Connectionists: IEEE ICDL-EPIROB 2015 & Babybot Challenge (Updated CFP)

[Matthias Rolf]

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Call for Papers, Tutorials and Thematic Workshops
New Conference Feature: BABYBOT CHALLENGE
IEEE ICDL-EPIROB 2015
The Fifth Joint IEEE International Conference on Development and 
Learning and on Epigenetic Robotics
Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
August 13-16, 2015
http://www.icdl-epirob.org/

== Conference description

The past decade has seen the emergence of a new scientific field that 
studies how intelligent biological and artificial systems develop 
sensorimotor, cognitive, emotional and social abilities, over extended 
periods of time, through dynamic interactions with their physical and 
social environments. This field lies at the intersection of a number of 
scientific and engineering disciplines including Neuroscience, 
Developmental Psychology, Developmental Linguistics, Cognitive Science, 
Computational Neuroscience, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, 
and Robotics. Various terms have been associated with this new field 
such as Autonomous Mental Development, Epigenetic Robotics, 
Developmental Robotics, etc., and several scientific meetings have been 
established. The two most prominent conference series of this field, the 
International Conference on Development and Learning (ICDL) and the 
International Conference on Epigenetic Robotics (EpiRob), are now 
joining forces for the fifth time and invite submissions for a joint 
conference in 2015, to explore and extend the interdisciplinary 
boundaries of this field.

== BABYBOT CHALLENGE -- CASH PRIZES FOR THE TOP SUBMISSIONS

We are excited to announce a new ICDL-EpiRob conference feature: the 
BABYBOT CHALLENGE. The goal of the challenge is to use the tools of 
developmental robotics to replicate and extend the key findings from one 
of three selected human-infant studies. Please visit www.icdl-epirob.org 
for the full announcement, including the three target studies, details 
on the submission process, and a description of how the winning 
submissions will be judged and selected.

== Keynote speakers (confirmed)

Prof. Dare Baldwin, Dept. of Psychology, University of Oregon, USA
Prof. Kerstin Dautenhahn, School of Computer Science, University of 
Hertfordshire, UK
Prof. Asif Ghazanfar, Department of Psychology, Princeton University, USA

== Call for Submissions

We invite submissions for this exciting window into the future of 
developmental sciences. Submissions which establish novel links between 
brain, behavior and computation are particularly encouraged.

== Topics of interest include (but are not limited to):

* the development of perceptual, motor, cognitive, emotional, social, 
and communication skills in biological systems and robots
* embodiment
* general principles of development and learning
* interaction of nature and nurture
* sensitive/critical periods
* developmental stages
* grounding of knowledge and development of representations
* architectures for cognitive development and open-ended learning
* neural plasticity
* statistical learning
* reward and value systems
* intrinsic motivations, exploration and play
* interaction of development and evolution
* use of robots in applied settings such as autism therapy
* epistemological foundations and philosophical issues

Any of the topics above can be simultaneously studied from the 
neuroscience, psychology or modeling/robotic point of view.

== Submissions will be accepted in several formats:

1. Full six-page paper submissions: Accepted papers will be included in 
the conference proceedings and will be selected for either an oral 
presentation or a featured poster presentation. Featured posters will 
have a 1 minute "teaser" presentation as part of the main conference 
session and will be showcased in the poster sessions. Maximum two-extra 
pages can be acceptable for a publication fee of $100 per page.

2. Two-page poster abstract submissions: To encourage discussion of 
late-breaking results or for work that is not sufficiently mature for a 
full paper, we will accept 2-page abstracts. These submissions will NOT 
be included in the conference proceedings. Accepted abstracts will be 
presented during poster sessions.

3. Tutorials and workshops: We invite experts in different areas to 
organize either a tutorial or a workshop to be held on the first day of 
the conference. Tutorials are meant to provide insights into specific 
topics as well as overviews that will inform the interdisciplinary 
audience about the state-of-the-art in child development, neuroscience, 
robotics, or any of the other disciplines represented at the conference. 
A workshop is an opportunity to present a topic cumulatively. Workshops 
can be half- or full-day in duration including oral presentations as 
well as posters. Submission format: two pages including title, list of 
speakers, concept and target audience.

4. Babybot challenge (Deadline June 15, 2015): Special submissions are 
invited for the Babybot challenge, which is for the first time 
introduced to this conference. For detailed information please visit 
www.icdl-epirob.org and navigate to “Babybot Challenge.”

All submissions will be peer reviewed.

Submission website through paperplaza at: http://ras.papercept.net

== Important dates

March 9, 2015, paper submission deadline
May 15, 2015, author notification
July 1, 2015, final version (camera ready) due
August 13th-16th, 2015, conference

== Program committee

General Chairs:
Matthew Schlesinger (Southern Illinois Univ.)
Dima Amso (Brown University)

Bridge Chairs:
Jeffrey Krichmar (UC Irvine)
Bertram Malle (Brown University)

Program Chairs:
Anne Warlaumont (UC Merced)
Clemént Moulin-Frier (INRIA)

Publications Chairs:
Lisa Meeden (Swarthmore College)

Publicity Chairs:
Lola Cañamero (Univ. of Hertfordshire)
Matthias Rolf (Osaka University)
Benjamin Rosman (CSIR)

Local chairs:
David Sobel (Brown University)
Thomas Serre (Brown University)

Finance chairs:
Clayton Morrison (University of Arizona)