CALL FOR PARTICIPATION - KEY ISSUES IN SENSORY AUGMENTATION RESEARCH WORKSHOP

WORKSHOP DATE
Thursday 26 and Friday 27 March, 2009

POSITION PAPER SUBMISSION DEADLINE
Friday 20 February

NOTIFICATION OF ACCEPTANCE
Friday 27 February

LOCATION
University of Sussex, Brighton, UK: 
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/findus/

ORGANIZERS
Jon Bird and Paul Marshall
Pervasive Interaction Lab    
Open University

Tom Froese
University of Sussex

CONTACT
[log in to unmask]

OVERVIEW
This two day interdisciplinary workshop focuses on key issues in sensory
augmentation research. Our aim is to bring together researchers from the
different fields that investigate how the capabilities of perceptual and
cognitive systems can be augmented by sensor-based technologies: HCI;
philosophy; computing; AI; psychology; and the arts. 

One goal is to identify the key questions motivating the research in this
rapidly developing interdisciplinary area. Another is to map the range of
theoretical frameworks, empirical techniques and technologies that are
currently used in sensory augmentation research.

More specifically, the workshop will focus on the following three questions: 

1. are there rigorous techniques that can characterise the subjective
experience of using sensory augmentation technology?

2. how can empirical experiments with sensory augmentation devices be used
to further philosophical and psychological enquiry into cognition and
perception?

3. what technologies are available for building sensory augmentation devices?

CONFIRMED KEYNOTE SPEAKERS AND DEMONSTRATORS
Malika Auvray, CNRS, France
Andy Clark, University of Edinburgh, UK
Tom Froese, University of Sussex, UK
Charles Lenay, Perceptual Supplementation Group, Compiègne France
Claire Petitmengin, University of Paris, France
Carson Reynolds, University of Tokyo
Yvonne Rogers, Open University, UK
Adam Spiers, University of Bristol, UK
Jamie Ward, University of Sussex, UK

WORKSHOP PROGRAMME
We want to address our three research questions through conventional short
presentations by invited keynote speakers, discussion sessions, and by
participants having a hands-on experience of using, building and evaluating
sensory augmentation technologies. 

There will be demonstrations of a range of sensory augmentation devices and
participants will have  opportunities to use and evaluate these systems
under the guidance of the designers. 

There will also be two optional tutorial sessions. One tutorial will cover
open source software (Processing, OpenFrameworks) and hardware (Arduino
microcontrollers, Lillypad components) that can be used to build wearable
vibro-tactile arrays and connect them to a range of sensors. This will be
run by researchers who actively use these technologies and will demonstrate
that sensory augmentation systems can be rapidly prototyped and tested. This
session will only require participants to have basic technological skills
(some basic familiarity with a programming language). 

A second tutorial session will be run by Claire Petitmengin, a leading
authority on ‘second person’ interview techniques and an experienced
trainer. Participants will focus on interviewing

PARTICIPATION
Places are limited, so if you would like to participate in this workshop
please submit a maximum 2 page position paper that addresses one or more of
the three workshop questions and send it to Jon Bird:  [log in to unmask] .
At the workshop these will be presented as posters.

DEADLINES
The deadline for submissions is Friday 20 February. We will confirm
acceptance by Friday 27 February. 

COST
The workshop is free and participants will receive lunch and refreshments on
both days and dinner on the first evening. There is also some funding
available to cover travel and accommodation costs.

FUNDING
This workshop is funded by the UbiComp Grand Challenge: 
http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/bridging/ubicomp/

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