Current Teaching
The units of study that I teach are influenced by my background and my research: my background is in computer science and artificial intelligence; my research is in computational modelling creativity and curiosity.
Generative Design Systems (DECO2013)
The aim of this unit of study is to introduce students to the use of generative design systems. This unit will provide a broad overview of generative design systems and give students the opportunity to apply a generative system to a specific design problem for mass customisation.
Web page: DECO2013
Interactive Multimedia Design (DECO2102)
Lecturer: Mr Neil McCann
The aim of this unit of study is to introduce students to the use of interactivity in the design and development of multimedia. Students will use commercially available game interfaces, such as the Nintendo Wii, to develop experimental and playful interaction scenarios with the environment.
Web page: DECO2102
Experimenting with Game Interfaces (DECO3200)
Coordinator: Dr Petra Gemeinboeck
The aim of this studio is to provide students with an opportunity to experiment with novel game interfaces to design engaging user experiences.
Web page: DECO3200
Guest Lectures
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Digital Architecture Research Studio (MARC4003)
Computational Creativity and Creative Computing (slides) -
This guest lecture introduces some fundamental aspects of creative computation, and explores some of the things about computational creativity and creative computing that fascinate me. I finish this lecture with a little "live coding" to try to demonstrate how code can be thought of as a medium of expression.
Research
My primary research interest is the development of computational models of creativity. The development of computational models of creative processes provides opportunities for developing a better understanding human creativity, producing tools that support human creativity and possibly creating autonomous systems capable of creative activity. My approach to developing computational models of creativity is to develop curious agents and to use these curious agents to simulate creative systems.
Curious Agents
Curious agents are computational models of self-motivated learning based on an interest in novelty. Curiosity is a fundamental driving force behind much creative activity, although it may only provide a weak motivation in any particular project it is one of the few constants in all creative endeavours. Computationally modelling curiosity provides a platform for developing a wide range of creative systems.
Creative Systems
Creative systems are computational models of individual and social creativity. Computational models of individual creativity involve an agent and some environment that the agent can change; design is fundamentally about how an agent changes their environment. Computational models of social creativity provide useful frameworks for investigating the nature of creativity without the additional complexities inherent in human societies.
Contact Details
Postal Address
Room 274, Wilkinson Building (G04)
Key Centre of Design Computing and Cognition
University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Telephone: +61 (0) 2 9036 6379
- Fax: +61 (0) 2 9351 3031
- E-mail: