‚PRESENCE and the Science of Virtual Reality‘ Meeting at the Technion in Haifa , Israel

1. Day 3 – Excursion in the region ‚PRESENCEand theScience of Virtual Reality‘ Meeting at the Technion in Haifa, Israel November 3,4 and 5, 2008 Join us! *OPENMEETING* of Researchers of both European Integrated Projects and beyond discuss results and perspectives in research on immersive multi-modal VE and Event sponsored by: Day 1 – Talks and presentations from the IPs IP IMMERSENCE:The project is to enable people to freely act and interact in highly realistic virtual environments with their eyes, ears and hands. Based on neuroscientific research, new interfaces, models and methods human senses shall be integrated into a single immersive experience. The key-word is multi-modal (www.immersence.info) IP PRESENCCIA:The projectaims to understand people’s responses to immersive virtual environments. This scientific aim is demonstrated through applications in a large scale mixed reality system. The fundamental research ranges from neuronal responses at the cellular level, brain imaging studies, through to various aspects of computer science (www.presenccia.org). Day 2 – Perspectives for the IPs and beyond On day 2 the scope of the meeting is extended on actual results and prospective research work in the field. Topics address in talks are How humans experience immersive VE, the neuronal counterpart of sensory motor-contingencies in VR, a brain based architecture for perception,cognition & action, walking in virtual worlds (see program). In afinal Panel Session scientific and academic challenges and perspectives will be discussed to foster future collaboration within the community. Chairs Prof. Miriam Reiner, Technion, Prof. Mel Slater, ICREA & UCL and Prof. Martin Buss, TUM, Local host: Prof. Miriam Reiner (miriamr@technion.ac.il) Contact: Andreas Schweinberger (schweinberger@tum.de)

2. Session III Session II Session I Evening ‚PRESENCEand theScience of Virtual Reality‘ Meeting at the Technion in Haifa, Israel November 3,4 and 5, 2008 • Overview talks Day 1 • Presenccia – short Introduction, Immersence – brief introduction (20 min) • Person-to-Object Interaction in VR: Demonstrator Systems andNeuroscientific Experiments (IMMERSENCE) • M. Harders, ETH Zürich & M. Di Luca, MPS Tübingen (35 min.) • Enhanced perceptionthrough haptic technologies(PRESENCCIA) • M. Reiner, Technion ,Haifa & A. Frisolli PERCRO, Pisa (35 min.) • The SKILLS Project - Capturing and Rendering of Skills with Virtual Environment Technologies • M. Bergamasco, PERCRO Pisa (20 min.) • The Masterfinger: Multi-finger Object Manipulation and Weight Perception with a new Haptic Interface (IMMERSENCE) • M. Ferre, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid & C. Giachritsis, University of Birmingham (40 min.) • Presence in Teleoperation • A. Peer, Technische Universität München, IACE-LSR (20 min.) • Brain Mechanisms of Body Ownership (PRESENCCIA) • H. Ehrsson, Karonliska Institutet, Stockholm (45 min.) • Direct Person-to-Person Interaction: Virtual Handshake and its Experimental Evaluation (IMMERSENCE) • Z. Wang, TU München, E. Scilingo, Università di Pisa & E. Giannopoulos, Universitat Politécnica de Catalunya (45 min.) • Emotionally Intelligent Interfaces (PRESENCCIA) • P. Robinson /or J. Newman, University of Cambridge (20 min.) and Supported by & 17:30 Reception; 18:00 Eitan Globerson: Our Brain as Piano Player, The Jerusalem Academy of Music , The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University

3. Session III Session II Session I Panel Session ‚PRESENCEand theScience of Virtual Reality‘ Meeting at the Technion in Haifa, Israel November 3,4 and 5, 2008 • Overview talks at Day 2 • Introduction the Peach and HiVE initiatives • Giulio Ruffini, STARLAB Barcelona (15 min.) • How We Experience Immersive Virtual Environments • Mel Slater, ICREA Barcelona & UCL London (45 min.) • Neuronal Counterpart of Sensory Motor-Contingencies in VR • Mavi Sanchez-Vives, ICREA IDIBAPS Barcelona (30 min.) • Blindness and Consciousness: New Light from the DarkPietro Pietrini, Università di Pisa (30 min.) • The Multisensory Brain • Shimon Marom, Technion (30 min.) • Creating New Senses for Presence • Amir Amedi, Hebrew University of Jerusalem (30 min.) • Building a Cyborg - A Brain Based Architecture for Perception, Cognition and Action • Paul Verschure, ICREA Universitat Pompeu Fabra Barcelona (30 min.) • Walking in Virtual Worlds – the CyberWalk Project • Marc Ernst, Max-Planck-Society for Cybernetics Tübingen (30 min.) • Collaboration at a Distance: How Good Can it Be? • Anthony Steed, University College London – Virtual Reality Lab (30 min.) and Supported by & Discussion about future scientific and academic challenges and perspectives Session Chair: Martin Buss

4. ‚PRESENCEand theScience of Virtual Reality‘ Meeting at the Technion in Haifa, Israel November 3,4 and 5, 2008 • Agenda Day 1 • Session I 9:00 – 10:30 • (Martin Buss) • Coffeebreak • Session II 11:00 – 12:30 • (Mendel Kleiner) • Lunch • Session III 13:30 – 15:30 • (Mel Slater) • Reception, talk and dinner 17:30 • Agenda Day 2 • Session I 9:00 – 10:30 • (Miriam Reiner) • Coffee break • Session II 11:00 – 12:30 • (Mavi Sanchez-Vives) • Lunch • Session III 14:00 – 15:30 • (Paul Verschure) • Panel session: 15:30 – 17:00 • Excursion, dinner (Presenccia & Immersence partners): 17:00 • Tour, followed by wine tasting in the HATISHBI winery Or: Dinner and Supported by & Programme: tbc Day 3 – Excursion in the region