URL:  http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jr/si/720903/cfp/

It is our pleasure to announce a new call for papers for the third special issue on cognitive and neural aspects of robotics with applications for the Journal of Robotics.  The call for papers on cognitive and neural sciences related to robotic systems was a successful challenge.

Robotics has been widely applied for various fields such as automation and other control and engineering systems.  Recent developments of humanoid and human-like robots are a milestone in the field of robotics, and they can be a platform for breaking new ground of robotics applications for human-friendly medical and welfare systems.  Cognitive and learning aspects for such robots are, however, still underdeveloped compared to highly controlled mechanisms of recent robotic systems.

Like the previous calls for papers of CNAR, the main challenges of this new call for papers for the special issue are cognitive aspects of robotics, especially the neural and fuzzy basis of human intelligence and the fundamental model of human cognitive and motor functions from the brain sciences point of view.  We welcome research papers focused on special and newest hardware and biocomputing implementations that enhance cognitive capabilities in the field of robotics.

We invite authors to submit original research articles as well as review articles that will cross-fertilize the fields of cognitive sciences and robotics.  Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Cognitive aspects of robotics
• Neural network and fuzzy basis for robotic intelligence
• Current applications and future prospects of cognitive sciences for robotics
• Human-robot perceptions and interactions
• Biocomputing for cognitive computation for robotics
• New algorithms of computational intelligence for robotics
• New hardware implementations of cognitive algorithms in robotics
• Robotics for assisting physical and mental disability
• Cognitive algorithms in robotics to support biomedical applications

Before submission authors should carefully read over the journal’s author guidelines, which are located at http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jr/guidelines/

Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal manuscript tracking system at http://mts.hindawi.com/ according to the following timetable:

Important Dates:

Manuscript Due — July 20, 2012
First Round of Reviews — October 12, 2012
Publication Date — December 7, 2012

Lead Guest Editor:

• Madan M. Gupta, FIEEE, FIFSA, FSPIE, Intelligent Systems Research Laboratory, College of Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada S7N 5A9

Guest Editors:

• Noriyasu Homma, Research Division on Advanced Information Technology, Cyberscience Center, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8579, Japan
• Zeng-Guang Hou, Laboratory of Complex Systems and Intelligence Science, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, China
• Ivo Bukovsky, Division of Automatic Control and Engineering Informatics, Department of Instrumentation and Control Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, 166 07 Prague 6, Czech Republic
• Ashu M. G. Solo, FBCS, Solo Research Lab, Maverick Technologies America Inc., Suite 808, 1220 North Market Street, Wilmington, DE 19801, U.S.A.
• Ki-Young Song, Intelligent Systems Research Laboratory, College of Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada S7N 5A9

Cocorobo intelligent vacuum cleaner robot communicates with its owner

8 May 2012

Sharp has developed a vacuum cleaning robot called Cocorobo, which uses the Cocoro Engine artificial intelligence capability. This product is the first in a planned series of robot appliances which can communicate with people.

Cocorobo features a speech recognition engine developed by Raytron, so it can be controlled by voice, as well as using its buttons or the remote control. It has also been given the ability to say simple greetings, with the idea being that a vacuum cleaner can communicate like a pet robot.

“For example, if you use Cocorobo every day, or speak to it every day, it gets in a good mood. Depending on how it feels, its words and movements vary a lot, so you can gain a feeling of closeness with it. Regarding Cocorobo’s learning capability, we’re planning upgrades that will make it evolve rapidly.”

Cocorobo also has a 1.3-megapixel camera, an LED light, and wireless LAN connectivity. This enables the user to check the state of a room remotely, with apps available for both Android and iOS.

“By connecting to it over the internet with your smartphone, you can use the observation capabilities. Cocorobo moves 50 cm away from its charging stand, and then takes four photos at 90 degree intervals, covering 360 degrees. You can check these with your smartphone. You can also use the smartphone like a radio controller, to move Cocorobo forward or rotate it while watching the streaming video. If you set Cocorobo to automatic, you can also keep watching it move.”

