Pragbot 2.0
Moving Pragbot Language
Interactions Toward More Realistic
Situations
Oct 2009 Review
Chris Czyzewicz, Norm Badler
SIG Center for Computer Graphics
Purpose
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We were tasked with collecting a corpus of data
to study language interaction
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Emphasis on intentions
Last year, we presented Pragbot, which
collected 50 transcripts
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Thanks Karl Schultz et. al.
SIG Center for Computer Graphics
Pragbot
% pragbot_chat_log_2007.11.01 AD at 19.48.20 EDT.txt
Player 2: i have 4H
Player 1: I want it!
Player 1: where is it?
Player 2: should i leave it for you somewhere?
Player 1: sure
Player 1: where are you?
Player 2: okay, where are you?
Player 1: I'm near the top
Player 2: i'm left side.
Player 1: next to the gap near the middle
Player 2: i'll leave the card in the upper left corner.
Player 1: awesome
SIG Center for Computer Graphics
Pragbot 1.0 Review
SIG Center for Computer Graphics
Pragbot 1.0
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Two player game played through an applet
Players searched through an environment to
find cards
Objective was to find 6 cards in a row, all from
the same suit
Players discussed strategy
Transcripts were recorded and studied
SIG Center for Computer Graphics
Pragbot 1.0
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Very successful in gathering transcripts
Flexible architecture
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No installation (played through an applet)
Platform independent
Game requires some strategy, without a steep
learning curve
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Easy controls and interface
SIG Center for Computer Graphics
Pragbot 1.0 panel comments
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We received feedback from the panel last year
2D experience was not immersive
Not very realistic for the target of our
application
Metaphor of card finding should be changed
SIG Center for Computer Graphics
Pragbot 2.0
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Objective of Pragbot 2.0 is the same as the
original
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Collect transcripts from participants
Determine how they convey intention
Specifically how a human might convey
intention to a robot
Examine any other interesting bits of the
conversation
SIG Center for Computer Graphics
Pragbot 2.0
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Important that we retain the portability of
the original Pragbot
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Shouldn't need to install anything
Should be platform independent
Maintain ease of control and interface
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Game should be simple to play
SIG Center for Computer Graphics
Pragbot 2.0
SIG Center for Computer Graphics
Pragbot 2.0 implementation
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First Person Shooter view
Nothing to install
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Uses JNLP to download and launch the game
Needs >= Java 1.5
Windows/Linux at the moment
Runs in its own, full screen window
SIG Center for Computer Graphics
Pragbot 2.0 implementation
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Game metaphor has changed
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A commander and a robot looking to save
hostages, eliminate bombs and terrorists
Game takes place in a Wolfenstein like
environment
Characters have different roles in the game
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Requires coordination between the two players
SIG Center for Computer Graphics
Pragbot 2.0 implementation
Guidance: “Develop a common simulation and experimentation
scenario … which is demanding and sophisticated….”,
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The new metaphor and implementation of
the game have helped us with the scenario
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On the same page with scenario demo
Promoted good discussion during the year
about what would be good/bad for a demo
Nice sandbox for testing potential scenario
ideas
SIG Center for Computer Graphics
Pragbot 2.0
SIG Center for Computer Graphics
Pragbot 2.0
SIG Center for Computer Graphics
Pragbot 2.0
SIG Center for Computer Graphics
Pragbot 2.0
SIG Center for Computer Graphics
Pragbot 2.0
SIG Center for Computer Graphics
Game Dynamics
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Two possible characters
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Hostages that need to be rescued
Terrorists
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Commander (CMDR), a human
Junior (JR), a robot
Being improved as we speak
Bombs
SIG Center for Computer Graphics
Transcripts
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Data can be collected in the same way as
Pragbot 1.0
Players communicate via chat
SIG Center for Computer Graphics
JR
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One player plays as JR
Defuses bombs, cannot
remove barriers
Cannot rescue hostages
He does the dangerous
work
Does not receive mission
updates
SIG Center for Computer Graphics
CMDR
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Other player is CMDR
Kills terrorists
Is killed by bombs if he
is in the same
room/hallway
Rescues hostages
Gets mission updates
from HQ
SIG Center for Computer Graphics
Typical Gameplay
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A mission is described to CMDR
He relays that information to JR, who then
begins to explore
JR updates CMDR, and requests help when he
can't handle something
Game is completed when mission is
accomplished (terrorists killed, hostages
rescued, etc.)
SIG Center for Computer Graphics
Sample Transcript
SIG Center for Computer Graphics
Pragbot 2.0 video
SIG Center for Computer Graphics
Data Collection
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We have collected several transcripts
Some transcripts not incredibly interesting
Good ideas for next game objective
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More strategy aspects
SIG Center for Computer Graphics
Website
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If you would like to try out Pragbot 2.0, you
can go to the website and play a game
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Plus we would love your transcript!
www.seas.upenn.edu/~eczyzewi/pragbot
Alpha game is being updated regularly
Original game is stable and playable
SIG Center for Computer Graphics
Future Work
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Currently in the process of adding more
intelligent enemies
Terrorists will attempt to flee the building
Players will have to coordinate to keep them
pinned down
Multiple bots?
SIG Center for Computer Graphics
Future PhD Work
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Bots with memory of what they, and other
bots, have done
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Also memory of objects, world
Memory = list of PARs
Reasoning based on this
memory
bot/agent
‘me’
PAR-1
PAR-2
PAR-3
PAR-4
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‘b2’
PAR-a
PAR-b
PAR-c
PAR-d
…
‘b6’
PAR-A
PAR-B
PAR-C
PAR-D
…
SIG Center for Computer Graphics
Future PhD Work
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As mentioned earlier, would be ideal to play
the game with only one person
Person gives commands, bot reacts
Will require memory and 'envisionment'
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Ability to determine whether or not proposed
action is possible, or potential pitfalls
Please wait until next year to grill me on this
stuff
SIG Center for Computer Graphics
Thanks!
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Questions?
SIG Center for Computer Graphics