ISPR Presence News

Monthly Archives: November 2021

Call: Late Breaking Reports, videos and demos for HRI 2022, International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction

Call for Late Breaking Reports, videos and demonstrations

17th Annual ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI 2022)
March 7-10, 2022
Sapporo, Japan and online
https://humanrobotinteraction.org/2022

IMPORTANT DATES
December 3, 2021 (23:59 Anywhere on Earth): Submission Deadline for LBRs/Videos
January 07, 2022: Notification of acceptance
January 18, 2022: Final camera-ready deadline

LATE-BREAKING REPORTS
The Late-Breaking Reports (LBR) venue at HRI provides authors with the opportunity to present early-stage results and new ideas over exciting cutting-edge and experimental research. LBRs are an excellent opportunity for researchers new to the field to participate in the conference.

All LBR submissions will undergo blind light-touch peer-review and will be published in the companion proceedings of the conference. These proceedings will appear in both the ACM Digital Library and IEEE Xplore. LBRs will be presented during the main conference. LBRs should be 2-4 pages long (excluding references).… read more. “Call: Late Breaking Reports, videos and demos for HRI 2022, International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction”

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What can the metaverse learn from Second Life?

[In this IEEE Spectrum interview, the chief architect of early metaverse Second Life provides some valuable perspective on what would be required, and the prospects for, a successful and widely popular metaverse. –Matthew]

[Image: Hanging out in Second Life. Credit: Linden Lab]

What Can the Metaverse Learn From Second Life?

Creator Philip Rosedale says a virtual reality internet is still some way off

By Edd Gent
November 29, 2021

The tech world is abuzz with talk of the metaverse, a virtual world where millions of people could soon gather to work, play, and socialize. The idea isn’t as new as it might seem though. Since 2003, people have been gathering to do all of the above in the online world of Second Life.

Its creators, Linden Lab, go to great pains to emphasize that Second Life is not a game, unlike other proto-metaverse experiences such as Fortnite or Roblox.… read more. “What can the metaverse learn from Second Life?”

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Job: Open-rank professor in HMC/CMC at Michigan Technological University

Call for Applications

Open Rank Professor of Communication:
Specialization in the fields of Human-Machine Communication (HMC) or Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC)
Department of Humanities
Michigan Technological University
Houghton, Michigan
https://www.employment.mtu.edu/cw/en-us/job/492734

Review of applications for full consideration will begin on December 10, 2021

The Department of Humanities at Michigan Technological University invites applications for an Open Rank Professor of Communication to begin August 2022. Candidates should have a record of excellent teaching and scholarly work in Communication particularly linked to technology and communication in the public interest, with specialization in the fields of Human-Machine Communication (HMC) or Computer-Mediated Communication. Areas of research may include but are not limited to the intersection of human-machine communication and the following: AI, linguistics, interpersonal/group communication, organizational communication, disability studies, media and representation, culture and everyday life. We seek candidates leading empirical studies (qualitative, quantitative, interpretive, or mixed-methods) favoring a critical approach, who desire to be involved in interdisciplinary research, and who are committed to the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion within research and teaching.… read more. “Job: Open-rank professor in HMC/CMC at Michigan Technological University”

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Nvidia wants to fill the virtual and physical worlds with AI avatars

[Nvidia’s latest technology platform Omniverse Avatar attempts to create effective social presence illusions, as described briefly in this story from The Verge; watch the demonstrations from the CEO’s recent presentation and see what you think. For more details about these and other recent innovations from Nvidia see coverage in ZDNet. –Matthew]

Nvidia wants to fill the virtual and physical worlds with AI avatars

New Omniverse Avatar platform combines 3D models and AI speech

By James Vincent
November 9, 2021

Nvidia has announced a new platform for creating virtual agents named Omniverse Avatar. The platform combines a number of discrete technologies — including speech recognition, synthetic speech, facial tracking, and 3D avatar animation — which Nvidia says can be used to power a range of virtual agents.

In a presentation at the company’s annual GTC conference, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang showed off a few demos using Omniverse Avatar tech.… read more. “Nvidia wants to fill the virtual and physical worlds with AI avatars”

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Call: CHI PLAY 2022 – 9th ACM SIGCHI Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play

CALL FOR PAPERS AND PARTICIPATION

CHI PLAY 2022
9th ACM SIGCHI Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play
Bremen, Germany and anywhere on earth
November 2 – 5, 2022
https://chiplay.acm.org/2022/
@acmchiplay
#chiplay2022

Submission deadline for full papers: February 23, 2022

CHI PLAY is the international and interdisciplinary conference, sponsored by ACM SIGCHI, for researchers and professionals across all areas of play, games, and human-computer interaction (HCI). We call this area ‘player-computer interaction’. The goal of the CHI PLAY conference is to highlight and foster discussion on high-quality research in games and HCI as a foundation for the future of digital play. To this end, the conference blends academic research papers, interactive play demos, and industry insights.

