Resumee

Contact information

• Erick Baptista Passos
• erickpassos -at- gmail -d0t- com
• Av. Engenheiro Martins Romeo, 78, ap 504, Boa Viagem, Niteroi-RJ, Brazil
• ZIP: 24210-400
• Phone +55 (21) 9417 1352

Summary

I’ve been a computer science professor at IFPI since 2004, currently on leave, researching artificial intelligence in storytelling for my PhD at the UFF MediaLab, under supervision of Dr. Esteban Clua. In my spare time, I like to take pictures and to develop fun and educational games.

Areas of Interest

Artificial intelligence, plot and character-based stories, game engines architecture, GPGPU.

Education

PhD student in Computer Science (2008-now)

UFF (Federal Fluminense University – Niteroi/RJ – Brazil)

Advisors: Esteban Walter Gonzalez Clua and Cesar Tadeu Pozzer (UFSM)

Research summary: temporal models to represent the events of plot-based stories; and emotional networks: graphs to represent the characters emotions, relations and the tension arc of an interactive story

MSc in Computer Science (2001-2003)

UFCG (Federal University of Campina Grande – Campina Grande/PB – Brazil)

Advisors: Francisco Vilar Brasileiro and Walfredo Cirne

Dissertation: Performance Evaluation of Stable Storage Solutions

Research summary: developed and evaluated a distributed file system for the Linux Kernel that provided stable storage by transparent real-time network replication of file buffers written by mission-critic applications. The paper that resulted from this research received an honor mention at SBRC 2002 (20th Brazilian Simposium in Networks and Distributed Systems).

Undergraduation: Data Processing (1996-2000)

AESPI (Teresina/PI – Brazil)

Final project: developed an Indexing and Search tool for Web Portals in Perl.

Publications

Hierarchical PNF Networks: A Temporal Model of Events for the Representation and Dramatization of Storytelling. PASSOS, E. B. ; POZZER. C. ; MONTENEGRO, Anselmo ; SILVA. F. S. C. ; CLUA, E. W. G. In: VIII Brazilian Symposium on Computer Games and Digital Entertainment, 2009

Real time feature-based parallel morphing in GPU applied to texture-based animation. ZAMITH, M. ; CLUA, E. W. G. ; MONTENEGRO, A. ; PASSOS, E. ; LEAL, R. ; CONCI, A. In: 16th International Workshop on Systems, Signals and Image Processing, 2009, Chalkida, Grécia. IEEE Proceedings of the 16th International Workshop on Systems, Signals and Image Processing. London : IEEE – Region 8, 2009. v. 16. p. 145-150.

Neuronal Editor Agent for Scene Cutting in Game Cinematography. PASSOS, E. B. ; MONTENEGRO, Anselmo ; CLUA, E. W. G. In: ACM Computers in Entertainment: CIE, 2009 (accepted for publication, issue expected by november/09)

A Bidimentional Data-Structure and Spatial Optimization for Supermassive Crowd Simulation on GPU.  PASSOS, E. B. ; JOSELLI, M. E.; ZAMITH, M. P. ; MONTENEGRO, A.; CLUA, E. W. G. ; FEIJO, B. In: ACM Computers in Entertainment: CIE, 2009 (accepted for publication, issue expected by november/09)

Smart Composition of Game Objects using Dependency Injection. PASSOS, E. B. ; SOUSA, J. W. ; CLUA, E. W. G; MURTA. L. In: ACM Computers in Entertainment: CIE, 2009 (accepted for publication, issue expected by november/09)

A Neighborhood Grid Data Structure for Massive 3D Crowd Simulation on GPU. JOSELLI, Mark ; PASSOS, E. B. ; ZAMITH, M. P. ; MONTENEGRO, A. ; CLUA, E. W. G. ; FEIJO, B. In: VIII  Brazilian Symposium on Computer Games and Digital Entertainment, 2009

A Novel Algorithm to Verify the Solution of Geometric Puzzle Games. SIQUEIRA, M.; ALVES, R.; CLUA, E.; PASSOS, E.; SILVA C.; MONTENEGRO, A.; OLIVEIRA, J. C. In: VIII  Brazilian Symposium on Computer Games and Digital Entertainment, 2009

