Modeling player-like behaviour for game Al design

The design of artificial intelligence in computer games is an important component of a player's game play experience. As games are becoming more life-like and interactive, the need for more realistic game AI will increase. This is particularly the case with respect to AI that simulates how human players act, behave and make decisions. The purpose of this research is to establish a model of player-like behavior that may be effectively used to inform the design of artificial intelligence to more accurately mimic a player's decision making process. The research uses a qualitative analysis of player opinions and reactions while playing a first person shooter video game, with recordings of their in game actions, speech and facial characteristics. The initial studies provide player data that has been used to design a model of how a player behaves.

Sale of property gifted under a will by an attorney acting under an enduring power of attorney : does the gift adeem and what is the attorney's duty?

The authors examine Moylan v Rickard and how the case illustrates the effectiveness of the Powers of Attorney Act 1998 (Qld) to provide remedies and other possible avenues of redress

Place and Space: Community in the Internet Economy and What This Will Mean for Property

By 2020 Australia‟s National Digital Economy Strategy aims to increase household online participation and engage 12 per cent of all employees in teleworking arrangements. Achieving these goals is generally perceived as positive due to the reduced impact on the natural environment from less use of transport. However, this also will enable greater flexibility as to where people live and thus will impact upon the maintenance and formation of communities and on property use. This paper commences by clarifying what is Australia‟s internet economy before highlighting the impact of the internet on community formation and maintenance. The paper concludes by identifying what the achievement of these goals will mean for property use in the future.

It will be tonight

In this wall-mounted sculpture, speakers are mounted into a shelf-like object finished with timber veneer. The speakers play a corny groove stock music soundtrack. On top of the shelf sits a digital photographic image approximating a fireplace floating against a colour-gradient background. This work examines how we construct, represent and deploy notions of nature in our contemporary lives. It mixes the languages of furniture design, landscape photography, digital graphics and sculpture. Drawing on Zygmunt Bauman’s theoretical work on “liquid modernity”, this work questions how and where we find space for contemplation and reflection in a contemporary context increasingly defined by temporary social bonds and consumer choices.

Melbourne on film dossier: 'Ghost Rider'

Despite being set in an unnamed Texan city, Ghost Rider (Mark Steven Johnson, 2007) was a landmark film for Melbourne. It was the first international production to be made at the Central City (now Docklands) Studios, much to the relief of the heavily-invested state government. And it demonstrated to the world (or more importantly, to producers resident in a small part of southern California), that the city was willing and available to be made over and made up to fit even (especially!) the most stupid filmmaking fantasies. Announcing the imminent arrival of the production in October 2004, the Herald Sun boldly predicted that '[c]ity lanes, Telstra Dome and the Yarra River will be the stars of the new action film'. In fact Melbourne is, as the filmmakers intended, (virtually) unidentifiable onscreen. For the Victorian State government, Ausfilm, Film Victoria and the Melbourne Film Office, this lack of specificity was something to be celebrated; a few months before Ghost Rider went in to production, the then State Minister for Innovation, John Brumby, declared that 'it's almost inconceivable that [Ghost Rider] won't put Melbourne on the map internationally'.

Unfair terms in residential land contracts : will the Australian consumer law improve a buyer’s bargaining position?

The prohibition on unfair contract terms in standard form consumer contracts has the potential to significantly impact on the terms of contracts for the sale of land. The definition of ‘consumer contract’ includes contracts for the sale or grant of an interest in land to an individual wholly or predominantly for personal or domestic use. Therefore, a contract for the purchase of a residence for personal occupation by the buyer, as opposed to a purchase for investment purposes, will be a consumer contract potentially attracting the application of the unfair terms provisions. Significant consumer protection mechanisms already exist in most state jurisdictions requiring disclosure of relevant matters to the buyer and providing remedies for the provision of misleading conduct. Minimal evidence of unfair terms in land contract was presented to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into the Australian Consumer Policy Framework raising the question as to whether there is an identified problem of unfair terms in real estate contracts and if so, whether the same economic and ethical rationales justify regulatory intervention. This article examines what effect if any the introduction of the unfair contract provisions will have on the enforcement of residential land contracts and the viability of previously accepted conditions if challenged as being “unfair terms”. The article concludes that despite the existence of several potentially unfair terms in some land contracts, the intervention of the rules of equity to overcome perceived hardship or unfairness to buyers from strict enforcement of terms means the unfair terms provisions are only likely to operate on terms untouched by those principles. In the authors’ view the scope for operation of the unfair terms provisions will be limited to terms untouched by the principles of equity and consumer protection legislation making it unlikely that there will be any significant realignment of the contractual obligations and rights of buyers and sellers of land.