As a vacuum cleaner, Cocorobo has a Power Vacuum System developed by Sharp. This sweeps up dirt with side brushes, catches it with a rotating brush, and sucks it in with a turbo fan running at 14,000 rpm. In this way, Cocorobo catches minute particles of dirt trapped in flooring. This makes it especially suited to Japanese living environments, where flooring is very common.

“Cocorobo now avoids obstacles by using ultrasound sensors, in an echolocation system. There are three sensors, on the front and 45 degrees to either side. With infrared sensors, transparent glass and black furniture can’t be recognized, so Cocorobo would bump into them. But with ultrasound sensors, it recognizes those items from the reflected sound waves, so it isn’t prone to bumping into things.”

Cocorobo uses iron phosphate lithium batteries, which don’t tend to suffer from memory effects. This gives it a battery life of about three years or 1,200 charges.

Cocorobo is to be released in early June. The full featured version, the RX-V100, will be priced around US$1,600 (130,000 yen), and the basic version without a camera, the RX-V80, will be around US$1,100 (90,000 yen).

“We’d like robot appliances based on Cocoro Engine to become widespread. This robot vacuum cleaner is one aspect of that, and we’re considering new developments for products in the second and third phases.”

Deadline for full papers approaching: June 2
(Installations proposals and short papers submission: June 9)

Artech 2012 is the Sixth International Conference on Digital Arts, this time held at the University of Algarve in the South of Portugal. It aims to create a forum for the emerging digital arts bringing together the scientific, technological and artistic community. The goal is to promote the interest in the digital culture and its intersection with art and technology as an important research field, but also as a common space for discussion and exchange of new experiences. Seeking to foster greater understanding about digital arts and culture across a wide spectrum of cultural, disciplinary, and professional practices, this edition of the conference also includes a strand concerned with e-learning related to art and media studies. To this end, we cordially invite scholars, teachers, researchers, artists, computer professionals, and others who are working within the broadly defined areas of digital arts, culture and education to join us.

Main Topics

Authors are invited to submit papers from all areas related to digital art, multimedia and emerging media, for review by an international committee. Both research and applications papers are of relevance to Artech 2012.

Topics of interest include (but are not limited to):

• Art and Science Theory
• Audio-Visual and Multimedia Design
• Creativity Theory
• Design and Visualization
• Digital Storytelling
• Digital Technologies and Making
• e-Learning in Art and Media Studies
• Electronic Music
• Generative and Algorithmic Art & Design
• Immersive Art
• Interactive Systems for Artistic Applications
• Media Art History
• Mobile Multimedia
• Web Art and Digital Culture
• New Experiences with Digital Media and Applications
• Parametric Design
• Tangible and Gesture Interfaces
• Technology in Art Education
• Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality
• 3D Environments

Calendar

Full paper submission: June 2, 2012
Installations proposals and short papers submission: June 9, 2012
Full and short papers notice of acceptance: July 21, 2012
Installations proposal notice of acceptance: July 25, 2012
Submission full paper final version: September 15, 2012
Early registration deadline: September 30, 2012
Pre-conference workshops: November 7, 2012
Conference: November 8-9, 2012

Submissions

Artech 2012 has the format of a conference with technical sessions, invited talks, discussion panels, and exhibition area for installations. Contributions can be in the form of full papers, short papers and proposals for posters and art installations. Authors are invited to submit:

• A full paper of six to ten pages for oral presentation
• A short paper up to four pages for presentation or art installations proposals

Submission link: https://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=artech2012
(first register with EasyChair to proceed with submission)

Submissions are accepted in the conference official languages: English, Portuguese, Galician and Castilian. In addition to the text, each paper must include a separate cover page containing:

• Name, organization, mailing and e-mail addresses of each author
• Name of the contact author
• A maximum of five keywords

All papers should be in A4 format and should be formatted in accordance with the norms and guidelines in the ARTECH model available online:
http://ise.ualg.pt/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=1257&Itemid=287

Photos or color pictures must be inserted only in two pages (full paper) or one page (short paper).

The Submission of a paper implies the intention of at least one of the authors to register and attend to the conference in order to perform a spoken presentation. Papers that are accepted and presented at the symposium by one of the authors will appear in the conference proceedings.

