UCT for Games and Beyond
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Essex
Department Name: Computer Sci and Electronic Engineering
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Publications
Browne C
(2012)
A Survey of Monte Carlo Tree Search Methods
in IEEE Transactions on Computational Intelligence and AI in Games
Perez D
(2014)
Solving the Physical Traveling Salesman Problem: Tree Search and Macro Actions
in IEEE Transactions on Computational Intelligence and AI in Games
Perez D
(2015)
Multiobjective Monte Carlo Tree Search for Real-Time Games
in IEEE Transactions on Computational Intelligence and AI in Games
Perez D
(2014)
Automated Map Generation for the Physical Traveling Salesman Problem
in IEEE Transactions on Evolutionary Computation
Perez-Liebana D
(2016)
The 2014 General Video Game Playing Competition
in IEEE Transactions on Computational Intelligence and AI in Games
| Title | Griddle Plus Word Game |
| Description | The research undertaken on the grant led to a new game being developed to showcase the Monte Carlo Tree Search AI in providing an elegant and powerful AI opponent for players of the game. (extract from Google Play Store entry) Griddle: This simple but addictive word game strikes a fine balance between skill and luck. 25 cards will be dealt to you, from a specially designed 74 letter-card deck, which you have to strategically place onto your grid. Score as many points as you can, but be careful: once a letter is placed, it cannot be moved. Only vertical and horizontal words are allowed, but sub-words (within words) count, so try to make 5-letter words that have lots of shorter words within them. Words are checked against the integrated scrabble-style dictionary. You may be surprised at how many unusual words exist! (see URL below for full description; the game is currently only available on Android) |
| Type Of Art | Artefact (including digital) |
| Year Produced | 2014 |
| Impact | The game showcased our ability as a group to develop robust applications for mobile platforms and helped a TSB Integrated Transport Feasibility Study be funded, which is now being considered for full funding. |
| URL | https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lucapps.gstate&hl=en |
| Description | That the game AI methods we developed are very general and can be applied directly to a range of problems with a minimum of domain-specific programming. |
| Exploitation Route | The Games industry is crying out for better AI, and for more creative games. Our form of general video game AI is beginning to be adopted by some UK Games Studios such as Creative Assembly and Lionhead, but there is much more scope to adopt these methods and also use them to evaluate new video games. We have submitted a new EPSRC proposal in order to follow this up. |
| Sectors | Creative Economy,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Education,Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism |
| URL | http://gvgai.net |
| Description | Our competitions framework has been used outside of academia. Members of the public have participated in our AI competitions such as Ms Pac-Man versus Ghost Team competition, the Physical Travelling Salesman Competition, and the General Video Game AI Competition. Various universities around the world have also used our competition server software to run their own competitions fore their bachelors, masters and PhD programmes. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2011 |
| Sector | Creative Economy,Education,Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal,Policy & public services |
| Description | EPSRC CDT Call |
| Amount | £5,589,906 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | e:EP/L015846/1 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 04/2014 |
| End | 09/2022 |
| Description | IGGI Centre for Doctoral Training |
| Organisation | Goldsmiths, University of London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Professor Lucas is the PI at Essex |
| Collaborator Contribution | Co-authored the application. |
| Impact | Too early: the doctoral training programme had its first intake of students in September 2014. |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | IGGI Centre for Doctoral Training |
| Organisation | University of York |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Professor Lucas is the PI at Essex |
| Collaborator Contribution | Co-authored the application. |
| Impact | Too early: the doctoral training programme had its first intake of students in September 2014. |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Title | General Video Game AI Server (GVGAI) |
| Description | The GVGAI server is used to run competitions and on-going leagues testing the ability of AI controllers to play any game without knowing the set of games in advance. This is designed to provide a tool for developing and testing game AI, and also testing the quality of games submitted to the system by measuring the experience of a range of bots while playing those games. This will also enable progress towards general intelligence. |
| Type Of Technology | Webtool/Application |
| Year Produced | 2014 |
| Impact | This is having a significant impact on video game research, and is currently being adopted by many researchers as a way to develop and test their game AI algorithms, as well as being used in various computer science masters programmes. |
| URL | http://gvgai.net/ |
| Description | University of Essex 2012 Christmas Lectures |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Visiting students played a competitive multi-arm bandit game which sparked a good deal of audience interest and discussion afterwards on the trade-off between exploitation and exploration in life in general. Since doing the Christmas lectures our UG admissions have increased significantly. While it is not possible to prove cause and effect in cases like this, anecdotal evidence suggests that this and other activities have been important. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |