2025 Spring Researchers - CHI-CityTech/StudentResearch GitHub Wiki

Spring 2025

Research Teams

This section details each CHI team and their research focus.

CHI-UberTeam All membersof this semester's research belong to the CHI Uber-team.

Blended Shadow Puppet Theatre (BSP) Spring Production
The Spring Blended Shadow Puppet Theatre Production, with expanded script, puppets, and technology. This semester, we integrate front projection, as well as the introduciton of textile-based scenery that blends with projection. We also extend the script, explore more articulated puppetry, some with machine or mechanism control, compose original music, and engineer a more sophisticated surround sound system.

Tshari Yancey - Playwright, puppeteer ("Dalang"), and puppet artisit ("Tukang Sungging")
Crystal Sanchez - Scenic Textile Artist
Sam Cheung - Visual Design, ("Seni Rupa AI") - Physical Puppetry design ("Perancang Wayang Teknologi"), puppeteer ("Dalang"), archiving and documentation
Anthony Navarro - Audio/Visual System Designer
Osakpolor Noyiagbon - Composer ("Wiyaga").
Edward Gonzalez - AI Control programmer
Ben Watson - Technical Design for mechanical puppets.
Sean Chan - Immersive Audio Design for BSP

Faculty

Christopher Swift - Artistic Director, Dramaturge.
Nazanin Munroe - Textile Designer, scenic and costume.
David B. Smith - Production Manager.

Blended Shadow Puppet in UnReal Environment
Developing a virtual half of the Blended Shadow Puppet Theatre. This semester we investigate the way that shadows and light sources combine within the UnReal Environment, and then we work to import equivalent assets used in the physical production. This sets the stage for future ibtefgrations between physical and virtual environments.

Rodrigo Vega - Virtual (Unreal) Shadow Puppet Stage System and Mechanics.
Hugo Sanchez - Virtual Asset importing and document.

AI Media Control
Using AI in realtime to collaborate on design and media delivery. This semester, we look to inject AI into real-time decision making processes, by selecting images from a dataset based on text or spoken input from the stage and its environments.

Edward Gonzalez - AI-Driven Media Control for QLab Using Open Sound Control (OSC)
Kazi Islam - Realtime Collaborative AI for Shadow Puppet

CHIIDS-Website
Public facing and brand development. This semester, we integrate two separate CHI websites by moving one from Google Sites to OpenLab, and another from Google Sites to GItHub Pages. These test cases will aid us in effecting a more uniform web-based eco-system. The other initiaticve in this is to design and develop

Kevin Pintado - Website creation and migration (CHIIDS)
Alexandra Tourkova - CHI and Metaproject Logo and branding design.
Saliou Dunn - Database Development for CHIIDS and AI LLM's
Juliann Campbell - Documentary video capture and collation of Spring 2025 CHI activities
Daniel Irala - Documentary Post Production editing of Spring 2025 CHI Activities.

QuantumMusic
Exploring the conversion of Quantum Computing and AI to generate music in specific styles or combinations of styles.

Stefanie Rivera
Elizabeth Frias
Melissa Demollari
Alyssa Burtsev
Sunima Dangol

Faculty

Oleg Berman
David B. Smith

Puppet Play
Development of AI facial puppet mimicry and dynamic perspective tools.

Behlul Vardal

AI Machine Control of BSP Puppetry Developing an automated system for controlling Javanese shadow puppets using AI

Kristian Rice
Yinson Tso
Mukhammadali Yuldoshev

AI-Driven Swarming for Autonomous Vehicles in Performance Environments
Working with autonomous vehicles and using GAI to control multiple synchronized units within a performance environment.

Shafique.Khan

Integrating personalized LLM's into Balanced Blended Space
Evaluating commercial, open source, and emerging AI platforms and the development of best practice for the creation of smaller, personalized LLM's within the context of the Balanced Blended Space Framework

Kazi Tasin
Kazi Islam
Naureen Asha

Shadow Puppet World Building
Creating a world lore for a fictive universe based on light and shadow

John Powers
Sam Cheung
Tshari Yancey

Lumbra: A Game of Shadow and Light Building a chess-like precursor game for the Blended Shadow Puppet Fictive Universe.

Cordell Lane primary investigator

Blended Music
Creating new musical styles based on the integration of different cultural traditions.

Osakpolor Noyiagbon - Javanese Gamelan and Yoruban.
Eric White - Japanese Musical tradition (TBA) and ?.
Demitri Cameron - Chinese musical tradition (TBA) and "Wave".


Students by collaboration type

Internships

Crystal Sanchez - (Nazanin Munroe Advisor) Textile projects for SeaChange360 and Dark Room.
Alexandra Tourkova - CHI and Metaproject Logo and branding design.
Behlul Vardal - Puppet Play Game
Cordell Lane - Lumbra Game (Finishing Fall 2024 internship)

Sam Cheung - AI collaboration on visual elements for BSP Theatrical Production. Sam Cheung - Physical Puppetry manufacture and performance
John Powell - Narrative Development, puppeteer, for Shadow Puppet World.

Rodrigo Vega - Virtual (Unreal) Shadow Puppet Stage System and Mechanics
Hugo Sanchez - Virtual Asset importing and document. (F2024?)
Juliann Campbell - Documentary video capture and collation of Spring 2025 CHI activities
Daniel Irala - Documentary Post Production editing of Spring 2025 CHI Activities.

Osakpolor Noyiagbon - Blended Music for Shadow Puppet Theater performance.

Anthony Navarro - Projection and textile testing for SeaChange360. (Fall 2024)
Edward Gonzalez - AI-Driven Media Control for QLab Using Open Sound Control (OSC)

Emerging Scholar

Ben Watson (MET) - Dynamic Physical Dragon Puppet development: control and fabrication.
Shafique Kahn - AI-Influenced Swarming Algorithms for Autonomous Vehicles in Blended Performance Environments
Demitri Cameron [email protected] Building blended music between Chinese and Wave.
Kristian Rice (MET) - Automation of Javanese Shadow Puppets using Machine Control
Yinson Tso - Automation of Javanese Shadow Puppets using Machine Control
Mukhammadali Yuldoshev - Automation of Javanese Shadow Puppets using Machine Control
Sean Chan [email protected] Immersive sound for Blended Shadow Puppet performance

Culmination Project

Anthony Navarro - AV Technologist and Designer for Blended Shadow Puppet Theatre.

Independent Studies

Kevin Pintado - Website creation and migration CHIIDS.
Reginald Fairly - Interactive physical toy

Federal Work Study

Kazi Islam - CST - Integrating personalized LLM's within BBS
Kazi Tasin - CST - Integrating personalized LLM's within BBS
Naureen Asha - CST - Integrating personalized LLM's within BBS

Elizabeth Frias - Quantum Music Project

Voluntary Participation

Tshari Yancey - BSP Narrative creation and physical puppet creation
Saliou Dunn 23909618 - Data Science Club, freshman - Meeting March 15
Sunima Dangol - Data Science student from Caldwell University