CALL FOR PAPERS

** LEARNING IN ROBOTS AND ANIMALS **
An AISB-96 two-day workshop

University of Sussex, Brighton, UK: April, 1st & 2nd, 1996
Co-Sponsored by IEE Professional Group C4 (Artificial Intelligence)

WORKSHOP ORGANISERS:
Noel Sharkey (chair), University of Sheffield, UK.
Gillian Hayes, University of Edinburgh, UK.
Jan Heemskerk, University of Sheffield, UK.
Tony Prescott, University of Sheffield, UK.

PROGRAMME COMMITTEE:
Dave Cliff, UK.
Marco Dorigo, Italy.
Frans Groen, Netherlands.
John Hallam, UK.
John Mayhew, UK.
Martin Nillson, Sweden
Claude Touzet, France
Barbara Webb, UK.
Uwe Zimmer, Germany.
Maja Mataric, USA.

For Registration Information: alisonw@cogs.susx.ac.uk

In the last five years there has been an explosion of research on
Neural Networks and Robotics from both a self-learning and an
evolutionary perspective. Within this movement there is also a growing
interest in natural adaptive systems as a source of ideas for the
design of robots, while robots are beginning to be seen as an
effective means of evaluating theories of animal learning and
behaviour. A fascinating interchange of ideas has begun between a
number of hitherto disparate areas of research and a shared science of
adaptive autonomous agents is emerging. This two-day workshop
proposes to bring together an international group to both present
papers of their most recent research, and to discuss the direction of
this emerging field.

WORKSHOP FORMAT:
The workshop will consist of half-hour presentations with at least 15
minutes being allowed for discussion at the end of each presentation.
Short videos of mobile robot systems may be included in presentations.
Proposals for robot demonstrations are also welcome. Please contact
the workshop organisers if you are considering bringing a robot as
some local assistance can be arranged. The workshop format may change
once the number of accepted papers is known, in particular, there may
be some poster presentations.

WORKSHOP CONTRIBUTIONS:
Contributions are sought from researchers in any field with an
interest in the issues outlined above.

Areas of particular interest include the following

* Reinforcement, supervised, and imitation learning methods for
autonomous robots

* Evolutionary methods for robotics

* The development of modular architectures and reusable representations

* Computational models of animal learning with relevance to robots,
robot control systems modelled on animal behaviour

* Reviews or position papers on learning in autonomous agents

Papers will ideally emphasise real world problems, robot implementations,
or show clear relevance to the understanding of learning in both
natural and artificial systems.

Papers should not exceed 5000 words length. Please submit four hard copies
to the Workshop Chair (address below) by 30th January, 1996.
All papers will be refereed by the Workshop Committee and other
specialists. Authors of accepted papers will be notified by 24th February

Final versions of accepted papers must be submitted by 10th March, 1996.
A collated set of workshop papers will be distributed to workshop attenders.
We are currently negotiating to publish the workshop proceedings as a book.

SUBMISSIONS TO:
Noel Sharkey
Department of Computer Science
Regent Court
University of Sheffield
S1 4DP, Sheffield, UK
email: n.sharkey@dcs.sheffield.ac.uk

For further information about AISB96

ftp ftp.cogs.susx.ac.uk