All papers accepted for presentation will be published in a duly registered book (ISBN) and a selection of the best papers will be proposed for publication in an appropriate scientific journal.

International Scientific and Art Committee

Teresa Chambel, University of Lisbon, President (PT)
MÌrian Tavares, University of Algarve, Vice-president (PT)
Alberto Ariza, University of Vigo, Vice-president (ES)
Gavin Perin, University of Technology Sidney, Vice-president (AU)

Members:

Adérito Marcos, Univ. Aberta (PT)
Alexandre Barata, Univ. Algarve (PT)
Álvaro Barbosa, EA-UCP (PT)
Ana Paula Cláudio, Univ. of Lisbon (PT)
Ana Soler Baena, Univ. Pontevedra (ES)
António Sousa Dias, CICM Paris 8 (FR)
Beatriz Carmo, Univ. of Lisbon (PT)
Bert Bongers, Univ. of Technology Sidney (AU)
Bruno Silva, Univ. Algarve (PT)
Carlos Guedes, FE, Univ. Porto (PT)
Christa Sommerer, KU-Linz (AT)
Daniel Tércio, FMH-UTL (PT)
Dave Pigram, Univ. of Technology Sidney (AU)
David Darts, New York Univ. (USA)
Elizabeth Carvalho, Univ. Atlântica (PT)
Gilbertto Prado, Univ. of S. Paulo (BR)
Heitor Alvelos, FBA-UP (PT)
Henrique Silva, Escola Superior Gallaecia (PT)
Ian Oakley, Univ. Madeira (PT)
Ido Iurgel, CCG (PT)
Isabel Soveral, Univ. Aveiro (PT)
James Faure-Walker, Univ. of Arts Camberwell (UK)
Jon McCormack, Univ. Monash (AU)
José Coelho, Univ. Aberta (PT)
José Pinto Duarte, FAUTL (PT)
Karla Schuch Brunet, UFBA (BR)
Laura Baigorri, FBA-UB (ES)
Leonel Valbom, ESGalllaecia (PT)
Lucia Santaella Braga, PUC-SP (BR)
Marc Cavazza, SC-TU (UK)
Marcelo Wanderley, Univ. McGill (CA)
Marcos Dopico Castro, Univ. of Vigo (ES)
Né Barros, Balleteatro, Grupo Aesthetics, Politics & Arts /IF/ULP (PT)
Nelson Zagalo, ICS-UM (PT)
Nuno Correia, DI-FCT-UNL (PT)
Patrícia Gouveia, ULHT (PT)
Paulo Bernardino Bastos, DCA-UA (PT)
Paulo Ferreira Lopes, EA-UCP (PT)
Paulo Urbano, Univ. of Lisbon (PT)
Pavel Sedlák, CIANT (CZ)
Pedro Branco, DSI-UM (PT)
Pedro Faria Lopes, ISCTE (PT)
Penousal Machado, DEI-UC (PT)
Perla Innocenti, HATII-U.Glasgow, (UK)
Peter Gouzouasis, Univ. of British Columbia (CA)
Robert W. Sweeny, Indiana Univ. of Pennsylvania (USA)
Rosangella Leote, SCIArts- PUC-SP (BR)
Sandra Pauleto, Univ. York (UK)
Sol Alonso Romera, Univ. Vigo (ES)
Sudhir Mudur, Concordia Univ. (CA)
Teresa Eça, Univ. Évora (PT)
Valentina Nisi, Univ. Madeira (PT)
Verónica Orvalho, FC, Univ. Porto (PT)
Vicente Gosciola, Univ. Anehmbi Morumbi (BR)
Vitor Cardoso, Univ. Aberta (PT)
Vitor-Reia Baptista, Univ. Algarve (PT)

Artech Steering Committee

Adérito Marcos, DCeT-UAberta (PT), Chairman
Álvaro Barbosa, EA-UCP (PT)
Christa Sommerer, K.U. Linz (AT)
Henrique Silva, Bienal de Cerveira (PT)
Leonel Valbom, ESGalllaecia (PT)
Lola Dopico, FBA-UVigo (ES)
Nuno Correia, DIFCT-UNL (PT)
Seamus Ross, Univ. Toronto (CA)

