Reply to: P.M.Sharkey@reading.ac.uk



      European Conference on Disability, Virtual Reality
            and Associated Technologies - 1996

      July 8-9-10, 1996, Maidenhead (near London), UK

Web page: http://www.cyber.rdg.ac.uk/cyb/ecdvrat96/ecdvrat96.html
Email: ecdvrat96-request@cyber.reading.ac.uk

The purpose of this first European Conference on Disability, Virtual Reality
and Associated Technologies is to provide a forum for international experts
and researchers to present and review how advances in the general area of
Virtual Reality can be used to assist people with Disability. This
international conference will encompass all aspects of technology used in
Virtual Reality systems. Papers are sought in which technical innovation is
backed up by evidence of original and practical implementation, or which
promise practical implementation in the very near future. Presentations which
include video material and/or experimental systems are particularly welcome.
Facilities for presenting such material will be available at the conference. 

The research presented at the conference will be presented in a peer reviewed
Proceedings which will be made widely available. Selected papers will be
reviewed for possible inclusion in an associated journal. Also available at
the conference will be an exhibition area for commercial companies to present
their products, and demonstration/multi-media facilities for research
presented at the conference.  Finally it is hoped that the conference will
act as a focus for international collaboration. 

The first conference will be held in the Holiday Inn, Maidenhead, a town
situated 30 minutes from Heathrow, London and Oxford. Subsequent conferences
will be held on an annual basis at different centres across Europe. Initial
conference sponsors: BT and the University of Reading. 

Topics:

The following topics are just a few of those which will be relevant to the
conference: 

  Telepresence for people with disability;
  Input Devices, Sensors and Actuators;
  Communications aids; multi-user systems for user interaction;
  Tools for architectural/CAD design; visual impairment through virtual
        simulation; wheelchair navigation through virtual environments;
  Testing designs of products for the disabled;
  Training tools: for personnel assisting people with disability; to
        heighten public awareness; for people with disability for
        rehabilitation;
  Augmented reality for people with disability;
  3D sound;
  Cognitive processing and virtual environments;
  Human Factors issues;

The registration fee will be announced on January 31 and will include full
attendance to all sessions, lunches and coffee breaks, pre-conference
reception, Conference Banquet, and Conference Proceedings.  Accommodation is
not included but will be available at reasonable rates.  There will be a
reduced registration fee for conference speakers and early registration.
Furthermore, a limited number of places will be reserved at considerably
reduced rates for registered students and people with disabilities. Extra
banquet tickets will be available. 

International Programme Committee:

Dr. David Brown, VIRART, Dept. of Manufacturing Engineering,
        University of Nottingham, UK
Mr. Riach Cammoun, Commisariat a Energie Atomique, Cedex, France
Dr. Sylvie Collins, Dept. of Psychology, University of Leeds, UK
Prof. Paolo Dario, Scuola Superiore D. Anna, Pisa, Italy
Prof. Toshio Fukuda, Dept. of Mechano-Informatics and Systems, Nagoya
        University, Japan
Prof. Jim Hewit, Dept. of Appl. Physics and Electronic & Manuf. Eng.,
        University of Dundee, UK
Dr. Javier Ibanez-Guzman, ESA IGELEC, Saint-Nazaire, France
Dr. Harry Murphy, Centre on Disabilities, California State University,
        Northridge, USA
Dr. Stuart Neilson, Centre for Health and Disability Studies, Brunel
        University, London, UK
Prof. Alan Newell, Applied Computer Studies Division, University of
        Dundee, UK
Dr. Helen Petrie, Dept. of Health and Human Sciences, University of
        Hertfordshire, UK
Mr. Chris Ramsden, Clinical Engineering and Design Systems, Royal
        Hospital for Neuro-Disability, London, UK
        also Hon. Sec. of the British Institute for Design and Disability
Prof. David Rose, Dept. of Psychology, University of East London, UK
Mr. Simon Rushton, Dept. of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, UK
Dr. Paul Sharkey, Dept. of Cybernetics, University of Reading, UK
Mr. Phil Smythe, BT, Martlesham Heath, Ipswich, UK
Prof. Kevin Warwick, Dept. of Cybernetics, University of Reading, UK
Dr. Paul Wilson, Virtual Reality Research Group, Dept. of Psychology,
        University of Leicester, UK
Dr. Ali Zalzala, Dept. of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering,
        University of Sheffield, UK

Local Organising Committee:

Dr. Paul Sharkey, Dept. of Cybernetics, University of Reading, UK
Mr. Martyn Cooper, Technology & Disability Research Group, Dept. of
        Cybernetics, University of Reading, UK
Mr David Roberts, Dept. of Cybernetics, University of Reading, UK
Mr Phil Smythe, BT, Martlesham Heath, Ipswich, UK


If you require specific information not covered above please email
ecdvrat96@cyber.reading.ac.uk