- Infovis - infovis.org

Interaction and User Integration in ML for Infovis at ESANN'18
by Bruno Dumas 30 Aug '17

30 Aug '17

[Apologies if you receive multiple copies of this CFP] Call for papers: special session on "Interaction and User Integration in Machine Learning for Information Visualisation" at ESANN 2018 European Symposium on Artificial Neural Networks, Computational Intelligence and Machine Learning (ESANN 2018). 25-27 April 2018, Bruges, Belgium - http://www.esann.org <http://www.esann.org/> DESCRIPTION: Many methods have been developed in machine learning (ML) for information visualisation (infovis). For example, PCA, MDS, t-SNE and improvements are standard tools to reduce the dimensionality of high dimensional datasets for visualisation purposes. However, multiple other means are regularly used in the field of infovis when tackling datasets with high dimensionality. Letting the user manipulate the visualisation is one of these means, either through selection, navigation or filtering. Introducing manipulation of the visualisation also integrates the user as a core aspect of a given system. In the context of machine learning, beyond the informational and exploratory use of infovis, users' feedback can for example be highly informational to drive the dimensionality reduction process. This special session of the ESANN conference is a followup of the special session on "Information Visualisation and Machine Learning: Techniques, Validation and Integration" at ESANN 2016. It aims to gather researchers that integrate users in the core of ML methods for infovis. New algorithms and frameworks are welcome, as well as experimental use cases that bring new insight in the integration of interaction and user integration in ML for infovis. This special session aims to provide practitioners from both communities a common forum of discussion where issues at the crossroads of machine learning and information visualisation could be discussed. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: supervised and semi-supervised machine learning and infovis unsupervised ML (clustering, dimension reduction) user feedback on metaparameters new visual paradigms for machine learning interaction techniques for infovis with/of machine learning user and device adaptivity for visual analytics warm restart and dedicated optimization techniques scalability applications in industry, agriculture, medicine, biology, etc. SUBMISSION: Prospective authors must submit their paper through the ESANN portal following the instructions provided in http://www.elen.ucl.ac.be/esann/index.php?pg=submission <http://www.elen.ucl.ac.be/esann/index.php?pg=submission>. Each paper will undergo a peer reviewing process for its acceptance. Authors should send as soon as possible an e-mail with the tentative title of their contribution to the special session organisers. IMPORTANT DATES: Paper submission deadline : 20 November 2017 Notification of acceptance : 31 January 2018 The ESANN 2014 conference : 25-27 April 2018 SPECIAL SESSION ORGANISERS: Prof. Bruno Dumas Université de Namur, Belgium E-mail: bruno.dumas(a)unamur.be <mailto:bruno.dumas@unamur.be> Website: http://directory.unamur.be/staff/bdumas <http://directory.unamur.be/staff/bdumas> Phone: +32 81 72 49 75 Prof. Benoît Frénay Université de Namur, Belgium E-mail: benoit.frenay(a)unamur.be <mailto:benoit.frenay@unamur.be> Website: http://bfrenay.wordpress.com <http://bfrenay.wordpress.com/> Phone: +32 81 72 49 76 Prof. John Lee Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium E-mail: john.lee(a)uclouvain.be <mailto:john.lee@uclouvain.be> Website: https://mlg.info.ucl.ac.be/Members/JohnLee <https://mlg.info.ucl.ac.be/Members/JohnLee> Phone: +32 2 764 95 28

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PhD position in data visualization and analytics in archaeology
by Jan Aerts 29 Aug '17

29 Aug '17

The Visual Data Analysis Lab and Research[x]Design Lab at the KU Leuven (Belgium) have a joint open PhD position in the field of data science and visualization / interaction design. The candidate will be part of a multidisciplinary team of researchers around the Sagalassos Archaeological Research Project, covering the domains of archaeology, geography, ecology and spatial planning. == The project == We seek to unravel the interdisciplinary understanding of change and its space/time dimensions within already existing and future data sources of the Sagalassos project (running since 1986), which investigates an archaeological site in Turkey and studies its uninterrupted occupation over nearly 2,000 years in all its aspects, from daily life, diet, religious beliefs, to architecture, production, trade and its mechanisms, as well as natural resources and environmental conditions of the past. This is a joint project between research groups of archaeology, ecology, geography, architecture and data analysis/visualization (STADIUS and RxD). The candidate will be supervised by Profs Aerts and Vande Moere at STADIUS and RxD, respectively, in close collaborations with the other partners in the project. Links: * Research[x]Design: http://rxd.architectuur.kuleuven.be/ * Visual Data Analysis Lab: http://vda-lab.be * Sagalassos Archaeological Research Project: http://www.sagalassos.be == Profile == Candidates must have a Master's degree or equivalent in computer science, computational design or a related field, and have very good knowledge of data visualization or data analytics, and human-computer interaction, or demonstrate the ability to acquire sufficient skills in all of these areas. Solid programming skills and fluency in spoken and written English are required and could be evidenced by examples of working visualisations. Tasks will include the user-centered and iterative design of visualisations that are able to meaningfully combine inherently disparate data sources from different disciplines (i.e. archaeology; geography; ecology; spatial planning) that are involved in the Sagalassos project, and the evaluation of these visualisations in terms of (synchronous) cross-disciplinary and collaborative insight and hypothesis generation. As such, the candidate is expected to merge the expertise from the field of human-computer interaction (i.e. user studies, interaction design, prototyping, evaluation) with that of visual analytics (i.e. combining representation with machine learning; incl. clustering and dimensionality reduction). Depending on the potential interaction requirements, explorations towards promising emerging technologies such as augmented reality (AR) and/or physicalisation are possible. Please note short-listed candidates might be asked to fulfil concise assignments to test their proficiency. == Offer == We offer: * Full-time employment starting January 1st 2018 for a period of four years, with the aim of obtaining a PhD degree * A competitive salary * A stimulating scientific working environment, within one of Europe's leading research universities == Contact == For more information please contact Prof. dr. ir. Jan Aerts, tel.: +32 16 32 10 53, mail: jan.aerts(a)kuleuven.be or Prof. dr. Andrew Vande Moere, tel.: +32 16 32 13 62, mail: andrew.vandemoere(a)kuleuven.be. ======================================== Prof Jan Aerts * Visual Data Analysis Lab (vda-lab.be) * Data Visualization Lab (datavislab.org) * Bioinformatics - ESAT/STADIUS, Faculty of Engineering (www.kuleuven.be/bioinformatics) * IMEC Smart Applications KU Leuven - University of Leuven Kasteelpark Arenberg 10 bus 2446 3001 Leuven-Heverlee ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6416-2717 Tel: +32 16 321053 Fax: +32 16 321970 VAT BE 0419 052173

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ESANN 2018 call for papers
by Michel Verleysen 29 Aug '17

29 Aug '17

ESANN 2018 - 26th European Symposium on Artificial Neural Networks, Computational Intelligence and Machine Learning Bruges, Belgium, 25-26-27 April 2018 http://www.esann.org/ Call for papers The call for papers is available at http://www.esann.org/. Deadline for submissions: November 20, 2017. The ESANN conferences cover machine learning, artificial neural networks, statistical information processing and computational intelligence. Mathematical foundations, algorithms and tools, and applications are covered. In addition to regular sessions, 7 special sessions will be organized on the following topics: - Deep Learning in Bioinformatics and Medicine - Machine Learning and Data Analysis in Astroinformatics - Interaction and User Integration in Machine Learning for Information Visualisation - Emerging trends in machine learning: beyond conventional methods and data - Shallow and Deep models for transfer learning and domain adaptation - Randomized Neural Networks - Impact of Biases in Big Data ESANN 2018 builds upon a successful series of conferences organized each year since 1993. ESANN has become a major scientific event in the machine learning, computational intelligence and artificial neural networks fields over the years. The conference will be organized in Bruges, one of the most beautiful medieval towns in Europe. Designated as the "Venice of the North", the city has preserved all the charms of the medieval heritage. Its centre, which is inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage list, is in itself a real open air museum. We hope to receive your submission to ESANN 2018 and to see you in Bruges next year! ======================================================== ESANN - European Symposium on Artificial Neural Networks, Computational Intelligence and Machine Learning http://www.esann.org/ * For submissions of papers, reviews, registrations: Michel Verleysen Univ. Cath. de Louvain - Machine Learning Group 3, pl. du Levant - B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve - Belgium tel: +32 10 47 25 51 - fax: + 32 10 47 25 98 mailto:esann@uclouvain.be * Conference secretariat d-side conference services 24 av. L. Mommaerts - B-1140 Evere - Belgium tel: + 32 2 730 06 11 - fax: + 32 2 730 06 00 mailto:esann@uclouvain.be ========================================================

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Call for 3 PhD students and 3 Post-doctoral scientists at TU Wien [DL: Sep. 28, 2017]
by Miksch Silvia 22 Aug '17

22 Aug '17

Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien): Research Cluster "Smart Communities and Technologies" (Smart CT) at TU Wien ======================================================= Vice Rectorate for Research and Innovation is seeking for 3 highly motivated PhD candidates and Post-doctoral scientists in the field of (a) Cyber-Physical-Human Ecosystem, (b) Model Building and Visual Analytics, (c) 3D Spatialization in Research Cluster "Smart Communities and Technologies" (Smart CT) at Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien) [1], Vienna, Austria The Research Cluster "Smart Communities and Technologies" (Smart CT) at TU Wien will provide the scientific underpinnings for next-generation complex smart city and communities infrastructures. Cities are ever-evolving, complex cyber physical systems of systems covering a magnitude of different areas. The initial concept of smart cities and communities started with cities utilizing communication technologies to deliver services to their citizens and evolved to using information technology to be smarter and more efficient about the utilization of their resources. In recent years however, information technology has changed significantly, and with it the resources and areas addressable by a smart city have broadened considerably. They now cover areas like smart buildings, smart products and production, smart traffic systems and roads, autonomous driving, smart grids for managing energy hubs and electric car utilization or urban environmental systems research. Initially, we have openings for one full-time post-doc university assistant (40 hours/week) for three years and for one part-time university assistant (25 hours) PhD position for three years in each of the following three areas: Cyber-Physical-Human Ecosystem, Model Building and Visual Analytics, 3D Spatialization =================================== (a) Cyber-Physical-Human Ecosystem: =================================== Smart cities exchanging their capabilities in an organic elastic manner, being able to address whatever challenge and opportunity they face with the expertise, data, and knowledge of a global network of expert stakeholders form the basis of our vision for an Internet of Cities. Here the central focus is to create the scientific underpinnings for a future Internet of Cities infrastructure. We will create a comprehensive set of methodologies, models, and tools for design, development, management, and evolution of next-generation smart city applications. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS and SKILLS ---------------------------------- - Knowledge and interest in one or more of the following: Distributed Systems, Edge/Fog Computing with Internet of Things technologies, Cloud Computing - Strong analytical skills and good skills in programming (preferably Java, C++, or similar) - Abilities to work as an independent and flexible researcher in interdisciplinary teams - Good knowledge of English in speaking and writing DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS and SKILLS ---------------------------------- - Knowledge or interest in one or more of the following: Middleware, technologies, Software Engineering methods and technologies for Distributed Systems, Simulation of Systems of Systems - (for international applicants) Basic proficiency in German or willingness to learn WE OFFER: -------- - A creative environment in one of the most livable cities in the world - A young and international team of researchers - A work environment that is well equipped with the newest hardware and software technology - Continuing personal and professional education - The possibility to present your research results at international top conferences DATES & DETAILS: ---------------- - The estimated starting date is 01.10.2017. - Entry level salary as a postdoctoral researcher is covered by level B1 of the Austrian Collective Agreement for university staff, and receives a minimum of currently EUR 3.590,70 EUR/month gross, 14 times/year. - For the PhD position the minimum salary is EUR 1.685,30- pre-tax, 14x per year. For informal questions please contact: dustdar(a)dsg.tuwien.ac.at The application should include motivation letter, CV, certificates, list of publications and thesis copy as a PDF or ZIP archive containing PDFs. Period for application: from 03.08.- 28.09.2017 (date of stamp) The TU Wien is committed to increasing female employment in leading scientific positions. Female applicants are explicitly encouraged to apply. Preference will be given when equally qualified. Furthermore desirable is competence in career advancement of young scientists and women and competence in gender mainstreaming. Applications in digital form (pdf) should be sent to the personal department of the TU Wien, Karlsplatz 13, 1040 Wien. Online-application by E-Mail to thomas.prager(a)tuwien.ac.at Applicants are not entitled to claim reimbursement of traveling expenses and/or other costs caused by the application procedures. ======================================== (b) Model Building and Visual Analytics: ======================================== Visual Analytics (VA) is "the science of analytical reasoning facilitated by interactive visual interfaces" and aims at making complex information structures more comprehensible, facilitating new insights, and enabling knowledge discovery. VA methods focus on the information discovery process, exploiting both the computational power of computers and the human's visual information processing capabilities. It aims to enable the exploration and the understanding of large and complex data sets (such as available in smart city's environments) by intertwining interactive visualization, data analysis, human-computer interaction, and cognitive and perceptual science. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS and SKILLS ---------------------------------- - Knowledge or interest in one or more of the following: Visual Analytics, Information Visualization, Human-Computer Interaction, Data Mining - Strong analytical skills and good skills in programming (preferably Java, JavaScript, C++, or similar) - Abilities to work as an independent and flexible researcher in interdisciplinary teams - Good knowledge of English in speaking and writing DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS and SKILLS ---------------------------------- - Knowledge or interest in one or more of the following: (dynamic) network analyses and visualization, visual process mining, temporal uncertainty, data quality, and time-oriented data - (for international applicants) Basic proficiency in German or willingness to learn WE OFFER: -------- - A creative environment in one of the most livable cities in the world - A young and international team of researchers - A work environment that is well equipped with the newest hardware and software technology - Continuing personal and professional education - The possibility to present your research results at international top conferences DATES & DETAILS: ---------------- - The estimated starting date is 01.10.2017. - Entry level salary as a postdoctoral researcher is covered by level B1 of the Austrian Collective Agreement for university staff, and receives a minimum of currently EUR 3.590,70 EUR/month gross, 14 times/year. For the PhD position the minimum salary is EUR 1.685,30- pre-tax, 14x per year. - For informal questions please contact: miksch(a)ifs.tuwien.ac.at The application should include motivation letter, CV, certificates, list of publications and thesis copy as a PDF or ZIP archive containing PDFs. Period for application: from 03.08.-28.09.2017 (date of stamp) The TU Wien is committed to increasing female employment in leading scientific positions. Female applicants are explicitly encouraged to apply. Preference will be given when equally qualified. Furthermore desirable is competence in career advancement of young scientists and women and competence in gender mainstreaming. Applications in digital form (pdf) should be sent to the personal department of the TU Wien, Karlsplatz 13, 1040 Wien. Online-application by E-Mail to thomas.prager(a)tuwien.ac.at Applicants are not entitled to claim reimbursement of traveling expenses and/or other costs caused by the application procedures. ====================== (c) 3D Spatialization: ====================== 3D spatialization creates the link between the internet of cities infrastructure and the actual 3D world in which a city is embedded in order to perform advanced computation and visualization tasks. Sensors, actuators and users are embedded in a complex 3D environment that is constantly changing. Acquiring, modeling and visualizing this dynamic 3D environment are the challenges we need to face using methods from Visual Computing and Computer Graphics. 3D Spatialization aims to make a city aware of its 3D environment, allowing it to perform spatial reasoning to solve problems like visibility, accessibility, lighting, and energy efficiency. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS and SKILLS ---------------------------------- - Knowledge or interest in one or more of the following: Computer Graphics, 3D Reconstruction, 3D Modeling, Rendering - Strong analytical skills and good skills in programming (preferably C++, OpenGL, CUDA, Matlab or similar) - Abilities to work as an independent and flexible researcher in interdisciplinary teams - Good knowledge of English in speaking and writing DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS and SKILLS ---------------------------------- - Knowledge or interest in one or more of the following: point-based graphics, global illumination, real-time rendering, - Good background in optimization methods - (for international applicants) Basic proficiency in German or willingness to learn WE OFFER: -------- - A creative environment in one of the most livable cities in the world - A young and international team of researchers - A work environment that is well equipped with the newest hardware and software technology - Continuing personal and professional education - The possibility to present your research results at international top conferences DATES & DETAILS: ---------------- - The estimated starting date is 01.10.2017. - Entry level salary as a postdoctoral researcher is covered by level B1 of the Austrian Collective Agreement for university staff, and receives a minimum of currently EUR 3.590,70 EUR/month gross, 14 times/year. - For the PhD position the minimum salary is EUR 1.685,30- pre-tax, 14x per year. For informal questions please contact: wimmer(a)cg.tuwien.ac.at The application should include motivation letter, CV, certificates, list of publications and thesis copy as a PDF or ZIP archive containing PDFs. Period for application: from 03.08.-28.09.2017 (date of stamp) The TU Wien is committed to increasing female employment in leading scientific positions. Female applicants are explicitly encouraged to apply. Preference will be given when equally qualified. Furthermore desirable is competence in career advancement of young scientists and women and competence in gender mainstreaming. Applications in digital form (pdf) should be sent to the personal department of the TU Wien, Karlsplatz 13, 1040 Wien. Online-application by E-Mail to thomas.prager(a)tuwien.ac.at Applicants are not entitled to claim reimbursement of traveling expenses and/or other costs caused by the application procedures. MORE INFO [1] Vienna University of Technology: http://www.tuwien.ac.at/ ============================================================= Univ.-Prof. SILVIA MIKSCH, Ph.D Vienna University of Technology Faculty of Informatics Institute of Software Technology and Interactive Systems (ISIS) Head of Centre for Visual Analytics Science and Technology (CVAST) Favoritenstrasse 9-11 / 188 A-1040 Vienna, Austria, Europe email: miksch(a)ifs.tuwien.ac.at url: www.ifs.tuwien.ac.at/~silvia ==============================================================

