ISPR Presence News

Monthly Archives: June 2015

Call: 2nd International Workshop on Vision and Eye Tracking in Natural Environments and Solutions & Algorithms for Gaze Analysis (SAGA 2015)

Call for Papers

2nd International Workshop on Vision and Eye Tracking in Natural Environments and Solutions & Algorithms for Gaze Analysis (SAGA 2015)

Where: Center of Excellence Cognitive Interaction Technology (CITEC), Bielefeld University, Germany
When: September, 29-30, 2015
WWW: http://saga.eyemovementresearch.com

The SAGA 2015 workshop is accepting abstracts for two calls:

  1. solutions for the (semi-) automatic annotation of gaze videos,
  2. eye movement studies in natural environments as a trailblazer for gaze analysis in natural environments, social interactions, computational linguistics, consumer research, mobile eye-based interaction and eye-based context-awareness.

As a follow up event of the successfull SAGA 2013 workshop, we are providing a forum for researchers from human-human and human-computer interaction, context-aware computing, robotics, computer vision and image processing, psychology, computational linguistics, sport and consumer science, eye tracking and industry to discuss techniques and applications that go beyond classical eye tracking and stationary eye-based interaction.… read more. “Call: 2nd International Workshop on Vision and Eye Tracking in Natural Environments and Solutions & Algorithms for Gaze Analysis (SAGA 2015)”

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Connected Worlds: Educational large-scale, interactive ecosystem at the NY Hall of Science

[This new educational interactive environment looks intriguing; the description is from Design I/O, where you can find a video and lots of images. For more information, see coverage in the New York Daily News  –Matthew]

Connected Worlds

An Interactive Connected Ecosystem

Connected Worlds is a large scale immersive, interactive ecosystem developed for the New York Hall of Science. The installation is composed of six interactive ecosystems spread out across the walls of the Great Hall, connected together by a 3000 sqft interactive floor and a 45ft high waterfall. Children can use physical logs to divert water flowing across the floor from the waterfall into the different environments, where they can then use their hands to plant seeds. As the different environments bloom, creatures appear based on the health of the environment and the type of plants growing in it. If multiple environments are healthy creatures will migrate between them causing interesting chain reactions of behaviors.… read more. “Connected Worlds: Educational large-scale, interactive ecosystem at the NY Hall of Science”

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Call: Game Studies at 2016 National Popular Culture/American Popular Culture Conference

Call for Papers/Panels

Game Studies Area: 2016 PCA/ACA National Conference
Seattle, Washington, USA
March 21-25, 2016

The Game Studies area of the National Popular Culture Association and the American Culture Association Conference invites proposals for papers and panels on games and game studies for the Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association National Conference to be held Monday, March 21 through Friday, March 25, 2016 at the Sheraton in Seattle, WA.

The database for proposal submissions opens July 1.

Below, please find:

I. TOPICS OF INTEREST
II. SUBMISSION PROCESS
III. INFORMATION ABOUT THE CONFERENCE
IV. CONTACT INFORMATION

I. TOPICS OF INTEREST

The organizers seek proposals and papers covering all aspects of gaming, gaming culture and game studies. Proposals can address any game medium (computer, social, console, tabletop, etc) and all theoretical and methodological approaches are welcome. Possible topics include but are not limited to:

  • new game mediums and platforms (Facebook, iPhone/iPad/iPod, etc)
  • representation or performance of race, class, gender and sexuality in games
  • gaming culture, game specific cultures, and multicultural and cross-cultural issues
  • game development, design, authorship and other industry issues
  • game advertising, reviews, packaging, promotion, integrated marketing and other commercial concerns
  • political and legal entailments such as regulation, censorship, intellectual property
  • ludology, textual criticism, media ecology, narratology, etc as paradigms for games studies
  • player generated content in MUDs and MMORPGs, Mods, maps and machinima
  • game genres, platforms, consoles, console wars and connections to other media
  • serious games for education, business, healthcare, (military) training, etc
  • space and place in games, play spaces, virtual/physical communities, mobile gaming and localization
  • digital literacy, discourse practices, social norms and norming, the politics of play
  • public discourse/controversy over violence, militarism, sex, criminality, racism, etc in games
  • game pedagogy and classroom practices, gamification, learning as play
read more. “Call: Game Studies at 2016 National Popular Culture/American Popular Culture Conference”
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VR below the prehistoric waves: David Attenborough’s “First Life”

[David Attenborough guides you on a virtual trip through space and time, to the oceans of early Earth, at London’s National History Museum this summer (through September 24); the detailed review below is from The Register; more information and a 1:13 minute trailer is available from Wired. –Matthew]

Attenborough's First Life screenshot

Virtual reality below the prehistoric waves: David Attenborough’s First Life

A trip back in time at the Natural History Museum

20 Jun 2015, Nigel Whitfield

One way or another, Sir David Attenborough has been involved in the adoption of many key consumer technologies of recent decades, from the introduction of colour programming as BBC 2 controller, through landmark TV series such as Life on Earth, to the stunning HD of Planet Earth – and 3D nature programming for Sky.

It’s perhaps no surprise, then, that the latest addition to the Natural History Museum, a virtual reality experience, also bears the Attenborough imprint, using the latest technology to engage people in a look at the very beginnings of life on earth.… read more. “VR below the prehistoric waves: David Attenborough’s “First Life””

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Job: Postdoctoral Research Position at New York University’s Game Innovation Lab

Postdoctoral Research Position at New York University’s Game Innovation Lab

The Game Innovation Lab at New York University is looking for a postdoctoral researcher to work on game generation (the procedural generation of complete games) or other closely related topics at the intersection of artificial/computational intelligence and game design. Tasks would include collaborative research with an interdisciplinary team of faculty and PhD students at the forefront of game engineering, mentoring research students and contribute to further research proposals. The successful candidate would report to Professor Julian Togelius, and also be expected to collaborate with Professor Andy Nealen and other lab members.

