Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/725667
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 11 SEPTEMBER 2016 16 PAUL COCKS SEATED at a computer, a student wearing a virtual-reality headset moves his head around, while on the monitor in front of him, the scene changes in sync with his movements. In one corner, another student plays a short tune on a synthesizer that is linked to a PC, then stops, presses a key on the keyboard, and the computer continues play- ing the tune on its own. But this is not a recorded audio file; the com- puter analyses the tune the student was playing and 'calculates' what it would have sounded like if he did not stop. This is not some scene out of a sci-fi spoof movie, or a vignette out of a children's cartoon, it is actu- ally a fairly common scene inside a lab of the computing department at St Martin's Institute of Higher Education. MaltaToday learned that the quality of students and projects in the creative computing industry in Malta is becoming the envy of seasoned professionals abroad, as more students delve into the world of computing to fuel and enhance other dimensions, be they health, education, gaming or the arts. This creative computing might sound like something beyond the understanding of mere mortals, but it is – simply put – an exercise in trying to find common ground between computing, cognitive psy- chology, artificial intelligence and the arts. These designers, visionaries and inventors can produce pro- grammes capable of human-level creativity, by formulating algo- rithms patterned on creative be- haviour in humans. At St Martin's, I met Dr Maggie Cooper, computing programmes director at the University of Lon- don's Goldsmiths College, who expressed her admiration for the level and quality of tuition in Mal- ta in general, and the institute, in particular. Maltese students excelling in research and projects "This is not an easy field of study, as it requires both a strong tech- nical understanding as well as a passion for research and innova- tion, and yet I am consistently im- pressed by the students here," she said. "40% of students here go on to obtain a first-class degree in crea- tive computing, and that result is phenomenal when you consider that it is much higher than the in- ternational average." St Martin's is an affiliate of the University of London, and the BSc Creative Computing degree fol- lows the same curriculum as Gold- smiths College and other affiliates worldwide. Cooper said she believed it was the level of tuition and the quality of the facilities that made the dif- ference, besides the strong drive for research, development and in- novation demonstrated by many of the local students. "I cannot emphasise enough how phenomenal the results obtained here are," she said. "I visit here regularly and I am absolutely fasci- nated by the research that is going on in particular." MaltaToday met a number of lecturers who explained some of the technology they were using and researching within the lab. Mark Bugeja, a lecturer of crea- tive computing specialising in game development and artificial intelligence, explained how they had utilised virtual reality (VR) coupled with 3D-laser mapping and video, to create a virtual tour of the St Paul's Catacombs in Ra- bat. The experience is quite life-like, MaltaToday can attest, although the lecturers themselves are the first to point out that there is still a way to go in developing the tech- nology further. The technology utilises existing Oculus Rift technology, available commercially, to immerse the user in an alternate universe. VR is being increasingly used worldwide for a variety of purpos- es ranging from gaming to educa- tion, arts and medicine. This particular system, devel- oped at St Martin's, allows anyone who cannot physically visit the catacombs due to medical reasons, for example, to be able to experi- ence something that would have been impractical – or impossible – without the technology, program- ming and creativity involved. Technology and art Jeremy Grech, a lecturer spe- cialising in image processing and animations, demonstrated a pro- gramme whereby a user can trans- form an image, or photo, into an outline image, that can then be recoloured digitally, or utilised as a drawing book for children, and as a template for crochet or sewing. "The project is called Go Draw it and the programme analyses any image and automatically selects the predominant colours in order to create a trace of that image," Grech said. Technology utilising a chroma- key screen and special effects is News It might sound, and look, like science fiction but creative computing is all about harnessing technology and trying to find common ground with cognitive psychology, artificial intelligence and the arts Maltese students at forefront of creative computing advancements A student at St Martin's demonstrating the virtual reality tour of St Paul's Catacombs