Aplicação de Redes Neurais e Algoritmos Genéticos em Jogos de Corrida (Applying Neural Networks and Genetic Algorithms to Racing Games – Short Paper). PEREIRA, A.; POZZER, C.; PASSOS, E. B.; d’ORNELAS, M. In: VIII  Brazilian Symposium on Computer Games and Digital Entertainment, 2009

Unity 3D Game Engine Introductory Tutorial. (Extended Tutorial). PASSOS, E. B. ; SILVA, J. R.; MOURÃO, P. T. C.; RIBEIRO, F. E. In: VIII  Brazilian Symposium on Computer Games and Digital Entertainment, 2009

Neuronal Editor Agent for Intelligent Game Cinematography. PASSOS, E. B. ; MONTENEGRO, Anselmo ; CLUA, E. W. G. In: VII  Brazilian Symposium on Computer Games and Digital Entertainment, 2008, Belo Horizonte. SBGames 2008 Proceedings, 2008.

Supermassive Crowd Simulation on GPU based on Emergent Behavior. PASSOS, E. B. ; JOSELLI, Mark ; ZAMITH, M. P. ; MONTENEGRO, Anselmo; CLUA, E. W. G. ; FEIJO, Bruno. In: VII  Brazilian Symposium on Computer Games and Digital Entertainment, 2008, Belo Horizonte. SBGames 2008 Proceedings, 2008. (conference best paper)

Fast and Safe Prototyping of Game Objects with Dependency Injection. PASSOS, E. B. ; SOUSA, J. W. ; CLUA, E. W. G. In: VII Brazilian Symposium on Computer Games and Digital Entertainment, 2008, Belo Horizonte. SBGames 2008 Proceedings, 2008.

Posicionamento de Câmeras por meio da Simulação Física (Camera Positioning by the means of Physics Simulation). PIRES, D.; PASSOS, E. B.; CLUA, E. W. G. In: VII Brazilian Symposium on Computer Games and Digital Entertainment, 2008, Belo Horizonte. SBGames 2008 Proceedings, 2008.

Dynamic Game Object Component System for Mutable Behavior Characters. (Short Paper). SILVA, J. R.; PASSOS, E. B.; MOREIRA, B.; MOURAO, P. T.; CLUA, E. W. G. In: VII Brazilian Symposium on Computer Games and Digital Entertainment, 2008, Belo Horizonte. SBGames 2008 Proceedings, 2008.

Algoritmo para Verificação da Solução de Quebra-cabeças Geométricos (Short Paper). SIQUEIRA, M.; ALVES, R.; SANTOS, W.; CARVALHO, C.; SILVA, C.; PASSOS, E.; MONTENEGRO, A.; CLUA, E. In: VII Brazilian Symposium on Computer Games and Digital Entertainment, 2008, Belo Horizonte. SBGames 2008 Proceedings, 2008.

Using Navigation Meshes to Improve Storytelling Dramatization. (Short Paper). AZEVEDO, V.; FAVERA, E.; POZZER, C.; CIARLINI, A. FEIJÓ, B.; PASSOS, E.; CLUA, E. W. G. In: VII Brazilian Symposium on Computer Games and Digital Entertainment, 2008, Belo Horizonte. SBGames 2008 Proceedings, 2008.

Multi Agent System For Intelligent Game Cinematography. (Short Paper). PASSOS, E. B.; CLUA, E. W. G. In: VI Brazilian Symposium on Computer Games and Digital Entertainment, 2007, São Leopoldo. SBGames 2007 Proceedings, 2007.

Jogos 3D em Java na Prática (Java 3D Games in a Nutshell – technical magazine article – source code download). PASSOS, E. B. In: Mundo Java Magazine. Ed. 24. July 2007.

Using Remote Memory to Stabilise Data Efficiently on an EXT2 Linux File System. (Honor Mention at the conference). BRASILEIRO, F. V.; CIRNE, W.; PASSOS, E. B.; STANCHI, T. In: XX Brazilian Symposium on Netoworks and Distributed Systems, 2002, Armação dos Búzios. SBRC 2002 Proceedings, 2002.

Communication Skills

English

Advanced fluency in spoken and written english. Lived in London/UK from nov-1999 to apr-2000.

Portuguese

Native language.

