UROP Research Mentor Project Submission Portal: Submission #1340

Submission information
Submission Number: 1340
Submission ID: 21296
Submission UUID: 462bcf01-bfc8-4367-80eb-2582e2c931ca

Created: Fri, 08/22/2025 - 11:03 PM
Completed: Fri, 08/22/2025 - 11:22 PM
Changed: Mon, 08/25/2025 - 10:59 AM

Remote IP address: 73.118.24.243
Submitted by: Anonymous
Language: English

Is draft: No
Primary Research Mentor Name Marcos Müller Vasconcelos
Research Mentor Preferred Pronouns
When potential research assistants are reaching out via email, what is your preferred honorific?
Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated) m.vasconcelos@fsu.edu
Position Title Faculty
FSU College (if applicable) FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
FSU Department or Non-FSU Organization Affiliation Electrical and Computer Engineering
Headshot (optional) IMG_2726_jpg.jpg
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from above)
Research Assistant Supervisor Preferred Pronouns
Research Assistant Supervisor Preferred Honorific?
Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated)
Name of Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) (if applicable)
Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) Preferred Pronouns
Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) Preferred Honorific?
Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated)
Title of the Project Building a Massive Open Online Coordination Game for Human–Machine Teaming Research
Project Keywords Human-AI teaming, Game Theory, Massive Multiplayer Online (MMO) platform
Are you currently looking for research assistants? Yes
Number of Research Assistants Needed 4
Relevant Research Assistant Major(s) Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering
Project Location: FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
If the project location is off campus, does the research assistant(s) need to provide their own transportation? Yes
Please select the choice that most accurately describes your expectations for the research assistant(s): In-person
Approximately how many hours a week would the research assistant(s) need to work? 10 hours/week
Roughly what time frame do you expect research assistant(s) to work? Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Overall Research Project Description Network coordination games provide powerful insights into strategic behavior. However, such results are often derived in highly idealized settings, making them difficult to validate in real-world contexts. This project will develop a massive open online network coordination game platform in which human players and artificial agents (including bots powered by algorithms and large language models) interact, form teams, and compete against rival groups. By creating this experimental environment, we will test the predictions of theoretical models and uncover how boundedly rational human agents coordinate anonymously alongside machines.

Objectives:

1. Engage students in research by designing and developing a multiplayer online game platform that blends entertainment with rigorous experimental design.

2. Observe and measure emergent teaming behaviors when humans with limited rationality interact in networked coordination settings.

3. Collect and analyze experimental data to inform theories of autonomous teaming and support ongoing research in multi-agent systems.
Research Tasks Task 1: Game design and platform development: Students will contribute to front-end and back-end coding, user interface design, and server management to ensure a scalable and engaging online environment.

Task 2: Bot and agent integration: Simple bots, advanced AI models, and potentially large language models will be embedded in the platform to serve as teammates or opponents, enabling diverse experimental conditions.

Task 3: Experimentation and data collection: Controlled experiments will be run with groups of players, both human and hybrid (human + bot), to track decision-making, coordination efficiency, and team performance.

Task 4: Analysis: Data will be analyzed statistically to identify emergent patterns of cooperation, conflict, and efficiency in team formation.
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: 0. Enthusiasm and passion for gaming (required)

1. Software Development & Systems (recommended)
Basic programming experience (Python, JavaScript, or similar)
Web development (HTML, CSS, JavaScript)
Backend/server programming
Database management (SQL or NoSQL systems)

2. Game Development (recommended)
Familiarity with game engines
Experience designing multiplayer systems or network protocols

3. Artificial Intelligence & Bots (recommended)
Understanding of basic machine learning or reinforcement learning
Interest in agent-based modeling and integrating bots into interactive environments
Familiarity with large language models (LLMs) and APIs

4. Data Analysis & Experimentation (recommended)
Skills in data collection, cleaning, and analysis (Python, R, MATLAB)
Understanding of statistics and experimental design
Mentoring Philosophy Our mentoring philosophy centers on empowering students to gain confidence in their ideas and nurturing their creativity. At the MINDS lab, we embrace the motto that there is no limit to what the human mind can accomplish and that the world of ideas offers an infinite number of low-hanging fruits. Currently, our lab supports a diverse group of researchers, including five undergraduate students, two PhD students, and one postdoc. We believe that a diverse team, representing a wide spectrum of backgrounds and perspectives, leads to more innovative work, thereby contributing to the broadening of participation of underrepresented groups in the scientific community and society as a whole.
Please provide a link to your publications, a video clip, or a website for your research project (if applicable):
Please add any additional information here (if applicable):
Are you interested in participating in the UROP Research Mentor Roundtable? No
Roundtable times and Zoom links
Mentor Handbook, FAQs, and Communication Yes
UROP Performance Evaluation Yes
Materials Grant Yes
UROP Poster Presentation Yes
Year 2025
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