Stefan Rank

I am ...

• member of the Intelligent Software Agents and New Media group at OFAI

Projects

• CYBEREMOTIONS, Collective Emotions in Cyberspace
• IRIS, Network of Excellence on Integrating Research in Interactive Storytelling
• SERA, Social Engagement with Robots and Agents

Previous projects I was involved in:

• HUMAINE, the Human-Machine Interaction Network on Emotion, was a Network of Excellence (NoE) in the EU's Sixth Framework Programme
• COAST, Competence Network for Advanced Speech Technologies
• L2C, Learning to Collaborate, was a Specific targeted research project (STREP) in the EU's Sixth Framework Programme
• SELP and RASCALLI, Responsive Artificial Situated Cognitive Agents that Live and Learn on the Internet
• In the eBusiness project (Artificial Intelligence Methods for eBusiness) I was investigating the use of AI in eLearning

Research Interests

Computational models of emotion, their implementation in software agents, their application to agent-based simulation, and the use of the result in (virtual or real) environments for a narrative purpose.

Teaching

• Winter terms: Models of Personality and Emotions (VU 901.967 & SE 901.968)

  for the MEi:CogSci curriculum (Middle European interdisciplinary master programme in Cognitive Science)

Publications

This is a selection of recent publications, presentation slides, and posters. Use the search for a full list of publications.

• Rank S. (2009):

  Behaviour Coordination for Models of Affective Behaviour.

  Dissertation, Vienna University of Technology, carried out at the Austrian Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence (OFAI).

  (http://strank.info/phd/Rank2009-Dissertation-final.pdf)
• Rank S. (2007):

  Building a computational model of emotion based on parallel processes and resource management.

  In Cowie R., Rosis F.de (eds.), Proceedings of the Doctoral Consortium, The Second International Conference on Affective Computing and Intelligent Interaction, September 12-14, 2007, Lisbon, Portugal, pp.102-109.

  (pre-print technical report: http://www.ofai.at/cgi-bin/tr-online?number+2007-03,

  poster: Rank2007-ACII-DC.poster.pdf)
• Rank S., Petta P. (2007):

  Basing artificial emotion on process and resource management.

  In Paiva A. et al. (eds.), Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Affective Computing and Intelligent Interaction, September 12-14, 2007, Lisbon, Portugal, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, pp.350-361.

  (pre-print technical report: http://www.ofai.at/cgi-bin/tr-online?number+2007-02,

  slides: RankPetta2007-ProcessesAndResources (html))
• Hermann C., Melcher H., Rank S., Trappl R. (2007):

  Neuroticism - A Competitive Advantage (Also) for IVAs?.

  In Pelachaud C. et al. (eds.), Intelligent Virtual Agents, Springer, Berlin/Heidelberg/New York, pp.64-71.

  (doi:10.1007/978-3-540-74997-4_7,

  slides: HermannETAL2007-IVA.slides.odp (pdf))
• Rank S., Petta P. (2006):

  Implications of Embodiment for Autonomous Personality Agents.

  presentation at the Young Researcher's session of the 3rd Humaine Summer School, September 22-28, 2006, InfoMus Lab - DIST - University of Genova, Italy.

  (slides: RankPetta2006-Embodiment (html))
• Rank S., Petta P. (2006):

  Comparability is Key to Assess Affective Architectures.

  In Trappl R. (ed.), Cybernetics and Systems 2006, Austrian Society for Cybernetic Studies, Vienna, pp.643-648.

  (pre-print technical report: http://www.ofai.at/cgi-bin/tr-online?number+2006-04,

  slides: RankPetta2006-ComparabilityIsKey (html),

  related presentation @ Humaine WP10 workshop: RankPetta2006-wp10ws (html))
• Rank S., Petta P., Trappl R. (2006):

  Features of emotional planning in software agents.

  In Della Riccia G., Dubois D., Kruse R., Lenz H.-J. (eds.): Decision Theory and Multi-Agent Planning, Springer Wien/New York.

  (pre-print technical report: http://www.ofai.at/cgi-bin/tr-online?number+2004-23,

  slides: RankETAL2004-FOEPISA-issek04.slides.pdf)
• Rank S., Petta P. (2005):

  Appraisal for a Character-based Story-World.

  In Panayiotopoulos T. et al. (eds.), Intelligent Virtual Agents, 5th International Working Conference, IVA 2005, Kos, Greece, September 2005, Proceedings, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, pp.495-496.

  (pre-print technical report: http://www.ofai.at/cgi-bin/tr-online?number+2005-10,

  poster: RankPetta2005-IVA2005.poster.pdf)
• Rank S. (2005):

  Toward Reusable Roleplayers Using an Appraisal-based Architecture.

  In Payr S. (ed.): Educational Agents and (e-)Learning, Applied Artificial Intelligence 19(3-4):313-340.

  (doi:10.1080/08839510590910138)
• Rank S., Anjos P.L., Petta P., Aylett R. (2005):

  What is In an Affective Architecture for Situated Agents?

  In Canamero L. (ed.): Humaine Deliverable D7a: WP7 Workshop Proceedings, King's College London UK EU, July 4-5.

  (pre-print technical report: http://www.ofai.at/cgi-bin/tr-online?number+2005-11)
• Rank S., Petta P. (2005):

  Motivating Dramatic Interactions.

  In Agents that Want and Like: Motivational and Emotional Roots of Cognition and Action, Proceedings of the AISB05 Symposium, April 12-15 2005, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK, pp.102-107.

  (pre-print technical report: http://www.ofai.at/cgi-bin/tr-online?number+2005-02,

  slides: RankPetta2005-MDI-AISB05.slides.pdf)
• Rank S. (2004):

  Affective Acting: An Appraisal-based Architecture for Agents as Actors.

  Institut für Medizinische Kybernetik und Artificial Intelligence, Universität Wien, Diplomarbeit.

  (master's thesis as pdf; for the thesis, I was awarded an ‘Anerkennungspreis’ of the Austrian Society for Artificial Intelligence)

Software

As part of my master thesis I wrote ActAffAct, an implementation of an appraisal-based architecture for software agents that could be part of an emergent narrative.