Michael Patrick Johnson, Ph.D.

[email protected] http://www.michaelpatrickjohnson.com/

Education Doctor of Philosophy in Media Arts and Sciences Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Cambridge, MA | 2003

Master of Science in Media Arts and Sciences Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 1995

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (Minor in Creative Writing) Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 1993

Teaching Experience Georgia Institute of Technology | Atlanta, GA Spring 2007 Artist in Residence / Visiting Faculty Invited to teach graduate course segment on interactive autonomous game characters, including a programming laboratory. Also, as artist in residence, created and presented several original interactive digital art works.

The Media Lab @ MIT | Cambridge, MA Spring 1996 Teaching Assistant Teaching Assistant (lectures, grading, office hours) for Modeling Autonomous Agents with Prof. Pattie Maes.

Industry Experience OPeNDAP, Inc. | Narragansett, RI 2009 – Present Software Engineer Independently developed open-source C++ plug-in module for OPeNDAP’s free Hyrax Data Server. Module allows scientists to augment served scientific datasets with a standard XML language (NcML). The module affords modification of metadata and the ability to create huge virtual datasets by aggregating many smaller dataset granules. Hyrax utilizes the GNU autotools and autotest frameworks and is deployed on Unix systems.

Ingeeni Studios | Somerville, MA 2006 – 2008 & 2003 – 2004 Lead Software Architect & Engineer Designed and implemented bulk of game engine client for a startup in the area of persistent, intelligent charac- ters for web-based marketing. Systems built included a 3D graphics engine, artificial intelligence engine, and significant infrastructure and server communication code. Worked with offshore Web server team. Earlier work included C++ and Java AI and infrastructure implementations.

Blue Fang Games | Waltham, MA 2004 – 2005 Artist Tools Programmer / Graphics Software Engineer Worked closely with artists to develop more efficient tools. Developed in-house 3D graphics engine (C++) as part of the Core Graphics team for a best-selling videogame franchise. Credit on 2: Endangered Species.

Research Experience Synthetic Characters Group 1996 – 2002 The Media Lab | Massachusetts Institute of Technology Research Assistant (Prof. Bruce Blumberg) Engaged in research on interactive autonomous characters, 3D virtual environments, and multi-modal human computer interfaces (http://characters.media.mit.edu). Contributed significantly to a multi-year group re- search project to build a virtual dog that perceived, navigated, moved, behaved, and learned similarly to a real Michael Patrick Johnson, Ph.D. 2

dog. Contributions: • Researched and developed novel real-time animation algorithms using quaternions:

– multi-dimensional example-based interpolation of 3D rotation time series – statistical analysis, modeling and synthesis of 3D rotation time series – example-based Inverse Kinematics (IK) engine • Invented and developed Sympathetic Interfaces, a new paradigm for tangible control of 3D characters using sensored plush toys and gesture recognition algorithms. • Initiated, contributed to, and maintained a large multi-platform (Unix, Windows, Mac) and multi-language (C++ & Java, DirectX & OpenGL) codebase for on-going research in robotics, virtual creatures and multi- modal virtual environments. • Presented, published, and exhibited interactive research prototypes at international academic conferences, art exhibitions, trade shows, in-house corporate demos, etc. Technical lead on several polished research showcase prototypes. • Mentored junior graduate students, undergraduates, and contributing artists, including creating and teach- ing a software engineering crash course for incoming students.

Autonomous Agents Group 1993 – 1996 The Media Lab | MIT Research Assistant (Prof. Pattie Maes) Investigated Genetic Programming as a supervised learning method for the automated creation of visual feature detectors. Initial paper chosen for “Best of Artificial Life IV Conference” Artificial Life journal edition.

Developed and implemented real-time machine vision algorithms and gesture recognition routines during the development of the Artificial Life Interactive Video Environment (ALIVE, US Patent 5,563,998).

Artificial Intelligence Lab | MIT 1992 – 1993 Undergraduate Research Assistant (Dr. Andrew Moore and Prof. Chris Atkeson) Implemented and investigated Genetic Algorithms for optimizing feature selection in statistical machine learning algorithms.

Designed and implemented pinball simulation and robust ball trajectory predictor for statistical machine learning testbed application. Applied reinforcement learning algorithms to flipper control for score maximization.