Local Organization:

José Bidarra, Chairman, Univ. Algarve (PT)
Mauro Figueiredo, Co-chairman, Univ. Algarve (PT)

Other members:

Bruno Silva, Univ. Algarve (PT)
Carla Vilhena, Univ. Algarve (PT)
Fernando Amaro, Univ. Algarve (PT)
Francisco Gil, Univ. Algarve (PT)
João Rodrigues, Univ. Algarve (PT)
José Rodrigues, Univ. Algarve (PT)
Roberto Lam, Univ. Algarve (PT)
Sandra Valadas, Univ. Algarve (PT)
Tiago Batista, Univ. Algarve (PT)

Secretariat:

artech2012@ualg.pt
Marlene Fernandes, Univ. Algarve (PT)
Sandra Boto, Univ. Algarve (PT)
Julieta Rosa, Univ. Algarve (PT)
Isa Mestre, Univ. Algarve (PT)

LINKS

website: http://ise.ualg.pt/artech2012

e-mail: artech2012@ualg.pt

Facebook: http://facebook.com/artech2012

Twitter:  twitter.com/artech2012

Venue: https://www.ualg.pt/index.php?option=com_google_maps&Itemid=2311&lang=pt

Make Any Web Page 3-D With 3-D It!

Developer Edan Kwan created a program that, when bookmarked, uses CSS to convert any website to glorious 3-D. Glasses optional.

By Joe Berkowitz
May 9, 2012

It started as a fun little experiment, in three dimensions.

Edan Kwan, a developer at New York-based digital agency, Firstborn, had the thought that others might share his fascination with what websites would look like with a 3-D makeover. Lo and behold, pretty soon he’d created a program that uses CSS to do just that, turning 3-D into a verb in the process.

Users can simply drag the script to their bookmark bar and use it to click and transform any typically flat site into one that gives the illusion of containing a Z-axis.

The idea of 3-D it! was inspired by an old tech development and movie industry saying, If you can’t make it good, make it 3-D. Kwan didn’t initially intend to do much with his creation, though. “I sent the script to the Firstborn internal developer team as a joke,” he says. “After that, my colleague suggested I create a lab page where people could access it and have a little fun of their own. I spent some time creating a lab page and put it up online and within weeks it started getting some buzz and the daily site visits went from below 100 to around 12,000.”

The easy usability is partly responsible for the popularity of the bookmarklet, which spread beyond the typical audience of programmers after some initial tweets, and went on to hit everyday Internet dwellers who wanted to view their favorite sites in 3-D.

As easy it is to use, though, putting it together wasn’t so simple. “The most difficult part of creating the effect was figuring out a way to make the 3-D look good universally, since you can apply the bookmarklet to all kinds of HTML sites,” says Kwan. “Using some simple logic, I found a way to separate the different elements on the page into different layers. To make sure it looks best, the layers could not be too close or too far apart.

Assistant Professor (full-time, tenure-track) in Philosophy of Technology
with a (future) emphasis on philosophical anthropology and human-technology relations

The department of philosophy is internationally leading in the philosophy and ethics of technology. It currently includes seven tenured staff members, one postdoc, seven PhD students, and five part-time faculty. We strive to combine academic excellence with societal relevance. We have a strong international orientation and include members from many different nationalities. The department is currently expanding with two tenure-track positions, one in Applied Ethics and/or Political Philosophy, and one in the currently advertised area.

THE CHALLENGE

You teach courses in philosophical anthropology and human-technology relations in the (English-language) master program in Philosophy of Science, Technology and Society (PSTS). You also teach courses in this field, and in other areas of philosophy, for bachelor and master programs in engineering and social sciences. Moreover, you are involved in the supervision of master’s theses in the PSTS program and in the supervision of PhD students.

