WS16: Animal-Computer Interaction (ACI): Pushing Boundaries beyond ‘Human’

Clara Mancini, The Open University; Oskar Juhlin, Stockholm University; Adrian David Cheock, City University London; Janet van der Linden, The Open University; Shaun Lawson, University of Lincoln
 
27 October 2014, Helsinki, Finland
Workshop website

Workshop in short

While traditionally animal technology has been the concern of other disciplines, more recently the HCI community has begun to take a keen interest in computer interactions involving animals, particularly in the context of human-animal interactions, concomitantly with a growing market of various types of digital technologies aimed at animals and their humans.

An increasing body of work originating from within the HCI community is shaping an emerging discipline, which – by analogy with HCI – has been dubbed Animal-Computer Interaction (ACI) and comprises: studying the interaction between animals, technology and humans in naturalistic settings; developing user-centered technology that supports animals and interspecies relationships; informing user-centered approaches to the design of technology intended for animals.

Although ACI-related work is increasing, interested researchers have until now had limited opportunities to gather as a community to discuss ACI-related themes and future directions for developing ACI as a discipline. This one-day workshop aims to bring together researchers who have worked or are interested in ACI, from within HCI or other relevant disciplines. Workshop activities (including short presentations, group design exercises and plenary discussions) aim to encourage participants’ active engagement, facilitating the collaborative exploration of questions relevant to ACI.

We invite position papers (up to four pages in ACM extended abstract format) on theories, applications and practices related, for example, to: interaction modalities for diverse sensorial apparatuses, cognitive capabilities, and ergonomic characteristics; methodologies potentially useful for researching, designing or evaluating multispecies technology; ethical frameworks and approaches possibly appropriate for working with human and other animals.

Workshop website