Representations for Multi-modal Human-Computer Interaction

NEW: Preliminary Format for the AAAI '98 Workshop


AAAI '98 Workshop, July 26-27, 1998, Madison, Wisconsin
Updated: 6/30/98
Note: Updated submission guidelines and 03/11/98 deadline

Call for Participation

Representations for processing human communication have, mainly, been concerned with single modalities. Further advances, however, may require taking advantage of the fact that most human communication takes place in more than one modality at the same time.

A core problem in multi-modal human-computer interaction is how the information conveyed via multiple modalities is funneled into and out of a single underlying representation of meaning to be communicated. On the output side, this is the information-to-media allocation problem; on the input side, this is the cross-media information fusion problem.

The aims of this workshop are:

1.
to assess the state of computer representations for understanding human communication in multiple modalities or communicating with humans with multiple media,
2.
to encourage collaborative research in developing and using representations that facilitate multi-modal interaction.
Relevant modalities include visual, auditory, olfactory, haptic (touch), kinesthetic (motion/position-sensing), speech, gesture, facial expression, myoelectric signals, and neural inputs. Relevant media include video, text, handwriting, graphics, images, and animation. Proper communication with these modalities and media may be contingent on an underlying set of intentions, such as being informative, deceptive, persuasive, entertaining, affective, social, and so forth.

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

Recognizing the multidisciplinary nature of multi-modal communication, the intent of the workshop is to be as inclusive as possible. However, papers should address the topics of the workshop directly. For example, a submission could address these topics by showing in detail how their system processes some multi-modal interaction. Such a detailed description might describe the background information used, how that information is represented and utilized, how the system processes the knowledge to respond appropriately, and how the information is processed into (multi-modal) answers. Reports on representations used in projects whose purpose is to simulate human multi-modal interaction, or projects whose purpose is to provide multi-modal interfaces to databases or planners, are also appropriate. Position papers are also solicited; for example, such a paper might present an analysis of the types of communicative intent, how they can be classified and sub-classified, and how they are best represented, for use in multi-modal systems.

Workshop Format

The workshop format will be a mix of paper presentations, invited talks, panels, and break-out sessions. Paper sessions will be organized around the (above listed) workshop topics. Panel discussions or break-out sessions would follow paper sessions. Short stand-alone (e.g., laptop-based) demonstrations are welcome. If you have a demonstration that requires more significant infrastructure or time, potential participants are encouraged to submit a demonstration proposal to the Intelligent Systems Demonstrations program at AAAI '98.

Gary W. Strong, Program Director of Interactive Systems at the National Science Foundation, has agreed to give an invited talk.

Attendance

Attendance is expected to be limited to 50-60 participants. Preference will be given to authors whose papers have been accepted at the workshop.

Submission Requirements

Two types of submissions are possible:
Short paper:
A one or two page description of current late-breaking research, or short position papers on topics listed above.
Full paper:
A complete paper, no more than six pages, presenting completed research or full position papers.
Submissions must clearly indicate, on the title page, which type of submission this is (short paper, short position paper, long paper, long position paper). Submissions should should be two columns with 3/4" margins all around (formatted using the AAAI guidelines and templates, available at: http://www.aaai.org/Workshops/workshops.html ). We strongly encourage electronic submissions, either plain text or stand-alone postscript or Word. Emailed submissions should be emailed to syali@tigger.cs.uwm.edu.

In the event that electronic submission is not possible, send 6 copies to:

Syed S. Ali
ATTN: AAAI '98 Workshop
Department of Mathematical Sciences
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
3200 N. Cramer Street
Milwaukee, WI 53217
Phone: 414-229-4364
E-mail: syali@tigger.cs.uwm.edu
All accepted papers will be published in the workshop working notes.

Deadlines

March 11, 1998:
Submissions to the workshop are due.
April 1, 1998:
Notification of results to authors.
April 22, 1998:
Camera-ready papers due for inclusion in working notes.
June 24, 1998:
Final registration deadline for workshop participants.
July 26-27, 1998:
AAAI-98 Workshop Program, Madison, Wisconsin

Organizing Committee

Syed S. Ali (co-chair), University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Susan W. McRoy (co-chair), University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Justine Cassell , MIT Media Lab
George Ferguson, University of Rochester
Susan M. Haller , University of Wisconsin-Parkside
Eduard Hovy , ISI
Robert Jacob , Tufts University
Andy Kehler, SRI International
James Lester, North Carolina State University
Susann LuperFoy, Mitre Corporation
Mark Maybury, Mitre Corporation
Ethan Munson, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Sharon Oviatt, Oregon Graduate Institute of Science & Technology
Stuart C. Shapiro, State University of New York at Buffalo
Chris Welty, Vassar College

URL

A regularly updated CFP can be found at:
http://tigger.cs.uwm.edu/~syali/AAAI-98-Workshop/aaai-wrkshp.html .
Sy Ali

2/23/1998