The conference will be held in the Advanced Research Center Room 237 A&B, 11 Chapel Ln, Glasgow G11 6EW. Google Maps link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/cVBBVP9aFDWjtUQc8

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Monday, 2nd December 

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Workshops 

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Empowering Animals Through Technology: Enhancing Animal Agency in the Sound Environment

09.00 - 13.00 GMT 

Advanced Research Center, Room 237 A&B​

Description: This in-person workshop will explore how innovative technologies can be designed to give animals some control over their sound environments as enrichment and for research in different scenarios. Participants will discuss advancements in acoustic technologies, applications in different animal settings, species-specific interface design, and practical methods for implementing and evaluating these solutions. The outputs of this workshop will include designs for technological apparatus that allow animals to control their sound environments, as well as methods for evaluating these as enrichment devices.

Website: https://animalacousticenrichment.wordpress.com/

Contact person:  Dominique Potvin dpotvin@usc.edu.au 

 

More Than Human Digital Civics

14.00 - 17.30 GMT 

Advanced Research Center, Room 237 A&B

Please register interest on the workshop website prior to attending with the recommendation of submitting a position paper by the 30th October 

Description: We will explore through critical discussion the role of companion animals and their caregivers in their online representation, as well as how legislation impacts nonconsenting animals in this digital world. This will be followed by the design of interventions that aim to correct these potentially misleading representations. The aim of this is to expand digital civics research to further include the more than human aspect in this expanding field of research, creating the potential for new research collaborations.

Website: https://sites.google.com/view/more-than-human-digital-civics/

Workshop Email: more.than.human.digital.civics@gmail.com 

Contact person: Sam Gowland sam.gowland@northumbria.ac.uk

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Tuesday, 3rd December

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Doctoral Consortium Tutorials

10:00 – 15.00 GMT 

Advanced Research Center, Room 237 A&B

Building on the successful 2023 Doctoral Consortium program, 2024 will feature a full-day tutorial program open to all attendees registered for the ACI 2024 workshop program. While the tutorial program is designed to provide graduate students with hands-on experience designing, prototyping, and critiquing an ACI system, it is a fun day for all involved, regardless of their level of experience. Full details on the program are forthcoming, but senior community members will give short lectures and provide handout materials, as well as assign and participate in brainstorming, prototyping, and design reviews along with DC participants. 

 

Whether you’re a student attending the ACI conference for the first time or a seasoned veteran, the DC tutorial program should be a fun, engaging, and thought-provoking community experience. With topics ranging from ethics to psychophysics to embedded systems programming, there’s room for all to both learn and contribute.

 

Contact person:  DC Chair, David Roberts (dlrober4@ncsu.edu).

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Welcome Civic Reception

18.00 - 19.30 GMT 

Glasgow City Chambers, 82 George Square, Glasgow G2 1DU

Conference opening drinks and welcome speech by Lord Provost or Bailie. Open to all.

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Wednesday, 4th December

Advanced Research Center, Room 237 A&B

Welcome Coffee Served from 09.00 GMT

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Welcome and Conference Opening by Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas and Local Team

09.45 – 10.00 GMT 

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Opening Keynote Professor Amanda Seed: What kind of minds do primates have? 

10.00 – 11.00 GMT 
 

Talk Abstract: Primates have cognitive models that help them to make sense of the world around them and guide their learning and decision-making, representing space, objects and agents.  However, there are significant differences between primate species in both the representations (how abstract and robust they are) as well as their capacity for control (working memory, selective attention).  Understanding how species differ can help us to understand cognitive evolution but can also have practical relevance when designing animal computer interfaces. I will present an overview of studies that explore the nature of primate intelligence, including some new work harnessing virtual environments

Speaker Information: Amanda Seed is a comparative and developmental psychologist studying the evolution of cognition, in particular causal reasoning, cognitive control and active learning in primates and children. She was recently awarded an ERC Starting Grant to explore the relationship between some of these different cognitive skills and how they combine to affect performance on problem-solving tasks.  The motivation for this research is to shed light on the evolutionary changes in representational, mnemonic and executive processes that marked the origins of uniquely human thinking.  Amanda is a Professor at the School of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of St Andrews, where she is a member of the Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution and the Scottish Primate Research Group.  She is the Director of the ‘Living Links to Human Evolution’ Centre at Edinburgh Zoo, where capuchin and squirrel monkeys take part in cognitive experiments in full view of the visiting public, with accompanying displays for public engagement with science. She is also the co-director of the newly formed Global Research Centre for Diverse Intelligences bringing together research on intelligence across different systems and disciplines