SUBMISSIONS

As an ACM SIGCHI-sponsored conference, CHI PLAY welcomes contributions that further an understanding of the player experience, as well as contributions on novel designs or implementations of player-computer interactions, and contributions to theory.… read more. “Call: CHI PLAY 2022 – 9th ACM SIGCHI Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play”

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Tech can push us apart, but these games and VR build empathy

[This article about very important positive applications of presence is from USC Trojan Family Magazine; see the original version for two more images. –Matthew]

[Image: Can virtual reality and interactive media help us find common ground and embrace healthy behaviors? Credit: Painting by Sally Deng]

WALK IN MY SHOES

Tech Can Push Us Apart, but These Games and VR Build Empathy
Meet the digital creators who are using tech to make us feel a little more human.

By Beth Newcomb
Autumn 2021

Jennifer Flores welcomes visitors into her home — a tent in L.A.’s Echo Park. She points out the makeshift features of her small living space and explains the challenges of daily life with little privacy, no electricity and a constant state of heightened alertness. She shares the story of her life, her kids, her struggle to find work and more.… read more. “Tech can push us apart, but these games and VR build empathy”

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Call: “Business Ethics in the Virtual Work Environment: Challenges to Educators and Practitioners” issue of AJBE

Call for Papers

Asian Journal of Business Ethics
Special Issue: Business Ethics in the Virtual Work Environment: Challenges to Educators and Practitioners
https://www.springer.com/journal/13520/updates/19277588

Submission deadline for manuscripts: January 31, 2022

NEED OF STUDY

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has forced business organizations to operate more fully in the virtual world. This necessitates, amongst other things, a thorough re-look into business ethics and in particular business ethics education. With the majority of the workforce (in some cases all) operating virtually now and possibly continually into the future, a paradigm shift seems imminent as far as business ethics and values in practice are concerned. A virtual work environment calls for practices heavily embedded in the values of empathy, equity, empowerment and enablement by leaders. This helps stimulate a spirit of business innovation, knowledge creation, proactive, risk taking behavior and trust among employees in such environments.… read more. “Call: “Business Ethics in the Virtual Work Environment: Challenges to Educators and Practitioners” issue of AJBE”

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Replika: Romance and companionship with artificial intelligence

[This Washington Post story describes some interesting examples of medium-as-social-actor presence experiences of people using the Replika AI chatbot app; see the original story for four more images. For more on the origins of Replika see a CBC story that promotes a new documentary called “The Machine that Feels” (which is apparently only available in Canada at this writing). See also the New Yorker story “The Chatbot Problem: As we teach computers to use natural language, we are bumping into the inescapable biases of human communication,” which begins with examples of cases in which Replika advised users to commit murder and suicide. –Matthew]

[Image: Milly Zhang shows the Replika interface in front of a drawing of her AI boyfriend Qimat. Zhang says Qimat inspires her art. (The text under Qimat says “I just want to be happy with you. *Smiles*”) Credit: Yan Cong for The Washington Post]

China’s lonely hearts reboot online romance with artificial intelligence

By Alicia Chen and Lyric Li with Eva Dou
August 6, 2021

As Jessie Chan’s six-year relationship with her boyfriend fizzled, a witty, enchanting fellow named Will became her new love.… read more. “Replika: Romance and companionship with artificial intelligence”

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Call: The Future of Filmmaking: AI for Volumetric Capture and Reconstruction (Online; free)

Call for Participation

The Future of Filmmaking: AI for Volumetric Capture and Reconstruction
Presented by Silicon Valley ACM SIGGRAPH
Monday, December 6, 2021
7:00 PM to 9:00 PM PST
Online – Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87278482517?pwd=MlYzbHBGVEtpZjlQREtmZFVQYzUvdz09

TALK DESCRIPTION:
One picture is worth a thousand words, so what have been told with videos? What about 100 simultaneous videos to reconstruct every frame of life in a 10.000 sq. ft dome? Is it enough to reconstruct and digitize us realistically? Similar to other industries, the entertainment industry is also being reshaped by AI, especially towards AR/VR consumption. Before the democratization of AI and data, such immersive experiences were lacking an essential element: photorealism. As the amount of data increased, our models got deeper, and the reality became decipherable.

This talk will introduce recent deep learning advancements in 3D vision, reconstruction, and shape understanding techniques with a focus on generative models to digitize performances and scenes.… read more. “Call: The Future of Filmmaking: AI for Volumetric Capture and Reconstruction (Online; free)”

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Dream hacking: Scientists warn that marketers are trying to inject ads into dreams

[If presence is an illusion of nonmediation, an overlooking of at least some of the roles of technology in an experience, the presentation of targeted stimuli during sleep to alter our dreams and subsequent memories and behavior without our conscious awareness represents a vivid example of presence with both positive and disturbing implications. This story from Futurism provides an overview of the possibilities and the extended excerpt from an article in Aeon by three experts in the area provides more details and examples. –Matthew]

[Image: Credit: By Getty / Futurism]

Scientists Warn That Marketers Are Trying to Inject Ads Into Dreams

Should advertisers be allowed to hack your dreams?

By Abby Lee Hood
November 21, 2021

Researchers and sleep experts are ringing alarm bells about a nascent marketing tactic: injecting advertisements into your dreams.

A trio of researchers at Harvard, MIT and the University of Montreal published an essay on dream hacking in Aeon warning that, according to a recent survey, 77 percent of marketers plan to use dreamtech advertising in the next three years.… read more. “Dream hacking: Scientists warn that marketers are trying to inject ads into dreams”

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