Special Areas introduce topics and application fields where human-computer interaction plays an eminent role. See the Technical Program Overview to locate sessions focusing on Special Areas in support of the conference theme, CONNECT— and CHI2004 will create the opportunity for you to connect your work to our community throughout the conference in regularly scheduled and special events.
Some associate AmI with "user-friendly information and services anywhere and anytime," others with "digitally empowered smart everyday objects and physical environments." Still others relate it to the anticipated cross-fertilization of three emerging technology fields: (a) ubiquitous computing, (b) wireless and ubiquitous communication, and (c) intelligent multimodal user interfaces. Regardless of which perspective is preferred, AmI has a special focus on interface and interaction design. The purpose of the Ambient Intelligence Special Area is to showcase the diversity of AmI research contributing to the implementation of the AmI vision. Examples are the Disappearing Computer Initiatives I and II.
HCI research and practice within the Ambient Intelligence vision
presentations on visionary AmI scenarios and showcase implementations that identify and illustrate upcoming challenges for HCI research
interactive events, such as multidisciplinary expert panels discussing HCI related issues of AmI
a limited number of related system demonstrators or installations
posters that link to ongoing AmI projects, initiatives, and networks
CHI2004 aims to shed light on the question of how HCI techniques can help to understand and shape the AmI era. This will help to make the implications and relevance of HCI work explicit to people and initiatives in the emerging AmI domain.
HCI overviews provide a particularly well-suited means for European research groups to present themselves; Demonstrations show innovative European application systems, and Posters submitted to the Late Breaking Results venue are an ideal starting point for a dialogue between European research project partners and the CHI community. Attendees can look forward to special sessions on European HCI research directions and the "European way" of HCI. Through its geographical location in central Europe, CHI2004 provides a unique opportunity for Eastern Europeans to participate, supported by the Development Consortium.
The video game industry is one of the fastest growing forms of entertainment with over $10 billion dollars in 2002 worldwide sales and more than 50% of US households playing computer and video games. Each year hundreds of major software applications are produced by scores of development houses and published by some of the biggest names in the computer and electronics industry. Due to fierce industry competition and demand for novelty, there is high-speed innovation in interface design, input devices, graphics, social communication and development process. But the larger computing community knows little about the wide variety of games that come out each year, let alone the research and design that is being done to build the next exciting generation of games.
CHI2004 offers you an unprecedented opportunity to connect with the broader CHI community and expand the traditional interpretation of the computer in human-computer interaction. Show the CHI community how your work applies to problems that they need to solve. See the Technical Program Overview to locate sessions focusing on games, including Papers; Demonstrations of techniques and methods, interface concepts or HCI systems; Panel presentations on hot-button topics, Tutorials to teach key skills; Workshops to collaborate on difficult issues; and Design Case Studies to show off the gaming experiences that will shape the future.
More than a thousand million users subscribe to mobile communication services, with an additional half million users signing up daily. Personal communication has developed at a frenzied pace over the past decade. This is especially true for mobile telephony (third generation mobile systems currently being introduced) and communication over the Internet, as mobile telecommunication devices and services are becoming the largest consumer product segment in the world.
Telecommunication, converging with information processing, intersecting with mobility and the Internet, is leading to the development of new, interactive applications and services required to offer service- and experience-centred global access, for all.
See the Technical Program Overview to locate sessions focusing on exploring mobile communications opportunities, including:
HCI overviews to share best and worse practice
Demos and exhibits
Design Case Studies
Workshops
Tutorial
Panels on key issues and challenges
We ask the community working in this area to challenge CHI2004 attendees with concepts and projects addressing the implications of multi-modal enablers, service adaptability, terminal connectivity and inter-working, multi-modality and modularity, individualization and personalization, and social acceptability stressing inclusion and children's needs expressed through non-intrusiveness and fashion. Submissions are assumed to include aspects of realism, real-life impact, fun, and creativity.
CHI2004 wants to showcase your work in "off the desktop" user interfaces for interaction on the move. See the Technical Program Overview to locate sessions focusing on exciting new work in robotics and transportation at the conference.
If you are working in the following areas, please join us:
User interaction with "smart" cars
Robotics and interaction design
Legal and social implications of autonomous robotics
Robotics-aided search and rescue
Remote exploration
Robotic transportation vehicles and systems
We look forward to engaging CHI2004 attendees in demos, presentations, and discussions on the following questions:
What are the challenges in designing user interfaces for platforms with some degree of automony that move about in physical space?
How do we optimize designs to minimize cognitive load, keep the user in control, and maximize safety?
How do we design user interfaces for semi-autonomous vehicles?
What is the future capability of these platforms?
How can we design interactions that gracefully evolve?
What are the legal and social aspects of these platforms?
What are the implications of robotics and autonomous devices for interaction design?
What are interaction models for supporting teams of humans and robots?
What are appropriate applications for robots and other semi-autonomous vehicles?
We hope to introduce the CHI community to challenges in robotics and transportation, panels discussing the challenges, demonstrations of current systems, in addition to technical paper submissions.
Thomas Rist
Phillipe Palanque
Gerd Swillus
Kevin Keeker
Bruno von Niman
Jean Scholtz
