Professor AN Pengcheng from SUSTech School of Design received Youth Program in Art from The National Social Science Fund of China

Today, the 2022 National Social Science Fund of China Projects in Arts were announced. AN Pengcheng, assistant professor at SUSTech School of Design was approved for the youth program in arts, his project was named Research on Interactive Design of Artificial Intelligence ‘Collaborative Painting’ to Empower Art Therapy for Children with Autism. This is also the first National Social Science Fund of China received by SUSTech School of Design. 

The approved project proposed the application of artificial intelligence ‘collaborative painting’ to help children with autism to participate in art therapy, thereby lowering the threshold to create, enhancing the fun and interactivity of art therapy, aiming to explore the application innovation of artificial intelligence in caring for vulnerable groups that few people have paid attention to, and enrich the humanistic value and social utility of artificial intelligence from the perspective of design research. Professor AN mentioned that art therapy, as an effective means of rehabilitation intervention for children with autism, shows the unique value of art in special education and care for the disadvantaged. There is a certain threshold to paint for children with autism, so it is necessary to design interactive assistance. How to redefine the interaction and experience of AI collaborative painting for this group of people through a user-centered perspective and inclusive design method is a very meaningful design research problem. 

The main research team members include Professor ZHAO Jian, an expert in machine learning and visualization at the University of Waterloo, Dr. YANG Jinchen, a senior neuroscientist at Zhejiang BrainCo, YANG Zhaoyi, design team leader and multiple Red Dot Design Award winner, and Professor QIU Shi, an expert in inclusive design from Shanghai Jiaotong University. The composition of the team fully reflects the advantages in disciplines and scientific research characteristics of SUSTech School of Design, focusing on interdisciplinary, international collaboration, and the combination of industry, academic and research. 

The 2022 National Social Science Fund of China Projects in Arts aims to give full play to the demonstration and guiding role of the National Social Science Fund of China, accelerate the development of an academic system in arts with Chinese characteristics, promote the integrated development of culture and tourism, serve the overall situation of the party and the country, and serve the prosperity and development of philosophy and social sciences.