[alife] Call for contributions: NIPS Workshop on Principled Theoretical Frameworks for the Perception-Action Cycle

[Daniel Polani]

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  PRINCIPLED THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS FOR THE PERCEPTION-ACTION CYCLE

			  NIPS 2008 WORKSHOP
		 December 12/13, Whistler, BC, Canada

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Description
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A significant emphasis in trying to achieve adaptation and learning in
the perception-action cycle of agents lies in the development of
suitable algorithms. While partly these algorithms result from
mathematical constructions, in modern research much attention is given
to methods that mimic biological processes. 

However, mimicking the apparent features of what appears to be a
biologically relevant mechanism makes it difficult to separate the
essentials of adaptation and learning from accidents of
evolution. This is a challenge both for the understanding of
biological systems as well as for the design of artificial ones.

Therefore, recent work is increasingly concentrating on identifying
general principles rather than individual mechanisms for biologically
relevant information processing. One advantage is that a small
selection of principles can give rise to a variety of - effectively
equivalent - mechanisms. The ultimate goal is to attain a more
transparent and unified view on the phenomena in question.

Possible candidates for such principles governing the dynamics of the
perception-action cycle include but are not limited to information
theory, Bayesian models, energy-based concepts or group-theoretical
principles. The workshops aims at bringing together various
principle-based directions for the investigation of various aspects of
the perception-action cycle and at identifying promising directions of
work.

Participation
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We invite submissions for oral presentations on principled approaches
to model and understand the perception-action loop. The submissions
should be in the form of long (4-6 pages) or short (1/2-1 page)
abstracts. Timely and novel work, as well as work in progress, or
position papers will be considered, but also more mature work - please
indicate in your submission for which you opt. We aim to place the
abstracts on the workshop website.

Submissions in PDF (NIPS format) should be emailed to

  d.polani at herts.ac.uk 

no later than 3. November (23:59 PST, sharp) and with the subject line
"NIPS 2008 Workshop Submission".

The notification of acceptance will be sent out on 6. November,
2008. All accepted submissions will have the opportunity for oral
presentation, and ample opportunity for discussion is integrated in
the workship.

Prospective Audience
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Researchers interested in the general picture of the perception-action
cycle, both in biology and general AI, robotics, learning in embodied
agents, bio-inspired AI.

Organizers
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Daniel Polani, University of Hertfordshire, UK
Naftali Tishby, The Hebrew University Jerusalem, Israel