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Diagrams 2018 - Theory and Application of Diagrams
by Atsushi Shimojima 18 Aug '17

18 Aug '17

**************************************************************************** Diagrams 2018 10th International Conference on the Theory and Application of Diagrams http://www.diagrams-conference.org/2018/ Conference dates: 18th - 22nd June 2018 Location: Edinburgh, UK Deadline for pre-submission: 16th November 2017 Co-located event: International Conference on Conceptual Structures 2018 http://blogs.napier.ac.uk/iccs/ **************************************************************************** Diagrams 2018 is the tenth conference in the biennial series that started in 2000. The multidisciplinary nature of Diagrams means it encompasses: architecture, art, artificial intelligence, biology, cartography, cognitive science, computer science, education, graphic design, history of science, human-computer interaction, linguistics, logic, mathematics, philosophy, psychology, and software modelling. The conference attracts a large number of researchers from these interrelated fields, positioning Diagrams as the major international event in the area. Diagrams 2018 will be hosted by Edinburgh Napier University in the UK. The conference venue is located within a short distance of the UNESCO World Heritage designated-centre of Edinburgh. This makes the venue an ideal location for delegates to explore the vibrant city, famous for its castle, culture, and history. **************************************************************************** Calls Diagrams 2018 has various calls, providing a range of opportunities for taking part in the conference. Diagrams solicits research contributions falling within the scope of the conference, to be submitted to one of three tracks: Main track http://www.diagrams-conference.org/2018/home/cfp/116-2/ Psychology of Diagrams track http://www.diagrams-conference.org/2018/home/cfp/psych/ Philosophy of Diagrams track http://www.diagrams-conference.org/2018/home/cfp/phil/ In addition, Diagrams seeks to host Workshops and Tutorials: http://www.diagrams-conference.org/2018/home/cfp/workshops/ http://www.diagrams-conference.org/2018/home/cfp/tutorials/ ************************************ For more information, please visit the website of the conference: http://www.diagrams-conference.org/2018/

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VizSec 2017 last call for posters
by Nicolas Prigent 17 Aug '17

17 Aug '17

VizSec explores effective and scalable visual interfaces for security domains such as network security, computer forensics, reverse engineering, insider threat detection, cryptography, privacy, user assisted attacks prevention, compliance management, wireless security, secure coding, and penetration testing. The deadline for VizSec call for posters is on August 29, 2017.Poster submissions may showcase late-breaking results, work in progress, preliminary results, or visual representations relevant to the VizSec community. The poster program will be a great opportunity for the authors to interact with the attendees and solicit feedback. Accepted poster abstracts will be made available on VizSec website (http://vizsec.org) To submit a poster, please email an extended abstract as a PDF attachment to vizsec2017posters(a)cs.usfca.edu and include the author names and affiliations in the email body. Extended abstract should be at most 2 pages including the bibliography. Poster abstracts will be reviewed by the Poster Chair(s) and other members of the organizing committee to determine relevance to the VizSec community. Accepted authors must present a corresponding poster during the workshop. The poster authors can determine the layout by themselves, but the dimensions of the posters should not exceed the A0 space (841mm x 1189mm or 33.1" x 46.8"). Additionally, poster authors are requested to give a brief oral preview during a plenary "fast forward" session.

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26.WSCG conference - Call for Papers (includes GraVisMa & HCI-Europe confs.)
by Vaclav Skala 12 Aug '17

12 Aug '17

Conference Announcement and Call for Papers (WSCG 208, GraVisMa 2018, HCI-Europe 2018) ------------------------------------------------------------- >>> WSCG 2018 – 26. Int. Conf. on Computer Graphics, Visualization and Computer Vision >>> http://www.wscg.eu When: May 28 – June 1, 2018 Where: Primavera Congress Center, Pilsen (the City of Beer), close to Prague, Czech Republic (approx. 70 mins. from the Prague Airport by public transport) Satellite conferences: ------------------------ * GraVisMa 2018 - 5. Conference on Computer Graphics, Computer Vision and Computational Mathematics Includes special workshop: Radial Basis Function: Theory and Application in Physical Sciences http://www.GraVisMa.eu * HCI-Europe 2018 – 3. Conference on Human Computer Interaction 2018 https://www.hci-europe.eu Important dates --------------------- Submission: January 30, 2018 Acceptance decision: March 30, 2018 Final version due: May 10, 2018 Proceedings will be published in Computer Science Research Notes (ISSN 2464-4617). The best papers will be published in The Journal of WSCG (ISSN 1213-6972). Organizer & Chair --------------------- prof. Vaclav Skala, c/o University of West Bohemia, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Dept. of Computer Science and Engineering, Univerzitni 8, CZ 30614 Plzen http://www.VaclavSkala.eu Announcement sent via: infovis(a)infovis.org --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

