31st August 2016 at Teachers College,
Columbia University, NY
WHAT ARE OUR AIMS?
Cognitive neuroscience methods such as brain imaging are increasingly being used to address research questions of relevance to robotics, robot-human communication and interaction. The aim of this workshop is to provide an overview of state-of-the-art work at the intersection of human-robot interaction (HRI) and human neuroscience, to address the potential benefits as well as the unique challenges of such novel and interdisciplinary research, and to help increase communication between researchers from different yet complementary disciplines, with the hope of catalyzing new ideas and collaborations.
Cognitive neuroscientists with expertise in several topics of interest for RO-MAN 2016 (including but not limited to embodiment, empathy, social cognition, nonverbal communication via body movements, gestures, facial expressions, anthropomorphism, learning and imitation, social presence, social knowledge, inference of human states, machine learning and brain-machine interfaces) will present work of relevance to RO-MAN, highlight not only how neuroscience studies involving robotics have led to insights on the human cognitive and neural mechanisms of interaction, communication, and collaboration, but also how the findings inform the design and development of new robots, robot-human collaborative systems, interaction modalities and interfaces.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND THE WORKSHOP?
Robotics and neuroscience both being active, rapidly developing, and high priority research areas, and the combination of expertise across disciplines holding great promise for advances in both theory and applications of robot and human interaction, communication and collaboration, the workshop will serve an important role in improving communication between researchers coming from different backgrounds. The audience is expected to include researchers primarily from robotics and interaction design who may not be as familiar with neuroimaging and human neuroscience approaches and their potential benefits and applications, as well as human behavioral and neuroscience researchers whose interests include robot-human communication and collaboration, but are not as familiar with the priorities and concerns of robotics.
WHAT WILL BE COVERED BY THE WORKSHOP?
The workshop will include introduction of state-of-the-art neuroscience and neuroimaging methods at a level suitable for non-neuroscientists, as well as highlight exemplary studies that demonstrate the use these methods to advance our understanding of interaction, communication and collaboration. We will solicit submissions from the broader community for oral or poster presentations. The workshop will include an interactive multi-part panel discussion in which interdisciplinary challenges of the field, peer-review process, and future directions will be explored with all participants and panelists.