A Neural Network Using the Game Engine

Published by Bart on April 15th, 2008 in Art, Games

Here's one we haven't seen before: Brandon Marvenko uses Blender's game engine as a development environment for artificial neural networks.

Brandon writes:

Some time ago I used Blender's game engine to create a nice program that recognizes hand written characters using an artificial neural network. I chose the game engine for two reasons. 1) the rapid development that comes with using python, and 2) the rapid development that comes with using the game engine. Time was the issue then, and my decision to use blender certainly paid off. Here is a video of it in action.

It can adapt to anyones handwriting because you can teach it. Here is an example of that.

Im proud of this project because it really shows that the game engine is good for more than games.

This is definitely not a dead project. I recently picked it back up and am rewriting it from scratch. I will most likely be releasing it by next summer.

Very odd and interesting. Next up: Blender to count the votes for the next Dutch elections!

Related posts are selected automatically based on their content.

18 Responses to “A Neural Network Using the Game Engine”

Feed for this Entry Trackback Address

1 Tynach Apr 15th, 2008 at 6:31 am

WOW…

I remember the post about someone using the game engine to make a game that was controlled with his brain.

Both of those examples show the power of Blender!
2 Dread Knight Apr 15th, 2008 at 6:39 am

What's next? Advanced image editor as viewport? xD i really wish
3 LoMac Apr 15th, 2008 at 7:23 am

2:14 am EDT April 14, 2008 Blender became self aware.
4 Eggbox Apr 15th, 2008 at 7:58 am

Great work! I like the arrows for using upercase, lowercase, space…
5 Apollos Apr 15th, 2008 at 8:38 am

LOL LoMac! :o
6 Tony Apr 15th, 2008 at 8:55 am

Ah, thanks for this! I saw this I think on BlenderArtists or on YouTube ages ago and I had been wondering whatever happened to this project. I couldn't even actually remember what it was. This is a really cool use of the game engine.
7 Serge Gielkens Apr 15th, 2008 at 10:40 am

I can imagine what the new instructions of papers to be filled in by hand (e.g. examinations) will look like in the near future: "Clear writing is not necessary anymore. Our newest character recognition application can handle scrawled writing and spelling mistakes, translates in real time and autocompletes whole books." It is Blender, with capital B ;-)
8 aws357 Apr 15th, 2008 at 10:48 am

It's not odd at all.

A lot of Blender users don't realize the big potential of Blender in labs.

Because it's free (labs are poor in europe duh).
It's stable (most of the time).
It interfaces very well with python and the numerous scientific libraries that comes with it.

I am pretty sure a lot of labs use blender but don't mention it because it makes "not serious", but I am sure that given some times, Blender will become very popular.

A tool is a tool.

I use it myself to avoid having to write OpenGL vizualisation code.

"never reinvent the wheel". Especially if someone invented one that works. (I'm not ashamed to say my own wheel would be ellipsoidal)
9 randomnut Apr 15th, 2008 at 12:35 pm

I <3 Neural Networks
I <3 Blender
I <3 Games
And this post describes all of them working together.
THANKS!!!
10 ByronK Apr 15th, 2008 at 1:48 pm

I was just wondering if this was possible a few weeks ago, as I was starting to play around with the game engine. Wow, it is! Some days my old brain seems to be needing some help. Maybe Blender will eventually suppliment what my own brain is lacking.
11 roofoo Apr 15th, 2008 at 2:49 pm

Oh wow, Blender becomes SkyNet! Just like Blender development, Skynet will become unstoppable!
12 blendmaster Apr 15th, 2008 at 4:34 pm

wow, this is cool

i wish there was the blend file avaialbe, id love to see the setup and learn from this

this is amazing

go Brandon Marvenko!
13 ArtIsLight Apr 15th, 2008 at 4:40 pm

Crazy. But neat. Keep going. ;) BTW, what will this be useful for in actual animation, etc.? Or is Blender just a tool for making possible this other operation: handwriting recognition?
14 ArtIsLight Apr 15th, 2008 at 4:40 pm

I mean, is it going to be useful, or just neat for those who want their handwriting read into a computer?
15 pyrosever Apr 15th, 2008 at 5:08 pm

That is extremely cool
16 NathanKP Apr 15th, 2008 at 6:13 pm

Wow, that is really neat. I've read about neural network programming and have tried it, with no spectacular results. Interesting to hear that Blender can be used for this.

NathanKP - Inkweaver Review
17 rolandixor Apr 15th, 2008 at 10:32 pm

Now all we need is the gimp and inkscape to be integrated with the new GTK+/Compiz Fusion version of blender (lol, what a wishlist…)

Question, how much is really planned for the GE?
I don't really think it should be removed/replaced… anyone know?
18 3DGURU Apr 18th, 2008 at 6:01 pm

excellent , wished that there's a blend too :) .