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Call for Posters: Graph Drawing and Network Visualization GD 2017
by Fabrizio Frati 11 Aug '17

11 Aug '17

=========================================================================== Final Call for Posters GD 2017 25th International Symposium on Graph Drawing and Network Visualization September 25-27, 2017 - Boston, MA, U.S.A. http://graphdrawing.org/gd2017 =========================================================================== Graph Drawing is concerned with the geometric representation of graphs and constitutes the algorithmic core of Network Visualization. Graph Drawing and Network Visualization are motivated by applications where it is crucial to visually analyze and interact with relational datasets. Examples of such application areas include data science, social sciences, Web computing, information systems, biology, geography, business intelligence, information security and software engineering. GD has been the main annual event in this area for more than 20 years. Its focus is on combinatorial and algorithmic aspects of graph drawing as well as the design of network visualization systems and interfaces. GD 2017 will take place September 25-27, 2017 at the Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Researchers and practitioners working on any aspects of graph drawing and network visualization are invited to submit posters and to participate in the symposium. POSTER SUBMISSION INFORMATION ----------------------------- The submission of posters on graph drawing, network visualization, and related areas is solicited. The poster session will provide a forum for the communication of late-breaking research results (which may also appear elsewhere) to the GD community. Authors of posters should prepare an abstract (up to two pages in unmodified LNCS style -- no times package is allowed) that must be submitted together with the poster. Abstracts of accepted posters will appear in the conference proceedings (two pages). The maximum size for a poster is A0 (84.1 cm x 118.9 cm). The posters must be in portrait mode. Each submission will then consist of two pdf files (the two-page abstract and the poster) and must include names, email addresses and contact information of the contributors. Contributions must be submitted via EasyChair following the link provided on the conference web site. BEST POSTER AWARD ----------------- To recognize the effort of the participants in preparing and presenting their posters in a clear and elegant way, there will be a Best Poster Award voted on by the GD 2017 attendees. IMPORTANT DATES --------------- • Poster submission deadline August 17 (23:59 PDT) • Notification of poster acceptance August 28 • Final versions due September 3 • Symposium September 25-27 INVITED SPEAKERS ---------------- Timothy M. Chan, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA Alessandro Vespignani, Northeastern University, US PROGRAM COMMITTEE ----------------- Daniel Archambault, Swansea University, GB Benjamin Bach, University of Edinburgh, GB Fabian Beck, Universität Duisburg-Essen, DE Michael Bekos, Universität Tübingen, DE Therese Biedl, University of Waterloo, CA Giordano Da Lozzo, UC Irvine, US Vida Dujmovic, University of Ottawa, CA Stephane Durocher, University of Manitoba, CA Tim Dwyer, Monash University, AU Fabrizio Frati (co-chair), Università Roma Tre, IT Martin Gronemann, Universität zu Köln, DE John Alexis Guerra Gómez, Universidad de los Andes, CO Michael Hoffmann, ETH Zürich, CH Yifan Hu, Yahoo Research, US Takayuki Itoh, Ochanomizu University, JP Anna Lubiw, University of Waterloo, CA Kwan-Liu Ma (co-chair), UC Davis, US Fabrizio Montecchiani, Università degli Studi di Perugia, IT Martin Nöllenburg, Technische Universität Wien, AT Arnaud Sallaberry, LIRMM, FR Andrew Suk, University of Illinois at Chicago, US Antonios Symvonis, National Technical University of Athens, GR Ioannis Tollis, University of Crete, GR Csaba Tóth, California State University Northridge, US Alexander Wolff, Universität Würzburg, DE Jian Zhao, FX Palo Alto Laboratory, US ORGANIZING COMMITTEE -------------------- Cody Dunne (co-chair), Northeastern University, US Alan Keahey (co-chair), Conversant, US CONTEST COMMITTEE ----------------- Philipp Kindermann, Universität Würzburg, DE Maarten Löffler (chair), Utrecht University, NL Ignaz Rutter, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, DE

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Call for Nominations -- IEEE VGTC VPG Doctoral Dissertation Award -- Aug 15
by Chris North 07 Aug '17