You perform research in the philosophy of human-technology relations. Your research preferably focuses on one or more of the following areas:  philosophical anthropology; philosophy and ethics of human enhancement; philosophy of mind, cognition, body and technology; philosophy and ethics of design; aesthetics and technology; philosophy of religion and technology; philosophy of medicine and technology. However, other specializations will be seriously considered as well.

Your research will be embedded in the department’s research program and in one of the University of Twente’s research institutes. Moreover, your work will be part of the 3TU.Center of Excellence for Ethics and Technology (www.ethicsandtechnology.eu; a joint center of the departments of philosophy of the University of Twente, Delft University of Technology and Eindhoven University of Technology) and/or the Netherlands Graduate School of Science, Technology, and Modern Culture (www.wtmc.net).

As part of your research activities, you are also expected to apply for external funding and to engage in international and interdisciplinary collaboration.

OFFER

You are appointed as assistant professor (full-time).  A Tenure Track contract enables you to direct your own career based on fixed performance agreements, in relation to which promotion from UD (assistant professor) to UHD (associate professor) and subsequently to full professor is possible. A definitive assessment will take place no later than five years after commencement of the employment, following which employment for an indefinite period and promotion to associate professor may be agreed upon.

Salary is competitive (initial assistant professor salary is € 44,590 – € 69,360 per year, depending on experience).  Starting date is January 2013 (negotiable).  The University of Twente has excellent terms of employment.

YOUR PROFILE

You hold a Ph.D. in philosophy, preferably with a specialization in philosophical anthropology or a related subfield in philosophy.  You have either had a focus on technology in your past research or you have a demonstrable interest in focusing on technology for your future research. You already have an excellent list of publications in peer-refereed journals, and have relevant international experience.

You have ample experience in teaching at university level, preferably including students in science & engineering, social science, or other non-philosophical fields. You have demonstrable didactic skills, good teaching evaluations, and a passion for education. You are able and willing to teach in areas of philosophy outside your philosophical specialization, and to collaborate with researchers and teachers from nonphilosophical disciplines.

You have an excellent command of the English language.  All master programs and many bachelor programs at the University of Twente are taught in English, and English is the official language at departmental meetings.  If you do not master Dutch, we require you to eventually learn Dutch as a second language.  You are prepared to move to the Netherlands, to the region near the University of Twente.

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY AND REGION

The University of Twente (UT) is a research university with a strong international orientation and a focus on science & engineering and social and behavioral sciences.   It includes more than 3,300 faculty and staff and 9,000 students.  Its motto “high tech, human touch” expresses the aim of combining research in engineering with social and behavioral sciences.  The UT is a campus university, located in the city of Enschede, in the east of the Netherlands.  Enschede is a lively city of 150,000, located in beautiful countryside and near spectacular nature areas.  It is only two hours away from major European cities like Amsterdam, Cologne and Düsseldorf, three hours from Brussels and less than six hours from Berlin, Paris and London.

INFORMATION AND APPLICATION

For more information, please contact prof. dr. ir. Peter-Paul Verbeek (e-mail p.p.c.c.verbeek [at] utwente.nl; phone +31 53 489 4460).

Your application should include a CV, a letter of application (including a summary of your teaching evaluations), a summary and table of contents of your dissertation (or your full dissertation), a writing sample, and contact information for 3 or more references and should be sent before September 24.  Applications should be uploaded via www.utwente.nl/vacatures/en.

Beyond Smart TV: ‘Surfaces’ Prototype Reveals the Television of Tomorrow

By Christina Bonnington
May 8, 2012

We’ve seen the future of television, and we want it now.

NDS, a company that develops DRM security and DVR technology for pay-TV providers like Cox and DirecTV, has developed a proof-of-concept called Surfaces that shows how television could become the center of a much more compelling, immersive living room experience.

The prototype jettisons the single, static screen that’s been a hardware mainstay since the golden age of television. In its place is a slick, highly customized room-sized desktop that hosts not only a traditional widescreen TV image, but also windows for a plethora of digital accoutrements.

It could be exactly what the TV industry needs to stay relevant.

“In a few years’ time, you’ll be able to buy a TV that covers an entire wall, acting like wallpaper,” NDS chief marketing officer Nigel Smith told Wired. In this way, the TV could take the form of a gigantic canvas, providing layers of additional information, as well as different levels of immersion.