The ideal candidate for this position has a PhD focusing on applying AI techniques to games, a good understanding of game design, an inquisitive and open mind, and a willingness to work on ambitious goals.

The NYU Game Innovation Lab is part of the School of Engineering and located in Downtown Brooklyn.… read more. “Job: Postdoctoral Research Position at New York University’s Game Innovation Lab”

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Presence and sexuality: Sexbots evolve as RealDoll partners with Hanson Robotics

[A recent ISPR Presence News post was about developments in remote social presence in the context of sexuality; this one is about sexuality and medium-as-social-actor presence. The conclusion of the story from ExtremeTech is in line with Lombard & Jones (2013). For more information watch the 7:23 minute video from The New York Times and read a recent Reddit ask-me-anything with Matt McMullen. –Matthew]

Realbotix female head

Artificial intelligence: Coming to a sexbot near you

By Aaron Krumins on June 15, 2015

While the cynical among us knew it was only a matter of time before the rise of the sexbots, the partnering of RealDoll — maker of high end sex mannequins — with Hanson Robotics has moved that eventuality one step closer to reality.

This new venture has been dubbed Realbotix by founder and CEO Matt McMullen of RealDoll. The goal is to endow the RealDoll line of sex figurines with some basic animation, transforming them from immobile mannequins to full on androids that can follow commands and verbally respond to the user.… read more. “Presence and sexuality: Sexbots evolve as RealDoll partners with Hanson Robotics”

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Call: Learning from Fiction – Special issue of teorema

Call for Papers

Special issue of teorema: Learning from Fiction

Deadline for submissions: November 15, 2015

In ordinary critical practice, we take for granted that we can learn from fictions (literary or visual), i.e., that we can acquire new warranted beliefs on that basis. We similarly assume that we can acquire experiential knowledge – knowledge of what it is like – and knowledge-how, whether or not they differ from propositional knowledge. But can this be philosophically justified? First, empirical research suggests that we can be gullible when exposed to fictions; second, there are thorny indeterminacy issues; and thirdly, in any case, by their very nature fictions appear to put fundamental barriers to the possibility of forming warranted beliefs on their basis. teorema invites submissions on all aspects of this topic, including the following: What is the nature of the fiction/non-fiction divide, and how does it affect the possibility of acquiring knowledge from them?… read more. “Call: Learning from Fiction – Special issue of teorema”

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Brown University unveils 3D VR ‘Ultimate Reality Theatre’

[Exciting things are happening at Brown University; this story from The Boston Globe also includes a 2:43 minute video and a photo gallery. –Matthew]

YURT demo of geometry program Hypercube

[Image: Brown University graphics systems programmer Ben Knorlein demonstrated a program called Hypercube, which teaches students about geometry of the fourth dimension. Gretchen Ertl for The Boston Globe]

Brown University unveils 3D virtual-reality room

By Amanda Katz, Globe Staff
June 20, 2015

PROVIDENCE — In a darkened room, a group of people wearing 3-D glasses clustered around someone using a wand to draw a shape, a bit klutzily, in midair. As the virtual object grew, the spectators instinctively leaned back to get out of its way.

It was the first day of public life for the Yurt, Brown University’s immersive 3-D virtual-reality room. The $2.5 million facility, unveiled last month, is one of the most advanced of its kind in New England.… read more. “Brown University unveils 3D VR ‘Ultimate Reality Theatre’”

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Call: Workshop on Virtual Health Agents at Intelligent Virtual Agents (IVA) 2015

Workshop on Virtual Health Agents
Intelligent Virtual Agents conference 2015 (IVA 2015)
25 August
Delft, The Netherlands
http://ii.tudelft.nl/virtualhealthagents

Position paper submission: June 28, 2015

This workshop is a part of the International Conference on Intelligent Virtual agents (http://iva2015.tudelft.nl/). The workshop will take place on the day before the main conference (25th of August 2015).

WORKSHOP

One domain in which intelligent virtual agents are becoming more popular is the health domain. With the changing demography in the western world, the health-care costs are expecting to increase. Less health care professionals will be available for more “care needy persons”. Virtual health agents could play several roles to address part of the increasing care needs. For example, they could act as virtual patients to train doctors, provide patients with information and advice in or outside health centers, or act as coaches as part of self-health management at home.… read more. “Call: Workshop on Virtual Health Agents at Intelligent Virtual Agents (IVA) 2015”

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Sky Factory uses tech to bring soothing virtual sea life to Children’s Hospital

[Aside from being interesting and engaging, presence technology that brings nature into our human-made environments can have therapeutic effects. This press release from Archinect features three more images; Sky Factory has more information and the aquarium videos, and another release at Archinect contains more information about Sky Factory products and the rationale for their effectiveness. –Matthew]

SkyFactory's eSea at Tennessee hospital

[Image: Designed as a portal into larger underwater environments, eSea captures the therapeutic benefits of Heraclitean Motion, the familiar, yet random movement of living systems.]

Sky Factory and the Tennessee Aquarium Make an ēSea™ Splash at the T. C. Thompson Children’s Hospital at Erlanger

June 16, 2015 – The Sky Factory and the Tennessee Aquarium collaborated to bring ēSea, a Digital Cinema underwater portal to marine habitats, to the Children’s Hospital at Erlanger, the 1st of its kind in the state. The partnership enabled the Sky Factory to film the Tennessee’s aquarium’s largest and most beautiful exhibit, the Secret Reef, as well as the Reelfoot Lake and the Flooded Amazon River exhibits.… read more. “Sky Factory uses tech to bring soothing virtual sea life to Children’s Hospital”

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