Call for Papers Symposium on Language, Speech and Gesture for Expressive Characters http://homepages.cs.ncl.ac.uk/p.l.olivier/expressivecharacters AISB Convention 2-5th April 2007 Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK Research into expressive characters is a growing field, and simultaneously new work in human-robot interaction (HRI) has also focused on issues of expressive behaviour. With recent developments in computer graphics, natural language engineering and speech processing, much of the technological platform for expressive characters - both graphical and robotic - is in place. However, progress is hampered by the need to integrate work in various sub-fields of psychology, in natural language processing, speech and in computer graphics, carried out by many different groups in communities that do not always intersect. Other areas, such as integrating gesture and facial expression and affective state with language and speech, are less developed but vital to progress. The symposium aims to bring together psychologists, experts in natural language and speech technologies, researchers in embodied agents (graphical and robotic), affective computing and computer graphics and animation researchers. Contributions are invited one or more of the following topics: * empirical studies of gesture and facial expression * frameworks for the specification and analysis of gesture and facial * expression for expressive characters * gesture and facial expression modelling and animation * evaluation of expressive characters * appropriate natural language processing architectures * natural language generation * dialogue systems and question answering * language and gesture coordination * language and facial expression coordination * language and action integration * emotional language * personality modelling, language and speech * lip synchronisation and combination with facial expression * affect in speech synthesis and recognition Submission Guidelines Potential participants who would wish to present their work at the symposium (poster, demo, or oral presentation) should submit an extended abstract of 1000-2500 words. Contributions should describe work in progress, completed work, positions, or give insight into the current state or perspectives of research in the topic of the symposium. All submissions must include: title, author(s) name(s), affiliation(s), postal and e-mail addresses and should be PDF file created using the ECAI submission format (PDF instructions or Latex style files) The abstracts submission deadline for this symposium is 8th January, 2007. Extended abstracts of 1000-2500 words should be sent by e-mail to: ruth@macs.hw.ac.uk & j.glauert@cmp.uea.ac.uk & p.l.olivier@ncl.ac.uk Authors of accepted submissions will be asked to contribute a paper to the symposium proceedings, edited by the AISB Society. The deadline for camera- ready papers is 14 February, 2007 (hard deadline!). Since contributions will be evaluated on the basis of extended abstracts, it is very important that authors make very clear why and how their contribution is relevant to the symposium. Abstracts should explain clearly: * What problem you are trying to address. * Why this is an interesting problem, and how and why it is relevant to the theme of the symposium. * What has been tried before (in your community, in different communities) and why/how your contribution is better/different/more original. * How it will help others/contribute to/enrich research or applications having to do with the animation of expressive characters for social interactions. * Some results/proof/hint it works (how can your work be evaluated?) * Abstracts will be evaluated for acceptance as long papers, posters, system demonstrations and expressions of interest. Important Dates 8th January 2007 Submissions (extended abstracts) due 22nd January 2007 Notification to authors 14th February 2007 Camera-ready papers due (hard deadline!) 2nd April - 5th April 2007 AISB'07 Convention Oraganisers Ruth Aylett Maths and Computer Science Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh EH14 4AS Email: ruth@macs.hw.ac.uk John Glauert School of Computing Sciences University of East Anglia Norwich NR4 7TJ Email: J.Glauert@cmp.uea.ac.uk Patrick Olivier Culture Lab Kings Walk Newcastle University NE1 7RU Email: p.l.olivier@ncl.ac.uk