Because wall-sized TVs are hard to come by, NDS created a $30,000 setup comprised of six LCDs arranged in a rectangular array. The onscreen system is coded in HTML5 and runs on Chrome. A second screen experience, also coded in HTML5, provides remote control functionality in the browser of an iPad.

At first glance, the system is almost overwhelming. For the NDS demo, you walk into a room to find a large display seamlessly integrated with the wall. When it’s not in use, the image on the display matches the design of the surrounding wall. (In a real-life implementation, this would appear in a low-power state reminiscent of e-ink.) Turn on the TV, and you can control not only what you’re watching, but also the precise size and location of your main video window, as well as other information streams that appear on the wall.

“Living rooms are used in variety of different ways,” NDS chief technical officer Nick Thexton said. “Sometimes you want a very immersive thing, sometimes you don’t.” To this end, NDS showed off various Surfaces scenarios that define how we may use television in the future.

First up was a breakfast time scenario. You’re watching the local news, but you don’t want to see your newscaster’s face blown up to 4K resolution, taking up the whole wall. Instead, you minimize the size of the video display to a comfortable size.

Localized traffic and weather maps can appear onscreen below the newscast. To the sides of the video window, you can display live-updating headlines from national news sources, or your own personal schedule for the day.

Pre-sets can personalize the experience for each member of your family, or for the entire family as a whole. You can select whose information profile to display, adjust video size and positioning, and perform normal remote control function using the NDS app on a mobile device. The app is well-designed and straightforward to use, and puts all the controls you need on a regular basis right at your fingertips.

We also demoed a primetime scenario. You’re watching your favorite sitcom or reality show — NDS used The X Factor as an example — and various contextual data streams appears around your video window. A live Twitter stream displays tweets about the show in progress. Another widget shows advertisements for clothing featured on the show. And a third widget provides extra information about the show’s contestants.

The system uses contextual metadata, like Twitter hashtags, to deliver content that complements the programming that’s playing.

If it all sounds like one big, simple desktop, think again. The background of the display, which normally matches the room’s wallpaper, can be skinned in real time to match the visual branding of the show that’s being played.

If you’d rather be more hands-off with your viewing experience, you can use default experiences set by the content providers. In the case of The X Factor, a talent competition, you can sit back while Surfaces blows up the video window to full-screen, turns up the volume, and dims the lights when a high-intensity performance is about to begin. And, yes, the iPad app that controls the Surfaces prototype can control your room lighting, too. During other portions of the program, other visual arrangements will self-adjust.

To finish off its scenario demos, NDS showed how Surfaces could be used to get the most from 4K video displays — displays with horizontal resolutions in excess of 4,000 pixels. Currently, 4K seems a bit ludicrous, even on a 90-inch display. But when you’re displaying full-screen video on an entire wall, those extra pixels definitely prove useful.

So it’s the TV of the future, but just how long will we have to wait before Surfaces (or something like it) becomes reality? The NDS team told us the technology is probably about five years away. There are a couple of barriers to market.

First off, wall-sized, non-projector displays are currently cost-prohibitive — and that’s with stitched-together LCD arrays like NDS used in its demo. The real hurdle, however, will involve getting more 4K-native content into our homes.

None of the major TV networks or movie studios has announced a full-tilt shift to 4K content development, but there’s nonetheless movement toward that goal: The H265 high-efficiency video encoding format is set to be standardized in the coming months, so over-the-top content providers will eventually be able to deliver it at a reasonable bandwidth, and not too exorbitant price. (The 4K video in the NDS demo was stored locally, by the way.)

The NDS Surfaces prototype shows a promising, immersive experience that could transform what we know as “television” into something truly worthy of the digital age. We wait with bated breath.

