The Interaction Lab was created in October 2009, and is located in the School of Mathematics and Computer Science (MACS) at Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh.
Our research addresses some of the central problems in computer science and AI, by developing intelligent interactive systems which can collaborate effectively and adaptively with humans, using a variety of modalities, such as speech, graphics, gesture, vision, and Natural Language. Our methods combine statistical and symbolic information processing, and we are developing data-driven machine learning approaches to build robust agents which can adapt autonomously in uncertain and dynamic interactions. These techniques are applied in a variety of domains, such as mobile search, automated support, technology enhanced learning, healthcare informatics, and human-robot interaction. We evaluate the performance of our models and algorithms both in simulation and in trials with real users.
We are currently expanding, and are interested in joining further international and national research collaborations in the above areas. Please see our webpages on PhD opportunities and Job openings. We are part of the VISAGE group, the Intelligent Systems Lab, and SICSA (the Scottish Informatics and Computer Science Alliance). We are currently funded by grants from the EPSRC, European Commission (FP7 Cognitive Systems), and ESRC/EPSRC (Technology Enhanced Learning). | News:ECHOES project: video Human-Robot Interaction: VIDEO May 2012: call of the wired: Conversational Interface work at HWU and Cambridge Faculty positions in Computer Science: join us! New project EC FP7 Parlance started November 1st. See here for details @ParlanceProject New forum for recruiting subjects at Heriot-Watt. Website here @ParticipateHW 3/11/11 Invited talk introducing Machine Learning to medics and psychologists at the Western General Hospital. Slides Available here. 1/11/11 Verena Rieser joined the Interaction Lab as a new faculty member. 1/11/11 ECHOES project at ESRC Festival of Social Science Dialogue data released from CLASSiC project in our archive Heriot-Watt has been named as Scottish University of the Year 2011/12 by the Sunday Times Hosting SICSA workshop on Affective Interaction and Virtual Characters, 17 June 2011 Special issue of ACM TSLP on adaptive dialogue is out now! 2 papers accepted for SIGDIAL 2011 New projects James and Spacebook kick off this month (March 2011). New project Help4MOod kicks off (January 2010). New journal paper (to appear in Computational Linguistics, sept 2010)2 Papers accepted for SIGDIAL 2010 and 1 for SLT 2010ECHOES project features in "Britain in 2010" magazine (p. 94)2 papers accepted for ACL 2010 (20/4/10)New journal paper to appear in Computer Speech and Language (April 2010)Interaction Lab joins the Vision and Language Network (Feb 2010) Echoes project meeting 6-7th October. First working demo of vision, graphics and multi-touch integration (posted 12/10/09).
InteractionLab joins EuCOG II: European network for researchers in artificial cognitive systems, interaction, and robotics (16/10/2009)The new Interaction Lab at Heriot-Watt up and running (posted 9/10/09). |