ISPR Presence News

Monthly Archives: March 2016

Call: IUI 2017 – 22nd ACM International Conference on Intelligent User Interfaces

Call for Papers

22nd ACM International Conference on Intelligent User Interfaces
IUI 2017
St. Raphael Resort, Limassol, Cyprus
March 13-16, 2017

http://iui.acm.org/2017

OVERVIEW

ACM IUI 2017 is the 22nd annual meeting of the intelligent interfaces community and serves as a premier international forum for reporting outstanding research and development on intelligent user interfaces.

The 22nd edition of the conference will be held in Limassol, Cyprus. Limassol (or Lemesos) is a multicultural bustling town, flanked by two ancient cities, Amathus and Kourion, and guarded by the Amathusian Aphrodite and Appolo Hylates. It is a town of great visual diversity and contrast from spectacular seafront views, historic places like the mediaeval Castle, and Byzantine churches. Along the 17 km long sandy beaches, two Marinas, world renowned 5 star hotels, and a most exciting dining, shopping, nightlife and yachting scene create a year-round vibrant lifestyle well beyond the expectations of a Mediterranean island.… read more. “Call: IUI 2017 – 22nd ACM International Conference on Intelligent User Interfaces”

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What it’s like to see Batman v Superman in butt-punishing 4DX

[This Wired story is a first-person description of the latest presence-evoking tech for movie-going; as the author notes, it’ll be interesting to see how well it works when it accommodates the film rather than the reverse. –Matthew]

Superman v Batman

What It’s Like to See Batman v Superman in Butt-Punishing 4DX

Brian Raftery
March 29, 2016

The sign outside of the just-installed 4DX theater in New York City warns of “motion enabled chairs” with “strong vibrations”; some “lightning, rain, [and] flashing (strobe) lights”; and a dash of “fog and strong scents.” But after sitting through a recent screening of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in the immersive, audience-rattling moviegoing format—which promises the chance to experience firsthand nearly every punch, jostle, and chin-jut of Zack Snyder’s new superhero showdown—I might add the following heads-up: And by the way, once the movie’s through, your upper butt will feel as though it’s been massaged by a coked-up gibbon.read more. “What it’s like to see Batman v Superman in butt-punishing 4DX”

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Call: 4th European and 7th Nordic Symposium on Multimodal Communication

Call for Papers
The 4th European and 7th Nordic Symposium on Multimodal Communication
University of Copenhagen
29-30 September 2016

http://mmsym.org/

Deadline for abstract submissions: 6 June

DESCRIPTION

The 4th European and 7th Nordic Symposium on Multimodal Communication aims to provide a multidisciplinary forum for researchers from different disciplines who study multimodality in human communication as well as in human-computer interaction. The multimodal communication symposium is organised by the Centre for Language Technology (CST), Department of Nordic Research, Faculty of Humanities, University of Copenhagen. At CST we have a strong group in the research area of multimodal communication, with a strong record of publications in this field. Bringing a European Symposium on Multimodal Communication to the University of Copenhagen is an outstanding opportunity to add more international visibility to this research.

The symposium follows up on a tradition established by the Swedish Symposia on Multimodal Communication held from 1997 till 2000, and continued by the Nordic Symposia on Multimodal Communication held from 2003 to 2012.… read more. “Call: 4th European and 7th Nordic Symposium on Multimodal Communication”

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You’re not human: The appeal of animal simulators

[Here’s an interesting take on the kinds of presence experiences we will want; the story is from The Verge, where it includes an additional image. –Matthew]

Beat simulator First Click

First Click: Life as a bear would be sweet in virtual reality

By James Vincent
on March 29, 2016

I have a theory. A pet theory, you might say. I think that if and when virtual reality finally takes off (and I realize this still isn’t a given), some of the most popular games will be animal simulators. Bear simulators. Bird simulators. Bug simulators. Games where you don’t have to think too hard or do too much, and where the main attraction is simply taking time out of being human. These would be beautifully rendered titles — either highly realistic or slightly cartoonish, it doesn’t matter — where players are given the opportunity to stop and smell the roses, and maybe eat them, too.… read more. “You’re not human: The appeal of animal simulators”

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Call: Digital games and sociality – Games and Gaming minitrack at Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS)

Call for Submissions:

Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS)
Games and Gaming minitrack
January 4-7, 2017
Waikoloa, Hawaii

Deadline: June 15, 2016

The Games and Gaming minitrack at the Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS) is looking for submissions broadly related to digital games and sociality. Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods papers are welcome, ranging from interviews to big data analyses, or more broadly theoretical papers looking at digital gaming practices in general. Types of games studied may include mobile, social, free to play, AAA, MMOGs, PC, console, multiplayer, and indie games. As part of the Digital and Social Media track, papers should contain a social dimension in the analysis, examining, for example, sociability, social practices, communities (in-game, out-game, across multiple spaces or time), use of social affordances, or some other social dimension.

