The PhD and beyond

I am now in the final stages of an AHRC funded doctorate study having studied for four years part-time. The PhD title is: An interactive approach to visualising personal space and relations of power in an audio study of bots and software agents advanced through art and design visualisations including maps, models and diagrams.

This summer I embarked on a visit to AI laboratory to begin the next phase of study, working with AI researchers. The research is to bring new evidence to bear on personal space, the distance of proximity between humans and active touch by investigating the interaction of humans and machines. The project focuses on the technology of bots and software agents from the fields of AI and ALife (New AI/Nouveau AI). These technologies can be used to re-interpret the existing politics of social interaction particular with complex systems. A cross-disciplinary framework of actor-network theory, affect theory and queer theory are triangulated to obtain new perspectives on the social relations peculiar to bots and software agents. The research renders the study of personal space a study of power and in doing so, helps to consider the social shaping of complex systems and the relations between groups and individuals mediated through technology. Research focuses on text-to-speech to reveal complexity through mapping and visualisation techniques. This is a combined art and design methodology, modelled on Dunne and Raby's critical design method.

I am interested in meeting with other researchers with or without the doctoral background. I am also interested in publishing my findings so If you'd like to contact me email: windle_amanda@hotmail.com