Stephen Ware, assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science, has received a $493,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to further his research in the area of computational storytelling. The project, “Strong-Story Narrative Planning for Authoring Proactive Intelligent Virtual Environments,” will run for three years.
This grant will explore how intelligent interactive narratives can be used to provide effective, realistic training for police officers. Officers must often make fast, high-stakes decisions about when to use force and how much to use. Current training usually comes in two varieties: exercises like shooting ranges that teach how to apply force and role-playing exercises that teach how to deescalate tense situations in the hopes of avoiding force altogether. This project will combine both to create a realistic but safe virtual reality environment with lifelike characters and a narrative that intelligently adapts to each user.
Ware joined the UK faculty this past summer.