HAID 2012 – The Seventh International Workshop on Haptic and Audio Interaction Design (HAID)
August 23-24 2012 in Lund, Sweden

The combination of haptic and audio for interaction design is a challenging research area, and we invite researchers and practitioners interested in these non-visual modalities to come to HAID to exchange designs and research findings. This year’s HAID has a particular (but not exclusive) focus on the mobile setting – while on the move the haptic and audio combination has great (but sadly under-exploited) potential. More non-visual interaction designs will make applications and devices easier to user for everyone. We invite contributions on the appropriate use of haptics and audio in interaction design: how do we design effectively for mobile interaction? How can we design effective haptic, audio and multimodal interfaces? In what new application areas can we apply these techniques? Are there design methods that are useful? Or evaluation techniques that are particularly appropriate? We also welcome artistic exhibits and commercial design cases for our exhibition.

HAID12 is a direct successor to the successful workshop series inaugurated in Glasgow in 2006, in Seoul in 2007, in Jyväskylä in 2008, Dresden in 2009, Copenhagen 2010 and Kyoto 2011. The aim of HAID12 is to bring together researchers and practitioners who share an interest in finding out how the haptic and audio modalities can be used together in human computer interaction. The research challenges in the area are best approached through user-centred design, empirical studies or the development of novel theoretical frameworks. We invite your papers, posters, demonstrations and exhibits/design cases on these topics, and look forward to seeing you in Lund in August 2012!

Topics

Contributions are welcomed in (but not limited to) the following areas (please note that in all of these areas both theoretical and empirical approaches are encouraged):

• Novel haptic, audio and multimodal interfaces and interactions
• Evaluating multimodal interactions, especially in real contexts
• Design principles for multimodal user-interfaces
• Multimodal visualisations
• Affective roles of haptics and audio in interaction
• Cross-modal interactions
• Auditory and haptic displays for visually impaired people
• Safety critical multimodal applications (monitoring, controlling, alarming)
• Designing haptics and audio for touch screen
• Multimodal gaming and entertainment
• Interaction in physical exercise
• Collaborative multimodal systems
• Mobile multimodal interactions
• Emulation and simulation of real world with audio-haptic design
• Novel systems and interactions using other modalities (e.g. taste, smell)

Submission

Full paper submission is closed. Submission of short papers/posters, demos and design cases: June 10, 2012

More details can be found at http://www.haid.ws

This Sunday Bombay Sapphire Presents the Edible Cinema

Posted on May 11, 2012

Wow! we’ve had Secret Cinema, scratch and sniff cinema, film scores re-imagined by DJs and musicians. But as yet, no-one has truly enhanced a cinematic experience with food… until now! On Sunday 13 May, the Electric Cinema in Portobello Road and Bombay Sapphire Gin are proud to present ‘Edible Cinema’; a collaboration between the team at Soho House, renowned experience organiser Polly Betton, experimental food designer Andrew Stellitano and Bombay Sapphire’s brand ambassador Sam Carter.

The concept is simple: the audience are given a series of numbered ‘packages’ before the start of the film which contain food and Bombay Sapphire specially created tasters. At specific points during the film large placards with corresponding numbers will be shown to the audience instructing them to consume the contents of the packages.

On arrival, guests will also be given a special Bombay Sapphire ‘Bombay Buck’ cocktail inspired by the film. A refreshing long cocktail combining Bombay Sapphire gin, fresh lemon juice and elderflower cordial, topped with ginger ale and garnished with a lemon wedge – the perfect balance between sweetness, sourness, and the effervescenting effect of ginger ale.

This experience is not just about eating; the smell, texture, even the way your mouth feels after eating the contents of the ‘packages’ will correspond to what’s happening onscreen and heighten the viewers sensory experience of the film.

The first film to be re-imagined as edible cinema is Guillermo Del Torro’s Pan’s Labyrinth. Imagine eating pine smoked popcorn while sniffing a pine scented handkerchief as Ofelia and Carmen travel through the Spanish woodland onscreen. Or perhaps when Ofelia eats an enchanted grape you’re also eating the most incredible grape you’ve ever tasted – Andrew has designed a carbonated red grape, but we can’t guarantee it’ll wake up any sleeping monsters!

