[Apologies for cross-posting]

[Please pass this CFP on to others who may be interested in it.]

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SECOND CALL FOR PAPERS - AISB 2005 SYMPOSIUM
Robotics, Mechatronics and Animatronics in the Creative and Entertainment
Industries and Arts
http://crrn.open.ac.uk/aisb

13 April 2005 (as part of the AISB 2005 convention
(http://aisb2005.feis.herts.ac.uk/), 12-15 April inclusive)
University of Hertfordshire, de Havilland Campus, Hatfield, England

An EPSRC CREATIVE ROBOTICS RESEARCH NETWORK (CRRN) event.
CRRN mailing list:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/CREATIVE-ROBOTICS-NETWORK-INFO.html

Relevant Topics include, but are not limited to:

- advanced Animatronics for Television, Art Galleries, Theatres, Amusement
Parks and Museums
- state-of-the-art presentation robots
- Cybernetic art/robots as artwork
- robot music
- artwork creating robots/robot painting
- educational robots
- human robot interaction
- robot tour guides
- public engagement with robotics and engineering, mechatronics and
animatronics
- public robot competitions
- public demonstrations of simulated intelligent behaviour

Papers should be 6-8 pages long, double-column (very similar to AAAI
format). Papers will appear in the Symposium proceedings and potentially a
special journal issue.

Robot exhibits and demonstrations are also welcome - please submit a short
video or illustrated description.

Select papers will be published in ACM Computers in Entertainment journal.

There may also be an opportunity for a 'robot performance' in the evening
following the symposium. Interested parties should contact
[log in to unmask] as soon as possible.

IMPORTANT DATES (subject to change, but not by much...)

15 September Expressions of Interest for Live Performance
12th November 2004: Submissions due
22 November 2004: Notification deadline
17 December 2004: camera ready copies due
14 January 2005: early registration deadline, deadline for complete 
proceedings to be received by convention organisers
12-15 April 2005: AISB 2005 convention

CONTACT: [log in to unmask]

SYMPOSIUM WEBSITE: http://crrn.open.ac.uk/aisb

[FORTHCOMING CREATIVE ROBOTICS WEBSITE: http://www.creativerobotics.org.uk]

Background:
Over the last few years, robotic and animatronic technologies have been
increasingly used in the creative and entertainment industries. Continuing
miniaturisation and ever more powerful programmable ICs mean that
animatronic models, once the province of remote control, are now ever more
capable of operating responsively and autonomously. Recent advances in
robotics related technologies and design approaches, coupled with
reasonable, increasing expectations of what robots are capable of makes
the identification of a coherent field of creative robotics particularly
timely.

This Symposium seeks to bring together academic researchers, industry
representatives and arts practitioners to explore the expressive potential
of 'creative robotics' technologies in both small works and in the wider
context of the creative and entertainment industries. To date, the field
of creative robotics, and the corresponding opportunities for cross-sector
networking, are largely overlooked. Interestingly, the British Council's
recently produced opt-in, informal audit of UK robotics does recognise
such a sector, even taking a ‘Creative Robotics’ roadshow to China in
2003. However, the emphasis there largely concentrated on exploiting the
popularity of television programmes such as Robot Wars and Technogames,
rather than directly promoting the highly refined robotics related
technologies developed within academia and the creative and entertainment
industries.

A Government sponsored mapping document defining the creative industries
currently includes “Interactive Leisure Software”,  “Software and Computer
Services”, “Film and Video”, “Crafts” and “Design” but does not mention
robotics as such. The Symposium will help promote “Creative Robotics,
Mechatronics, and Animatronics” as an area worthy of recognition in
forthcoming Creative Industries Mapping exercises.

Studies of future markets for robotic products have identified
entertainment robots as being one of the most likely to succeed in early
markets.  An example is Sony's robot dog Aibo. Public acceptance of
entertainment and domestic robots is critically dependent on their look
and feel.  Artists are needed to make the appearance of these robots
friendly and appealing while often, but not always, keeping their robotic
basis evident.  This symposium seeks to bring together the disparate robot
and artistic communities for the mutual benefit of creative robotics and
to present a more positive image of robotics and the robotics community.
The symposium will aim to foster closer relationships between science,
technology and arts/performance research sectors as well as the creative
industries and act as a launchpad for technology transfer from academic
research into creative applications.

This is likely to be beneficial on several grounds:

- much research output never it makes it out of the lab, or further into
the public domain than academic conferences or publications. Creative and
'artistic' demonstrations open up new application areas and provide an
accessible way of engaging the public and revealing to them something of
the potential of a particular piece of research. 

- applications and themed activities provide a rich and highly motivating
context for learning about, developing and applying techniques 'for real'
in an educational setting. The Symposium will therefore provide an
opportunity to develop and publicise technologies for teaching robotics
and using robotics as a creative educational tool.

-The UK Government set up NESTA the National Endowment for Science,
Technology and the Arts with the specific aim of funding co-operative
activities between scientists, engineers and artists.  This symposium
responds to that interest.

The Symposium will therefore provide an opportunity for robotics
researchers to describe creative applications of their research effort as
well as discussing technical issues and approaches that are relevant to
the use of robotics in the creative industries and entertainment sectors.

Members of the recently established EPSRC funded Creative Robotics
Research Network are strongly encouraged to attend the event.

Convener: Dr Tony Hirst, Robotics Outreach Group, Open Unniversity
([log in to unmask])
Administration: Dr Ashley Green, Robotics Outreach Group, Open University
([log in to unmask])

----------------------------------------------------
Tony Hirst
mailto:[log in to unmask]

Dept. of ICT, Faculty of Technology
Open University, Walton Hall,
Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK

Tel: +44 (0)19086 52789, m./SMS 07709 766223
Fax my email: 0871 8729323

http://robofesta.open.ac.uk
http://www.robofesta-uk.org