Possible topics include:

  • Social affordances of games
  • Network analysis of groups and communities in games
  • Social practice (in-game, out-game, both)
  • Player communities
  • Fans and fan communities
  • Community management
  • Toxicity online
  • Multiplayer games
  • Cooperative and competitive play
  • eSports
  • Fantasy sports leagues
  • Multigenerational play
  • Intercultural play
  • Streaming gameplay (e.g.,
read more. “Call: Digital games and sociality – Games and Gaming minitrack at Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS)”
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Participating in film: Immersive Theater in London takes on Kubrick’s ‘Dr. Strangelove’

[Attempts to ‘get closer’ to the people and events on the screen go back to parasocial relationships with early film and TV personalities and characters. A latest example is described in this story from The Creators Project blog, where you’ll find several more images and a 1:16 minute video. –Matthew]

Secret Cinema's "Tell No One" - a view of the audience

Kubrick’s ‘Dr. Strangelove’ Meets Immersive Theater in London

Catherine Chapman — Mar 21 2016

Over the past month, nearly 20,000 people have been assigned new identities through the Department of Cultural Surveillance (D.O.C.S.), an organization yielding great nuclear power and the potential to launch a full-out assault on the Soviet Union, likely obliterating the entire world—after all, it just takes one deranged general.

With this in mind, February 17 through March 20 saw ordinary citizens becoming military personnel, world diplomats and— obviously—spies, who descended upon the D.O.C.S. War Room to assume active roles in a film screening like no other.… read more. “Participating in film: Immersive Theater in London takes on Kubrick’s ‘Dr. Strangelove’”

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Job: Lecturer in Interactive Systems at Lancaster University

Lecturer in Interactive Systems
School of Computing and Communications, Lancaster University, UK
Salary: £33,574 to £46,414

Closing Date: Saturday 30 April 2016

Details and application link:
https://hr-jobs.lancs.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx?ref=A1492

The School of Computing & Communications, based in the iconic InfoLab21 facility, is an international centre of excellence in research and teaching.  The 2014 Research Excellence Framework ranked us 12th overall in the UK for Computer Science, and 7th in the UK for producing work that is world-leading or internationally excellent.  The School’s research spans areas such as Communications Systems, Computer Networking, Software Engineering and Human-Computer Interaction.  The School is also strategically growing its activity in CyberSecurity, Data Science and Digital Health.  Regarding teaching excellence, the School received the highest award in the most recent Periodic Quality Review with particular commendation for innovative design and delivery of courses.

The School wishes to appoint a Lecturer in the Interactive Systems research group.… read more. “Job: Lecturer in Interactive Systems at Lancaster University”

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Could this BB-8 bot help people cope with anxiety?

[The interactive, social toy based on the Star Wars character BB-8 has the potential to not only evoke ‘medium as social actor’ presence but to help users cope with anxiety; this story is from Motherboard and includes an additional image. –Matthew]

Girl uses phone to interact with BB-8

Could This BB-8 Bot Help People Cope With Anxiety?

Written by Rebecca Krauss
March 25, 2016

Lots of students have roommates. Lauren Dwyer, a grad student at Ryerson University in Toronto, shares her space with BB-8, the rolling bot from Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Dwyer has been living alongside BB-8, and studying it, for the past two months. Made by Colorado-based tech company Sphero, it’s only slightly larger than the palm of my hand. It zips wirelessly around the room, controlled by a mobile app, and responds to requests for it to “look around!” and “go to sleep!”… read more. “Could this BB-8 bot help people cope with anxiety?”

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Call: The screen in everyday life: Journal of Media Practice and MeCCSA Practice Network Symposium

Call for Projects

Journal of Media Practice and MeCCSA Practice Network Symposium
Friday 10 June 2016
London, UK

http://aciresearch.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/post-screen-culturespractices.html

Deadline for proposals: Monday 11 April 2016

A one-day practice/research symposium hosted by the School of Arts and Creative Industries at London South Bank University, with support from the Journal of Media Practice and the MeCCSA Practice network.

With the proliferation of mobile devices the presence of the screen in every day life is ever more pervasive, personal and immersive. In the last five years, for example, the tablet has become the must-have device, with over half of UK households (54%) now owning one (Ofcom, 2015). Raised as ‘screenagers’, one in ten (11%) 3-4 year olds now have their own tablet as a pacifier, educational aid and entertainer (Ofcom, 2015). Our urban spaces offer up new forms of interaction as the numbers of screens multiply.… read more. “Call: The screen in everyday life: Journal of Media Practice and MeCCSA Practice Network Symposium”

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Father creates DIY telepresence robot RambleBot to spend time with his children

[The DIY telepresence robot RambleBot (which is available for sale by the inventor-creator for a fraction of the cost of professional products), is used to bring family members together across continents. This story is from The Sydney Morning Herald, where it includes more images and a 2:22 minute video. –Matthew]

The RambleBot

Robot dad: I built a smartphone bot to spend time with my kids

March 3, 2016
Hannah Francis, Technology Reporter

Divorce can be a painful experience, especially when it means one parent doesn’t see as much of their kids as they used to.

When divorcee Matt Walker met his future second wife in the US, he knew things would only get worse for him spending time with his two boys, Jarvis, 9 and Maxi, 7.

That’s why he built the RambleBot.

It looks like a miniature white tank but instead of a cannon it has an arm with a gripper.… read more. “Father creates DIY telepresence robot RambleBot to spend time with his children”

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