Edible Cinema starts at 8.30pm on Sun 13 May and is bookable through the Electric Cinema Box Office on 020 7908 9696 / www.electriccinema.co.uk
Tickets are as follows: Front Three Rows – £22.50, Footstool seats – £25 and 2-seater sofas – £55 per sofa (27.50pp) Better hurry, they’re going fast

Exploring Spaces for Learning

Full Details: http://www.fctl.ucf.edu/hetl2013/

The International Higher Education Teaching and Learning Association (http://hetl.org/) cordially invites you to attend the 2013 International HETL Conference to be held at the University of Central Florida, in cooperation with the UCF Karen L. Smith Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning.

In Towards Creative Learning Spaces: Rethinking the Architecture of Post-Compulsory Education (2011), Jos Boys raises intriguing questions about changes in the spaces we use in higher education, pushing educators to think beyond traditional categories of “formal” and “informal” learning sites to imagine more complex relationships between our classrooms and the world beyond them. In the wake of increasing reliance on ever-expanding virtual learning spaces, greater emphasis on experiential learning, and a push toward the global classroom, leaders in higher education must consider their work from a wide range of perspectives.

We invite you to join colleagues from around the world in an exploration of innovative technologies, pedagogical strategies, and international collaborations being used to engage and retain students in the new millennium. Together we will discuss which models and approaches are most promising, how are they being used to engage and retain students, and how we can apply them to advance the scholarship and practice of teaching and learning.

The conference will take place in Orlando, Florida. Home to the Kennedy Space Center, Walt Disney World, and other world-class attractions, the Central Florida region is recognized as a center for innovation in industries ranging from simulation and training to telecommunications, to entertainment and medicine. Please consider submitting a proposal for a presentation or simply plan on joining us as a participant.

We look forward to seeing you in Orlando!

Charles Wankel, St. John’s University, New York, Program Co-Chair
Melody Bowdon, University of Central Florida, Program Co-Chair
Patrick Blessinger, HETL, Chair of the Cutting-Edge Technologies Track
Olga Kovbasyuk, Far East Russia Global Learning Center, Chair of the Innovative Pedagogies Track
Agata Stachowicz-Stanusch, Silesian University of Technology, Chair of the International Collaborations Track

TIMELINE

Call for Proposals Distributed:  April 16, 2012
Proposals Due:  May 18, 2012
Proposal Review Period:  May 18 – June 18, 2012
Decisions Delivered:  July 23, 2012
Early Bird Registration:  June 23 – October 1, 2012
Regular Registration:  October 2 – December 15, 2012
On-site Registration:  January 13 – 15, 2013

[Image: A new look combining the depth camera of Kinect gaming console and a video from a digital SLR. Credit: Screen capture by Martin LaMonica/CNET]

‘Point cloud portraits’ bring ghostly 3D images to movies

by Martin LaMonica May 2, 201

Carnegie Mellon University’s Studio for Creative Inquiry creates distinctive 3D video effect by hacking together the depth camera of the Kinect gaming console with video from digital SLRs.

In yet another example of the amazing things possible with the Kinect gaming console, filmmakers have combined the depth camera of Kinect with a digital SLR to create a haunting new look in video.

Fellows at Carnegie Mellon University’s Studio for Creative Inquiry this week posted video, spotted by The Verge, from a filmmaking workshop which shows some of the potential of this type of 3D imagery.

The sensor in the Kinect console controller scans objects in front of it and determines their distance, allowing it to recognize gestures for playing video games. Fellows James George and Jonathan Minard from Carnegie Mellon wrote software that combines the color video from the camera and the depth data from the Kinect’s sensor into what they call a “dynamic sculptural relief,” and the resulting stills, “point cloud portraits.”

Their videos show a set of lines over the object to make it appear three-dimensional. The images are blurry, or “abstract,” and only appear to detect light on some objects since the backgrounds behind people in the movies are dark.

But the “volumetric” video has a distinct look, which its makers hope can be used in making films. They released an open-source workflow application called RGDB Toolkit.

“I perceive a continuum between abstraction and integration. I see a place all along there with lots of really interesting places to go. I think abstraction has ways to communicate with us that go beyond language and talk to us in a low perceptual level,” said Golan Levin from the Studio for Creative Inquiry.