BNAIC conference in Brussels

for the conference BNAIC (belgisch-nederlands-artificial-intelligence- 
conference) in Brussels i had written a proposal-for-demo which was  
accepted.  there are large numbers of academic papers presented, and  
a smaller number of demos (i believe that it should be the other way  
around!).  the conference was held in some historic academy with  
marble walls and columns, high ceilings, and the walls lined with the  
busts of some serious-looking motherfuckers.

near the end of the first day, the demo room (creaky wooden floor!)  
filled with people and we each took our turn connecting up to the  
projector and demonstrating our stuff.  the other guys represented  
teams of students at universities.

before it started, a guy came in and said that there would be a jury  
of 6 people choosing the best demonstration, and would be giving a  
prize.  i had no idea that anything like that was going to happen.

i built a fluidiom body while it was projecting behind me, and then i  
started the evolution process.  funny thing, though, we each only had  
12 minutes, followed by Q&A, so it was a big surprise to the people  
in the room when they could clearly see the way my critter had  
already learned to hobble about after 10 minutes.

there were lots of interesting questions fired at me by these AI  
academics after my demo, and several people gathered around for  
questions afterwards.   everybody seemed to think that what i did was  
much more complicated than it actually is.  i guess i found the right  
shortcuts.

the following day, at the end of the conference there were the  
prizes, and the important guy with grey hair went on and on about how  
one demo was much better than the others, and then he announced my  
name and called me to the stage to receive the prize.  later on, this  
prof guy asked me for some graphics and told me that the editor of  
their newsletter would be in contact with me.

how cool is THAT?? :)

check out the movies:
http://www.beautifulcode.nl/fluidiom



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