Advances in Computing

Chapter 13

Multimedia, Artificial Intelligence, and Intelligent Agents

© The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000

Ch 13 FAQ © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000 2 CCI

Entertainment and Games

• I’ve installed my games, but my multimedia system seems so slow. Besides buying a new machine, what can I do?

• Games are very CPU-intensive and memory- intensive. First male sure that you comply with specifications on the package

• Some systems can take a CPU upgrade• Most systems need more memory for

multimedia games• In both cases, make sure that your

motherboard is specified for the proposed upgrade

Ch 13 FAQ © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000 3 CCI

Creating Multimedia

• Three items can make marked difference in the quality produced on a PC– 1) higher-quality recorder,

camera, and/or video cam– 2) higher-quality

microphone– 3) higher-quality cables

Ch 13 FAQ © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000 4 CCI

Content Database

• The number-one mistake communications beginners make in multimedia production– not labeling versions

before the tape or disk is accepted

Ch 13 FAQ © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000 5 CCI

Sound

• Proper sound levels are critical in determining whether the sound is a distraction or an addition to the production

• Music intonation should be complementary to the scene

Ch 13 FAQ © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000 6 CCI

Animation• Multimedia beginners want

more and more animation• Too much animation is a

distraction from the production theme

• Animations should be added only to enhance, not dominate, a normal production

Ch 13 FAQ © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000 7 CCI

Multimedia Presentation Software

• After initial training in multimedia software presentation, one technique for improvement is to try three functions a day, keeping a log of each functions’ utility

• Most such software has additional add-ins, which can be tried for a trial period

• The best policy is to have a “test” PC separate from the rest, and to plan several unhurried days a month for trying new combinations

Ch 13 FAQ © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000 8 CCI

Artificial Intelligence

• AI– could be the next major wave of computers

affecting major portions of daily modern life– robotics, natural language processing, fuzzy

logic, expert systems, neural network, virtual reality -- all -- have the ability to assist tremendously in training and daily tasks

– the other news is that AI will never be a substitute for learning and understanding any major area of knowledge

Ch 13 FAQ © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000 9 CCI

Robotics and Perception Systems

• While robotics clubs have been around universities for a decade, the vastly increasing power of CPU, memory, and system buses have only now facilitated by major changes in robot functionality and capability

• Robotics clubs are producing systems that industry is interested in

Ch 13 FAQ © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000 10 CCI

Expert Systems• ES and EIS, Executive

Information System, have a better informed executive

• The paper and automobile industries use them

Ch 13 FAQ © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000 11 CCI

Neural Networks

• One of the biggest breakthrough in neutral networks was the understanding that human neural networks are, in fact, an amalgamation of both analog and digital computer complexities, not simply digital