07 Aug '17

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS The IEEE VGTC VPG Doctoral Dissertation Award http://vacommunity.org/ieeevpg/bestthesis/ <http://vacommunity.org/ieeevpg/bestthesis/> IEEE Visualization and Graphics Technical Committee (VGTC) sponsors the annual Best Doctoral Dissertation Award program to recognize outstanding academic research and development in visualization and visual analytics. The dissertations must address a topic relevant to visualization or visual analytics. The competition will be administrated by the IEEE Visualization Pioneers Group (VPG) under the auspices of IEEE VGTC. The IEEE VGTC VPG Doctoral Dissertation Award is presented annually at the IEEE VPG Reception held at the IEEE VIS conference. ELIGIBILITY All English language dissertations that have been successfully defended between Aug 15 two years before the award and Aug 15 of the year of the competition are eligible (e.g. between Aug 15, 2015 and Aug 15, 2017 are eligible for the 2017 competition). SUBMISSION LIMITATION There is no limitation on the number of nominations that may be made by a university. SUBMISSION DEADLINE Nomination packets must be received by 5pm PDT on August 15, 2017. SELECTION PROCEDURE Five IEEE VPG members will form a review committee to thoroughly review and assess the dissertation submissions. The committee will judge the dissertations based on their intellectual merit, technical depth, and presentation quality. The selection committee will recommend the winning dissertation to the IEEE VGTC chair by October 1. AWARDS The winner of the IEEE VGTC VPG Doctoral Dissertation Award will receive not only a monetary prize of $500 provided by IEEE VGTC, but also a chance to describe the impact of the winning dissertation in an invited article that may be published in IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications (CG&A). Professor Jim Foley of Georgia Tech and the editor of the CG&A Dissertation Impact Department will make the final determination about whether the article will be published. The CG&A Dissertation Impact Department recognizes the best and brightest dissertation work nominated by different visualization, computer graphics, and virtual reality technical communities from around the world. SUBMISSION DETAILS The student’s advisor should email the nomination package to vpg_awards(a)vgtc.org <mailto:vpg_awards@vgtc.org>. The package must include: A nomination letter written by the student’s advisor, which includes: the name, email address, and phone number of the advisor, the name and email address of the candidate, and a one-page summary of the significance of the dissertation (references to papers should be provided on an extra sheet) A copy of the dissertation. Optional additional letters of recommendation can be attached to the submission.

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1st SIGGRAPH ASIA Workshop on ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE meets VIRTUAL AND AUGMENTED REALITIES
by Artur Lugmayr 07 Aug '17