Awards

2009

SBGames Independent Games Festival – Best mobile game (public’s choice): Tales of Bast

2008:

SBGames Computing Track – Best Paper – “Supermassive Crowd Simulation on GPU based on Emergent Behavior“

Unity Awards 2008 – Honorable Mention in the serious game category – Sperm Racer

2007:

SBGames Independent Games Festival – 3rd place – Dirty Racers

2002:

20th SBRC (Brazilian Symposium on Distributed Systems and Networks) – Honorable Mention for Paper - “Using Remote Memory to Stabilise Data Efficiently on an EXT2 Linux File System“

Selected Work Experience

since 2004*: Computer Science Professor at IFPI (portuguese)

Courses: operating systems, object-oriented programming, design patterns.

* Currently on leave to obtain his PhD in computer science at UFF (Universidade Federal Fluminense – Niteroi/RJ – Brazil)

from 2005 to 2007: Visiting Chief Engineer at Infoway Soluções em Informática

Functions: lead developer of the JHeat framework (agile full-stack library for web-applications in Java), software evangelist and advisor of the immersion program for trainee/junior programmers.

from 2003 to 2004: Systems Analist at TJPI (Court of law of the State of Piauí)

Functions: system architect and programmer for several web-based tools for the various information systems that assist the upper judges and their assistants. Developed the first public search tool for the open court cases, which enabled lawyers and other people to follow them from home.

Projects

Here you will find brief descriptions of my current and past work. For live demos and colorful pictures of these and other projects, see my Portfolio.

Logtell

Fight dramatization

Logtell is a live dramatization system for plot-based storytelling, which is built over a real-time visualization engine to serve as a testbed for research on planning, automated cinematography agents, user intervention policies and other subjects related to interactive storytelling. This is a long term evolving project from my co-advisor Dr. Cesar Pozzer, at UFSM (Universidade Federal de Santa Maria). I recently joined the group to integrate my research on storytelling models (hierarchical PNF-networks) with the system, in which we succeded at the initial experiments.

Discotable (youtube video)

Live demo

I’ve had the opportunity to participate in the first “Multidisciplinary Workshop on Interactive Media and Natural Interfaces” at IMPA (Applied and Pure Math Institute) under the supervision of Professor Luiz Velho. Discotable is an application to create and perform live electronic music with an intuitive tangible and multi-touch interface. Sound loops are represented by circular shapes based on a polar coordinates system. Developed jointly with Nina Paim (graphics designer) and Bruno Queiroz (sound engineer). This application is currently being ported to the iPhone.

GCore (download)

GCore example

A data-driven game development framework built over JMonkeyEngine. It is based on a componentized architecture for game objects that is becoming a de-facto standard in modern game engines. I’ve used it as a testbed for my previous research on dependency injection in game programming and as a prototyping tool for some of my games.

JHeat

JHeat Web App

JHeat is a full-stack web application framework developed in Java. Its goal is to hide from the developer some complexities inherent to web technology such as HTML, Ajax, complex transactions and so on. The responsibility of the programmer becomes solely to write Java code related to the application logic (aka, the model layer on a MVC architecture). It is based on several web application patterns such as CRUD and step-based transactions. JHeat has been a production-grade framework at Infoway Soluções em Informática since 2006, where it serves as the core development platform for several mission-critic Health Information Systems. I’ve been the lead designer and manager of this project from the beggining in january 2006 to july 2007, when I left the company. Currently, I still have a consulting role in its development.

Tank Battles (discontinued – alpha release here)

Tank Battles

Tank battles is a programming game where the player has to develop the artificial intelligence to drive a tank in a 3D environment. The idea and API is strongly based on the popular Robocode (radar + movement + cannon), but somehow more challenging due to the 3d terrains and realistic balistics of the projectiles. There were plans to provide access to the view of a virtual-camera mounted on the tank as a testbed for computer-vision-driven experiments. Unfortunately this project is no longer being developed due to time constraints, but I plan to get back to it sometime.

SaliusFS (master dissertation project)

SaliusFS is a Linux file system that uses replication as dependability mechanism. It was implemented directly inside the Linux kernel (v 2.2.4 at the time) as a clone of the EXT2 file system, so one can mount any EXT2 disk partition as a SaliusFS volume. The goal was to provide a fast and reliable alternative to the synchronous data-write mode of disk file systems. Some applications use synchronous data-writes to ensure the data was already recorded, even in the case of a power failure. SaliusFS synchronous mode doesn’t rely on directly writing data on disk, but in local network replication of the recorded buffers in order to survive a host failure. Our experiments have shown that SaliusFS can be up to an order of magnitude faster than regular and journaled file systems of the time, also ensuring data-safety.