Message-ID:  <199511112138.NAA26286@hitl.hitl.washington.edu>
Date:         Sat, 11 Nov 1995 10:02:51 -0700
Reply-To: karen whittaker <vfoao0eo@HUEY.CSUN.EDU>
Sender: "VR / sci.virtual-worlds" <VIRTU-L@VMD.CSO.UIUC.EDU>
From: karen whittaker <vfoao0eo@HUEY.CSUN.EDU>
Subject:      CFP: European Conference on Disability, VR and Assoc. Tech.
To: Multiple recipients of list VIRTU-L <VIRTU-L@VMD.CSO.UIUC.EDU>

Reply to: P.M.Sharkey@reading.ac.uk
Resent-To: virtu-l@vmd.cso.uiuc.edu
Resent-Date: Sat, 11 Nov 95 13:38:06 -0800
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      European Conference on Disability, Virtual Reality
            and Associated Technologies - 1996

      July 8-9-10, 1996, Maidenhead (near London), UK

*****************FINAL CALL FOR PAPERS***********************

           Deadline for abstracts: 1 Dec 1995

Web page: http://www.cyber.rdg.ac.uk/cyb/ecdvrat96/ecdvrat96.html
Email: ecdvrat96-request@cyber.reading.ac.uk

The purpose of this first European Conference on Disability, Virtual
Reality and Associated Technologies is to provide a forum for
international experts and researchers to present and review how
advances in the general area of Virtual Reality can be used to assist
people with Disability. This international conference will encompass
all aspects of technology used in Virtual Reality systems. Papers are
sought in which technical innovation is backed up by evidence of
original and practical implementation, or which promise practical
implementation in the very near future. Presentations which include
video material and/or experimental systems are particularly welcome.
Facilities for presenting such material will be available at the
conference.

The research presented at the conference will be presented in a peer
reviewed Proceedings which will be made widely available. Selected
papers will be reviewed for possible inclusion in an associated
journal. Also available at the conference will be an exhibition area
for commercial companies to present their products, and
demonstration/multi-media facilities for research presented at the
conference.  Finally it is hoped that the conference will act as a
focus for international collaboration.

The first conference will be held in the Holiday Inn, Maidenhead, a
town situated 30 minutes from Heathrow, London and Oxford. Subsequent
conferences will be held on an annual basis at different centres
across Europe. Initial conference sponsors: BT and the University of
Reading.

Topics:

Papers are encouraged in all areas which span Disability, Virtual
Reality and its Associated Technologies, encompassing both practical
application and more generic research. The following topics are just a
few of those which will be relevant to the conference:

  Telepresence for people with disability;
  Input Devices, Sensors and Actuators;
  Communications aids; multi-user systems for user interaction;
  Tools for architectural/CAD design; visual impairment through virtual
        simulation; wheelchair navigation through virtual environments;
  Testing designs of products for the disabled;
  Training tools: for personnel assisting people with disability; to
        heighten public awareness; for people with disability for
        rehabilitation;
  Augmented reality for people with disability;
  3D sound;
  Cognitive processing and virtual environments;
  Human Factors issues;

The conference Programme Committee also welcomes proposals for posters
outlining the kernels of collaborative research with the specific aim
of fostering international collaboration for the development of
cooperative research proposals seeking European Community or other
similar programme support.

Publication of Papers:

All accepted papers will be published in the conference Proceedings
which will be available at the conference. A Video Proceedings will
supplement the conference proceedings if the quality and content is of
sufficient interest.

Submission of Papers:

Authors are requested to send 3 copies of a 2 page extended abstract, or 1
page abstract plus VHS video (PAL format) to:

ECDVRAT 96
Dr Paul M Sharkey,
Dept. of Cybernetics, University of Reading,
Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6AY, UK

Voice: +44 (0)1734 316 704, Fax: +44 (0)1734 318 220
Email: ecdvrat96@cyber.reading.ac.uk

General enquiries: ecdvrat96-request@cyber.reading.ac.uk

WWW page: http://www.cyber.rdg.ac.uk/cyb/ecdvrat96/ecdvrat96.html

The abstract should include:

Title;
All author's names, affiliations, and addresses;
Name of author to contact for correspondence;
Email address and fax number of contact;
Up to 5 keywords to describe the paper.