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Coffee Break

11.00 – 11.30 GMT 

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Paper Talks: Animal Music and Vocalisation

11.30 – 12.30 GMT
 

Paper Session Chaired by David L. Roberts

 

Vocalizations of the Parus minor Bird: Taxonomy and Automatic Classification 

Artem Abzaliev (University of Michigan), Katsumi Ibaraki (University of Michigan), Kohei Shibata (independent researcher) and Rada Mihalcea (University of Michigan)
[Full Paper]

 

We’re too busy singing: acoustic analysis with apes

Fiona French (London Metropolitan University), Stephen Good (London Metropolitan University), Karim Makaddem (London Metropolitan University), Naomi Frost (Twycross Zoo) and Katherine Finch (Twycross Zoo)

[Emerging Work Paper]

 

Play That Trunky Music: Development of an Auditory Enrichment Device for Elephants in Captivity  

Arianna Mastali (Georgia Tech), Benjamin Mayo (Georgia Tech), Charles Ramey (Georgia Tech), Nathan Elgart (Zoo Atlanta), Kirby Miller (Zoo Atlanta) and Melody Jackson (Georgia Tech) 
[Full Paper]

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Lunch

12.30 – 14.00 GMT 

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Invited Talk: Blair Drummond Safari Park and Zoo: How to Research with Zoos

14.00 – 14.30 GMT 

Talk Abstract: This talk will be on how researchers can conduct research more efficiently at Blair Drummond Safari Park and similar facilities, such as other zoos. The talk will include a variety of factors to consider from a keeper and research coordinator perspective. The speakers will provide some examples of research conducted successfully at the park, what both the park and the researcher learned about the process and what would have been most beneficial to know from an earlier point. This includes a variety of points ranging from research that should be conducted before data collection regarding the animals, enclosure, and facility to questions that may have to be modified to better suit what can be facilitated by the park. The aim of this talk is to build a stronger relationship between the park and potential researchers, which will enable both parties to be more efficient in information exchanges. 

Speaker Information: Three Blair Drummond Safari Park staff members will give this talk, Lesley Rodger, the Team leader of Lemur Land, Lorna Graham, the parks research coordinator, and Connor Malone, a member of the conservation and education team.

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Paper Talks: Animal Behaviour Recognition

14.30 – 15.30 GMT 

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Paper Session Chaired by Clara Mancini

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catAction: Deep learning for enhancing emotional cat–human interactions  through the posture-based determination of the degrees of kittens’ defensive and offensive aggressions  
Zhuoneng Sui (University of Tokyo), Haoran Hong (University of Tokyo) and Hill Hiroki Kobayashi (University of Tokyo) 
[Full Paper]

 

Automated Depth Sensing-Based Computer Vision for Dog Tail Wagging Interpretation
Devon Martin (North Carolina State University), Jeremy Park (North Carolina State University, Megan Carson (North Carolina State University, Margaret Gruen (North Carolina State University, Alper Bozkurt (North Carolina State University) and David Roberts (North Carolina State University) 
[Full Paper]

 

Wireless Tension Sensors for Characterizing Dog Frailty in Veterinary Settings
Colt Nichols (North Carolina State University), Yifan Wu (North Carolina State University), Alper Bozkurt, David Roberts (North Carolina State University) and Margaret Gruen (North Carolina State University)
[Full Paper] [Best Paper Award]

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Coffee Break

15.30 – 16.00 GMT 

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Paper Talks: Research Methods and Reporting

16.00 – 16.40 GMT 

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Paper Session Chaired by Charlotte Robinson

 

Surveying The Extent of Demographic Reporting of Animal Participants in ACI Research
Lena Ashooh (Harvard University), Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas (University of Glasgow) and Rebecca Kleinberger (Northeastern University) 
[Full paper] [Honourable Mention Award]

 

The Day After: Ethical Considerations for the End of Enriching Animal Research Projects
Jennifer Cunha (Indiana University) and Clara Mancini (The Open University)
[Emerging Work]

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Day Closing and Updates

16.40 – 17.00 GMT 

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The Conference Dinner

18.00 - 00.00 GMT

The Drawing Room, 32 University Ave, Glasgow G12 8LX

Doors open at 18.00 with a sit-down dinner starting at 18.30 till 20.00, followed by a local Ceilidh two-piece band. 

