Recently I have been working on a research project that combines my passion for creating new fantasy worlds with one of my areas of interest in research: Artificial Intelligence (AI).
I started learning about, and experimenting with, a method for computers to automatically draw textured images when provided only with a colour-coded design.
For example, in the case of maps, the user applies a simple palette of colours to draw where each feature should go in the final image - such as types of terrain (grassy, rocky, road), water bodies (rivers, lakes, sea), building with different shapes and materials, trees, etc.
An AI is trained in recognising what these palette colours stand for, using actual hand drawn images from several artists who produce maps for tabletop fantasy roleplaying games. After training, the AI can then take images that use this palette and convert them into fully coloured maps in an artistic style roughly similar to those it was trained on, as can be seen below.