associated with biological motion perception by showing a point-light walker moving at a pace of 2.4 Hz and using EEG frequency ragging to measure the brain response coupled to that pace (Cracco et al., 2022 (preprint)). In this study, the authors identified brain responses coupled to the biological movement of walking at 1.2 Hz (half walking cycle), corresponding to the rate at which the individual dots repeated their trajectory, and at 2.4 Hz, that was related to the full walking cycle movement (Cracco et al., 2022 (preprint)). Aim: To investigate which frequency rate between 1 and 8 Hz is the more appropriate to reach a peak of brain entrainment when observing a repetitive video walking stimulus coupled to a footstep audio stimulus displayed at the same frequency. Methods: The study is composed of three different factors: (i) audio stimuli, (ii) video stimuli, (iii) audio + video stimuli. Each factor contains six different conditions (i) audio stimuli: normal footstep sound vs. random footsteps sound set at different frequencies: Slow frequency (0.5 Hz), Normal frequency (2 Hz), Fast frequency (3.5 Hz). (ii) Video stimuli: normal walking movement vs. random walking movements set at Slow frequency (0.5 Hz), Normal frequency (2 Hz), Fast frequency (3.5 Hz). (iii) Audio + video stimuli: normal walking movement + normal footsteps sound vs. random walking movement + random footsteps sound, set at different frequencies, Slow frequency 0.5 Hz, Normal frequency 2 Hz, Fast frequency 3.5 Hz. Each condition will be repeated four times in a randomized order. Hypothesis: We expect higher brain entrainment responses with the audio (footsteps stimuli) + video (walking movement) set at 2 Hz. Then we expect to show the same level of entrainment in audio and video conditions set at 2 Hz rate frequency, and in the audio-motor association condition at 2 Hz rate frequency. Biography:Since April 2002, Dr. Marta Matamala-Gomez is a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Barcelona, under the Beatriu de Pinòs program. She is currently working on investigating the impact of sonification on the human brain, and how can be applied in neurorehabilitation. She obtained her Ph.D. in Biomedicine (research line: cognitive neuroscience) in 2017 at the University of Barcelona under the supervision of Professors Maria V.Sánchez-Vives and Mel Slater. During her Ph.D. period, she investigated the use of immersive virtual reality in neurorehabilitation and its impact on neuroplasticity in healthy and clinical populations with motor and chronic pain disorders. Her PhD work was graded with excellent-cum laude. The results from two of the main studies of her thesis work lead to the development of a new virtual reality rehabilitation software on the route to commercialization by Virtual Body works S.L. Product: iCORTEX®. On 5 December 2017, the Academic Committee of the Biomedicine program granted permission to display the international doctorate certification. After her Phd, she moved to Italy for four years (2018-2022) at the University Milano Bicocca as a post-doctoral researcher where she was investigating the use of virtual embodiment through multisensory integration techniques in virtual reality to update mental body representation in clinical and healthy populations. In detail, the first year, she was collaborating with the University of Pavia on an Italian multicentre National project “The Telerehabilitation Italian Network for Care Continuity”. Here she also introduced the use of new visual feedback techniques for the modulation of pain perception in patients suffering from chronic migraines. Later, thec andidate won another research grant public competition for the award of one grant for research activities on the theme “New technologies to support multidimensional rehabilitation paths for the management of chronicity”, where she participated in two different national projects for the implementation and design of telerehabilitation strategies using new technologies. Further, she collaborated with the Catholic University of Sacred Heart in Milan in investigating the usability and user experience of a VR-based system directed to modify the mental body representation of patients with anorexia nervosa through a full virtual body illusion. She also participates in National and International conferences as an invited speaker to talk about the use of virtual embodiment and sensory techniques for clinical applications: EFIC 2022, Dublin, Ireland; BRNet 2022, Sion, Switzerland; INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON UPDATES ON TELEMEDICINE AND TELESURGERY, SAUDI ARABIA. IEEE SMC 2022, Prague, Czech Republic; I Congreso Internacional de Afrontamiento Activo del Dolor Crónico, Valladolid, Spain; LXXIV Reunión Anual de la SEN 2022, Sevilla, Spain. During her post-doctoral period, she mentored master and PhD students on the experimental design and development of their research studies. If you are interested in giving a talk please write an email to: lab.imbody@gmail.com.
Wearable-Based Measurement of Skin Conductance: Issues and Applications
Date: Jan 18, 2023 Speaker: Susanna Spinsante. Università Politecnica delle Marche Abstract: Starting from some background information about the physiology of skin conductance, and the information encoded in skin conductance signals, the talk will present the wearable devices currently available to acquire this signal, and the associate measurement issues. Finally, an overview of applications exploiting the use of wearables and the processing of skin conductance to understand human reactions and behaviour, will be provided. Biography: Susanna Spinsante is currently an Associate Professor in Electrical and Electronic Measurements at the Information Engineering Department of Università Politecnica delle Marche (Ancona, Italy). Her research interests are in the field of electronic measurements, instrumentation and metrological issues in IoT and wearable applications. She is IEEE Senior Member and Associate Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurements. If you are interested in attending, or would like to give a talk please write an email to: lab.imbody@gmail.com.
It’s a Kind of Magic: Exploring Multisensorial Modulation of the Sense of Self through Bodily Movements and Action Observation in Depersonalisation
Date: 30th November 2022 Speaker: Angelia Caparco, Co-Embodied Self (CEL) Lab of the Center for Philosophy of Science, University of Lisbon, Portugal Abstract: In ordinary daily life, subjective experience is characterised by a cohesive sense of self, i.e. the subjective first-personal ‘I’ or ‘self’, bound to the body and distinct from the world and others, and a sense of presence, i.e. the feeling of being immersed in a real-world here and now. In this talk, I will highlight how these fundamental aspects of conscious experience emerge and develop, and how they can be altered in depersonalisation (DP) episodes. DP is characterized by a disturbing change in the quality of subjective conscious experience, which induces alienating feelings of detachment from one’s self, body and the world. These profound alterations of self-awareness impair people’s ability to feel fully present in their lives and to relate to others, causing significant distress and social isolation. Feeling in touch with one’s self and the world may crucially depend on dynamic engagement and reciprocal interactions with our physical and social surroundings. I will conclude by illustrating our interdisciplinary project which will use the ‘Magic Shoes’ device to explore the multisensory modulation of the sense of self and presence through bodily movements and action observation. Making people more aware of their own and others’ bodily movements may counterbalance their feeling of being ‘trapped’ in their heads and increase the feelings of connection with one’s body, the world, and others. Bio: Angelia is a Research Assistant at the Co-Embodied Self (CEL) Lab of the Center for Philosophy of Science, University of Lisbon, Portugal. She has a background in Psychology and completed her Master’s in Neuroscience at the University of Padua (Italy) with a thesis on psychophysiological reactivity to cognitive and psychosocial stressors. Successively, she joined the Cognitive Psychology Unit of Leiden Univesity (the Netherlands), where she was involved in different projects investigating the effects of cognitive control policies on social and creative cognition, interoceptive processing, and emotional mimicry. In her current work at the CELlab, she combines theories of embodied cognition and psychophysiological methods to explore how our sense of self and presence is shaped through multisensory bodily signals and social interactions. If you are interested in giving a talk please write an email to: lab.imbody@gmail.com.