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Thursday, 5th December

Advanced Research Center, Room 237 A&B

Welcome Coffee Served from 09.00 GMT

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Second-Day Conference Opening 

09:50 – 10.00 GMT 

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Paper Talks: Supporting Working Dogs

10:00 – 10.40 GMT ​

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Paper Session Chaired by Charles Ramey

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Towards Haptic Communication with Working Dogs in Distracting Environments

Elijah Hopper (Georgia Insitute of Technology), Vaishu Adimulam (Georgia Insitute of Technology)and Melody Jackson (Georgia Insitute of Technology)
[Emerging Work]

 

Towards Enactivist ACI - Sensor-Rich Olfactory Workstation and Suit for Detection Dogs
Aswin R (Dognosis), Sai Krishna Teja Sadhu (Dognosis), Itamar Bitan (Dognosis) and Akash Kulgod (Dognosis) 
[Emerging Work]

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Coffee Break 

10:40 – 11.15 GMT ​

 

Paper Talks: Animal Communication 

11:15 – 12.15 GMT ​

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Paper Session Chaired by Arianna Mastali

 

Rosetta Bone - Bridging the Language Gap Between Dogs and Humans with a QR Code-Enabled Communication System

Chengkai Yao (Georgia Insitute of Technology), Bailey Shea Aiken (Georgia Insitute of Technology), Omkar Bhushan Gokhale (Georgia Insitute of Technology), Wuyuqing Yang (Georgia Insitute of Technology) and Melody Moore Jackson (Georgia Insitute of Technology)
[Emerging Work]

 

Communication Functions in Speech Board Use by a Goffin’s Cockatoo: Implications for Research and Design
Jennifer Cunha (Indiana University), Corinne Renguette (Perdue University), Lily Stella (Indiana University) and Clara Mancini (The Open University)
[Full Paper] [Honourable Mention Award]

 

The Animal Whisperer Project 
Oliver Bendel (FHNW School of Business) and Nick Zbinden (FHNW School of Business)
[Emerging Work] [Short Paper Honourable Mention Award]

 

Lunch

12:15 – 14.00 GMT ​

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Paper Talks: Welfare Through Monitoring and Enrichment

14:00 – 15.00 GMT ​

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Paper Session Chaired by Fiona French

 

Prototyping an Immersive Screen Interfaces for Dogs' to Control Screens in Their Home
Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas (The University of Glasgow), Aurélien Nioche (The University of Glasgow) and Danielius Sukys (The University of Glasgow)
[Full Paper]

 

Shelling Out the Fun: Quantifying Otter Interactions with Instrumented Enrichment Objects
Charles Ramey (Georgia Insitute of Technology), Jason Jones (Georgia Aquarium), Kristen Hannigan (Georgia Aquarium), Elizabeth Sadtler (Georgia Aquarium), Jennifer Odell (Georgia Aquarium), Thad Starner (Georgia Insitute of Technology) and Melody Jackson (Georgia Insitute of Technology)
[Emerging Work] [Best Short Paper Award]

 

A Design Proposal and Pilot Study for Addressing Welfare in Health Monitoring Practices in Commercial Fish Farms
Alex Raposo (North Carolina State University), Janet Brock (North Carolina State University), Allison Abel (North Carolina State University), Mike Frinsko (North Carolina State University) and David Roberts (North Carolina State University)
[Emerging Work]

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Coffee Break

15:00 – 15.30 GMT ​

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Closing Keynote: Marwa Mahmoud "Beyond Sight: Vision-AI for Animal Behaviour Understanding"

15.30 – 16.30 GMT ​
Talk Abstract: The integration of computer vision and AI within the realm of animal welfare, particularly in farm animals, is an emerging yet underexploited domain that offers significant potential for scientific and practical advancements. This talk explores the transformative role of Vision-AI in advancing animal welfare, with a special focus on farm animals like sheep. While traditional welfare assessments depend heavily on labour-intensive, manual observations, vision-AI offers a non-invasive, precise, and scalable alternative. In this talk, I present our pioneering work in building computer vision models to detect signs of disease progression and pain in sheep, leveraging advanced analysis of facial expressions, gait, and body movements. These models hold promise for adaptation to other species and behaviours, expanding the possibilities for comprehensive animal monitoring. Key challenges, research gaps, and recommendations for advancing this field will also be discussed.

Speaker Information: Marwa Mahmoud is a lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Socially Intelligent Technologies at the School of Computing Science, University of Glasgow. Dr Mahmoud’s research is at the intersection of computer vision, social signal processing, and multimodal perception, with a particular focus on affective computing, behaviour analytics, and human and animal behaviour understanding. As the Director of the Behavioural AI Lab, Dr. Mahmoud leads efforts to develop cutting-edge technologies aimed at 'AI for Social Good,' integrating computer vision and multimodal machine learning to enhance human well-being and animal welfare. 

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Award Ceremony and Closing

16:30 – 17.00 GMT ​