Please note that each submission will be reviewed under the following
specific headings: originality of concept(s); clarity of presentation;
relevence to the conference; technical soundness; and importance of
results.  It is particularly important to provide sufficient
information for the last two headings in the abstract to facilitate
assessment. The conference language is English.

On submission of the final paper, authors should indicate their
preference for "Oral Presentation" or "Poster Presentation". All oral
presentations will be c. 20 minutes, allowing 5 minutes for specific
questions, and with a further discussion period scheduled for the end
of each session. Poster presentations will be on display through the
course of the Conference. 3 papers will be chosen for keynote
presentation (30 min., first session) and a prize will be given for
the best conference paper from young researcher(s).

All papers accepted for Oral Presentation should be presented by one
of the contributing authors at the conference.

Important Dates:

In order to produce the conference Proceedings in time for the
conference it is important that the following dates are strictly
respected:

Submission of Abstracts                 December 1, 1995
Notification of Acceptance              January 31, 1996
Submission of Camera Ready Copy         April 15, 1996

The registration fee will be announced on January 31 and will include
full attendance to all sessions, lunches and coffee breaks,
pre-conference reception, Conference Banquet, and Conference
Proceedings.  Accommodation is not included but will be available at
reasonable rates.  There will be a reduced registration fee for
conference speakers and early registration. Furthermore, a limited
number of places will be reserved at considerably reduced rates for
registered students and people with disabilities. Extra banquet
tickets will be available.

International Programme Committee:

Dr. David Brown, VIRART, Dept. of Manufacturing Engineering,
        University of Nottingham, UK
Mr. Riach Cammoun, Commisariat a Energie Atomique, Cedex, France
Dr. Sylvie Collins, Dept. of Psychology, University of Leeds, UK
Prof. Paolo Dario, Scuola Superiore D. Anna, Pisa, Italy
Prof. Toshio Fukuda, Dept. of Mechano-Informatics and Systems, Nagoya
        University, Japan
Prof. Jim Hewit, Dept. of Appl. Physics and Electronic & Manuf. Eng.,
        University of Dundee, UK
Dr. Javier Ibanez-Guzman, ESA IGELEC, Saint-Nazaire, France
Dr. Harry Murphy, Centre on Disabilities, California State University,
        Northridge, USA
Dr. Stuart Neilson, Centre for Health and Disability Studies, Brunel
        University, London, UK
Prof. Alan Newell, Applied Computer Studies Division, University of
        Dundee, UK
Dr. Helen Petrie, Dept. of Health and Human Sciences, University of
        Hertfordshire, UK
Mr. Chris Ramsden, Clinical Engineering and Design Systems, Royal
        Hospital for Neuro-Disability, London, UK
        also Hon. Sec. of the British Institute for Design and Disability
Prof. David Rose, Dept. of Psychology, University of East London, UK
Mr. Simon Rushton, Dept. of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, UK
Dr. Paul Sharkey, Dept. of Cybernetics, University of Reading, UK
Mr. Phil Smythe, BT, Martlesham Heath, Ipswich, UK
Prof. Kevin Warwick, Dept. of Cybernetics, University of Reading, UK
Dr. Paul Wilson, Virtual Reality Research Group, Dept. of Psychology,
        University of Leicester, UK
Dr. Ali Zalzala, Dept. of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering,
        University of Sheffield, UK

Local Organising Committee:

Dr. Paul Sharkey, Dept. of Cybernetics, University of Reading, UK
Mr. Martyn Cooper, Technology & Disability Research Group, Dept. of
        Cybernetics, University of Reading, UK
Mr David Roberts, Dept. of Cybernetics, University of Reading, UK
Mr Phil Smythe, BT, Martlesham Heath, Ipswich, UK


If you require specific information not covered above please
email ecdvrat96@cyber.reading.ac.uk