Artificial Intelligence Lab | Leg Lab | MIT Spring 1992 Undergraduate Research Assistant (Prof. Marc Raibert) Extended dynamics simulation to model pneumatic robot arm patent application (Ivan Sutherland, 4,900,218) to analyze design and control strategies for potential legged locomotion.

Advanced Human Interface Group 1990 – 1992 The Media Lab | MIT Undergraduate Research Assistant (Dr. Dick Bolt) Created multi-threaded data I/O, digital signal filtering, and gesture recognition libraries for VPL DataGlove and Polhemus 6DOF sensors.

Designed and programmed object-oriented libraries for 3D virtual world creation.

Refereed Interactive Installations Synthetic Characters Group | MIT Media Lab SIGGRAPH 1999 (void*): A Cast of Characters | Technical Director, Researcher, Programmer Michael Patrick Johnson, Ph.D. 3

• Directed the technical software development cycle (Java & C++) of a successful interactive art installa- tion that allowed control of 3D dancing characters using novel wireless sensors and gesture recognition technology. • Designed and implemented the real-time character animation and motor control engine.

Synthetic Characters Group | MIT Media Lab SIGGRAPH 1998 Swamped! | Assistant Project Director, Researcher, Programmer, Game Designer, Producer

• Codirected and contributed to a highly successful interactive cartoon showcasing our novel sympathetic interface. Hundreds of participants directed a 3D character via a wirelessly sensored plush toy coupled with gesture recognition and expressive motor control algorithms. • Researched & implemented new realtime animation blending technologies, motor control system and significant other infrastructure code (including audio f/x system) in Java & C++.

Autonomous Agents Group | MIT Media Lab SIGGRAPH 1997 Whacka! | Game Designer and Programmer

• Designed and programmed (C++) a successful videogame (Whacka!) to showcase 3D hand and head visual tracking research by a senior student (Azarbayejani). • Developed a believable real-time inverse kinematics algorithm and managed a 3D artist.

Autonomous Agents Group | MIT Media Lab SIGGRAPH 1995 ALIVE: Dreams & Illusions | Researcher and Programmer Programmed C++ background subtraction and gesture recognition routines for a networked augmented reality installation (Coauthor of associated U.S. Patent 5,563,988).

Publications, Patents & Presentations

“Integrated Learning for Interactive Synthetic Characters,” B. Blumberg, M. Downie, Y. Ivanov, M. Berlin, M. P. Johnson, B. Tomlinson. Computer Graphics (SIGGRAPH 2002), 2002.

“Physically interactive story environments,” C.S. Pinhanez, J.W. Davis, S. Intille, M. P. Johnson, A. D. Wilson, A. F. Bobick, and B. Blumberg. IBM Systems Journal 39, 3&4, 2000.

“Multi-Dimensional Quaternion Interpolation,” M. P. Johnson. SIGGRAPH 2000, Technical Sketches and Ap- plications.

“Sympathetic Interfaces: Using a Plush Toy to Direct Synthetic Characters.” M. P. Johnson, A. Wilson, B. Blum- berg, C. Kline, and A. Bobick. In Proceedings of SIGCHI 99, 1999.

“Out of the Box: Toys Break the Screen Barrier,” SIGGRAPH 1998 Invited Panel Speaker.

“Automated Creation of Visual Routines Using Genetic Programming,” M. P. Johnson. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Pattern Recognition, ICPR(A) pp. 951 – 956, 1996.

“Method and System for Facilitating Wireless, Full-Body, Real-Time User Interaction with a Digitally Represented Visual Environment.” P. Maes, B. Blumberg, T. Darrell, T. Starner, M.P. Johnson, K. Russell, A. Pentland. (U.S. Patent 5,563,988). Issued: Oct 8, 1996.

“Evolving Visual Routines,” M. P. Johnson, P. Maes, and T. Darrell. Artificial Life 1:4 (Selected for Best of Artificial Michael Patrick Johnson, Ph.D. 4

Life IV Conference Issue), pp. 373 – 390, 1994.

“Evolving Visual Routines,” M. P. Johnson, P. Maes, and T. Darrell. Proceedings of the Fourth International Workshop on the Synthesis and Simulation of Living Systems (Artificial Life IV), pp. 198–209, 1994.

“An Empirical Investigation of Brute Force to Choose Features, Smoothers, and Function Approximators,” A. Moore, D.J. Hill, M.P. Johnson. Computational Learning Theory and Natural Learning Systems Vol III. ed. T. Petsche, S. J. Hanson, and J. Shavlik. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA. 1995.