07 Aug '17

================================================================================================= Call for Papers, Abstracts, Demos and Posters 1st Workshop on ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE MEETS VIRTUAL AND AUGMENTED REALITIES AI-VR-AR 2017 in conjunction with SIGGRAPH ASIA 2017 27th-30th November 2017 Bangkok, Thailand http://aivr.ambientmediaassociation.org The workshop intends to attract a broad range of contributions to develop this scholarly field during a full day venue. We invite scholars and practitioners to discuss synergies between virtual and augmented reality (VR & AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). The aim is to gather a cross-disciplinary team of experts with a background in computer science, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), psychology/cognitive sciences, culture/communication studies, design and art to develop this fascinating intersection. The aspects to discuss range from user-experience, technologies applications, methods, cultural implications, communication theories, to artistic approaches. Workshop Highlights: - Workshop proceedings published in a Scopus indexed series - Best papers are published as part of an edited book or journal special issue with high level publisher - Submission deadline: 15 August, 2017 ================================================================================================= While AI's main aim is to replicate human intelligence, AR and VR focuses its research efforts on the creation of artificial worlds either in complete virtual world, or as part of our physical environment. Many examples that bridge the two fields have emerged recently, e.g. intelligence in digital games, utilization of computer graphics hardware for deep learning and AI, emotional and affective interaction, etc. Thus, while AI and VR/AR went rather distinct research pathways, we attempt to bring them together, and discuss different aspects at the intersection of machine intelligence and human interaction in a mixed reality. We raise the question: what happens when artificial worlds start to think, and we humans interact with it? We would like to follow up the philosophical discussions around issues such as what happens when things start to think, and Alan Turing's works. In this workshop, we would like to raise a question: what would happen when artificial worlds start to think, and how we humans can interact and communicate with AI through e.g. affective interfaces? As our emphasis is on creating the synergy between VR/AR and AI/ML, we are not limited to particular areas; instead, the following exemplary topics might help to gather ideas for a possible contribution: affective and emotional computation, communication with AI, digital game analytics, utilization of computer graphics hardware for deep learning, personalization and recommender systems, UX with agents and physical robots, cultural robotics, or AI in information visualization. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TOPICS OF INTEREST (BUT NOT LIMITED TO) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * Artificial Intelligence and machine learning in VR/AR * Emotions and AI in VR, AR, and smart objects * Human-Computer-Interaction with AI in virtual worlds * Digital games and artificial intelligence * How do humans communicate with AI * Emotion enriched human-AI collaboration * AI in digital games and other application areas * User-Experience and interaction with AI * Intelligent interaction with robots and physical objects * Visualisation of cultural data * Affective human-virtual world interaction * Design of emotionally intelligent AI * Recommender systems and personalisation in VR, AR * Information visualisation and AI and ML * Communication theory and cognitive science * Affective ambient intelligence in mixed realities * UX with AI agents or physical robots * AI based emotion mediated communication in VR/AR * Tools for authoring emotional intelligence in VR/AR * Multimodal affective interfaces in VR/AR * Human-human emotional communication in VR/AR * Cultural robotics The workshop proceedings will be published in a Scopus indexed proceedings series with an ISBN number as part of the Semantic Ambient Media Experience (SAME) workshop series. The very best contributions will be published in an edited book from a highly reputable publisher which has been pre-arranged. Please note that only selected high quality contributions will be published as part of the edited book. However, during the workshop a common journal article co-authored between all workshop participants will be published as an introduction chapter. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ IMPORTANT DATES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 15/08/2017: Deadline for workshop papers 21/08/2017: Notification of accepted workshop papers 31/08/2017: Camera ready workshop papers 29/09/2017: Registration for the Workshop 27/11/2017: Workshop Day ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SUBMISSION GUIDELINES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The workshop program stretches over a full-day, and will contain a combination of invited keynote presentations, oral presentations, posters, and demonstrations. We are calling for paper submissions of extended abstracts between 2-5 pages long, following the submission format of SIGGRAPH Asia's style template. Please choose one of the three submission categories: * Abstract: 1-2 pages long * Short paper, demo, or poster: 2-4 pages long * Long paper: 4-6 pages long Please download the paper template from: https://sa2017.siggraph.org/submitters/submission-information?faqitem=accor… The copyright form can be downloaded from: http://www.visemex.ambientmediaassociation.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/C… Your submission should include: scanned signed copyright form + original contribution in word or latex + pdf of the paper Please do NOT include the ACM copyright strip (first page, bottom left) into your submission Add ALL your files (copyright form, word document/latex files, scanned copyright form) into ONE zip file. Upload the zip file to the workshop submission system on: http://www.ambientmediaassociation.org/Submissions/2017AIVR/openconf.php ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ RECOMMENDED READINGS PRIOR SUBMISSION ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ We strongly recommend the ideas and topics from the following papers prior your submission or as part of a paper submission in its discussion section: * Lugmayr, A. et al., 2017. Cognitive Big Data. Survey and Review on Big Data Research and its Implications: What is Really "New"? Cognitive Big Data! Journal of Knowledge Management (JMM), 21(1). Available at: http://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/products/journals/call_for_papers.htm…, Journal of Knowledge Management/Emerald. * Sun, M., Zhao, Z., and Ma, X. (2017). Sensing and Handling Engagement Dynamics in Human-Robot Interaction Involving Peripheral Computing Devices. In Proc. CHI2017 (to appear). * Zhu, F., Fang, K., and Ma, X. (2017). Exploring the Effects of Strategy and Arousal of Cueing in Computer-Human Persuasion. In Proc. CHI2017 EA (to appear). * Yang, Y., Ma, X., and Fung, P. (2017). Perceived Emotional Intelligence in Virtual Agents. In Proc. CHI2017 EA (to appear). * Ma, X. (2016). Developing Design Guidelines for a Visual Vocabulary of Electronic Medical Information to Improve Health Literacy. Interacting with Computers. * Zhu, K., Ma, X., Chen, H., and Liang, M. (2016). Tripartite Effects: Exploring Users' Mental Model of Mobile Gestures under the Influence of Operation, Handheld Posture, and Interaction Space. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction. * A. Lugmayr, E. Serral, A. Scherp, B. Pogorelc, and M. Mustaquim, "Ambient media today and tomorrow," Multimedia Tools and Applications, vol. 71, 2014, pp. 7-37 Available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11042-012-1346-z. * ZHU Kening, ZHU Rongbo, H SAMANI, BB JALAEIAN, PaperIO: a 3D interface towards the internet of embedded paper-craft, IEICE Transactions on Information and Systems, 2014 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ WORKSHOP ORGANISERS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Artur Lugmayr Associate Professor School of Media, Culture and Creative Arts Curtin University, Australia Kening Zhu Assistant Professor School of Creative Media, City University of Hong Kong Xiaojuan Ma Assistant Professor Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONTACT INFORMATION ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ In case of questions, please don't hesitate to contact: artur.lugmayr(a)artur-lugmayr.com<mailto:artur.lugmayr@artur-lugmayr.com>

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