National Institute for Clinical Studies Report for Phase 1, Evidence Uptake Network : Best Practice Community Care for Clients with Chronic Venous Leg Ulcers

Chronic leg ulcers cause significant pain, cost, decreased quality of life and morbidity for a considerable segment of the older population (Graham et al., 2003a). At any given time the prevalence of patients with open leg ulcers receiving treatment is between 0.11% - 0.18% (Briggs & Closs 2003). Chronic leg ulcers occur in approximately 1 - 2% of the over 60 population in the US, UK, Europe and Australia (Baker & Stacey 1994; Johnson 1995; Lees & Lambert 1992; Margolis et al. 2002). Considerable research has been undertaken to determine the best treatment practices that will aid in the management and the healing of these ulcers, and practical and effective strategies and techniques for healing venous leg ulcers have been trialled to demonstrate their beneficial effects (Nelson et al. 2004; Cullum et al. 2001)...

Will Queensland tort reform change valuation practice and valuers liability

It has been common practice over past property boom and bust cycles in Australia for financial institutions and property owners who have suffered a loss in the property downturn to sue valuers for negligence. Damages claimed are based on the price differential between the valuation at or nearing the peak of the market and the subsequent sale in the market downturn. However, the context of valuers liability has become increasingly complex as a result of statutory reforms introduced in response to the Review of the Law of Negligence Final Report 2002), in particular the introduction of Civil Liability Acts introducing proportionate liability provisions. Legislative reforms have had some positive outcomes for Valuers, however valuers need to continue to maintain high ethical standards, independence and professionalism in valuation practice.

Will the application of spatial multi criteria evaluation technique enhance the quality of decision-making to resolve boundary conflicts in the Philippines?

Systematic studies that evaluate the quality of decision-making processes are relatively rare. Using the literature on decision quality, this research develops a framework to assess the quality of decision-making processes for resolving boundary conflicts in the Philippines. The evaluation framework breaks down the decision-making process into three components (the decision procedure, the decision method, and the decision unit) and is applied to two ex-post (one resolved and one unresolved) and one ex-ante cases. The evaluation results from the resolved and the unresolved cases show that the choice of decision method plays a minor role in resolving boundary conflicts whereas the choice of decision procedure is more influential. In the end, a decision unit can choose a simple method to resolve the conflict. The ex-ante case presents a follow-up intended to resolve the unresolved case for a changing decision-making process in which the associated decision unit plans to apply the spatial multi criteria evaluation (SMCE) tool as a decision method. The evaluation results from the ex-ante case confirm that the SMCE has the potential to enhance the decision quality because: a) it provides high quality as a decision method in this changing process, and b) the weaknesses associated with the decision unit and the decision procedure of the unresolved case were found to be eliminated in this process.

Classification of the Johnson Space Center stratospheric dust collection

A review of 291 catalogued particles on the bases of particle size, shape, bulk chemistry, and texture is used to establish a reliable taxonomy. Extraterrestrial materials occur in three defined categories: spheres, aggregates and fragments. Approximately 76% of aggregates are of probable extraterrestrial origin, whereas spheres contain the smallest amount of extraterrestrial material (approx 43%). -B.M.

Self-determination theory as applied to the design of a software learning system using whole-body controls

Whole-body computer control interfaces present new opportunities to engage children with games for learning. Stomp is a suite of educational games that use such a technology, allowing young children to use their whole body to interact with a digital environment projected on the floor. To maximise the effectiveness of this technology, tenets of self-determination theory (SDT) are applied to the design of Stomp experiences. By meeting user needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness our aim is to increase children's engagement with the Stomp learning platform. Analysis of Stomp's design suggests that these tenets are met. Observations from a case study of Stomp being used by young children show that they were highly engaged and motivated by Stomp. This analysis demonstrates that continued application of SDT to Stomp will further enhance user engagement. It also is suggested that SDT, when applied more widely to other whole-body multi-user interfaces, could instil similar positive effects.

Nucleation experiments in a microgravity environment

A simple experimental apparatus is described in which a wide variety of vapor phase nucleation studies of refractory materials could be performed aboard NASA's KC-135 Research Aircraft. The chief advantage of a microgravity environment for these studies is the expected absence of thermally driven convective motions in the gas. The absence of convection leads to much more accurate knowledge of both the temperature distribution in the system and the time evolution of the refractory vapor concentration as a function of distance from the crucible.The evolution of the apparatus will be described as more experience is gained with the microgravity environment. Such experiments will be used to prepare for similar ones carried out aboard either the shuttle or Space Station where considerably longer duration experiments are possible.