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Log Out! seminar at iSchool tomorrow
by Ishtiaque Ahmed 05 Mar '18

05 Mar '18

Some of you may find this seminar interesting - http://www.chi.utoronto.ca/log-full-schedule/ Regards Ishtiaque

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HCI Meeting Tomorrow
by Seyong Ha 05 Mar '18

05 Mar '18

Hello everyone, As we’ve talked in last meeting, we are going to have a prep. session for InfoVis/UIST submission. Anyone who are planning to submit a paper in UIST/infoVis , please bring your abstract/introduction. It doesn’t have to be a polished version. The meeting will be at 12:00pm - 1:30pm @ BA5287, please keep an eye on a mailbox. If the room change, I will send another reminder. Thanks, Seyong ------------------------------------------ Dynamic Graphics Project Lab., Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto, Seyong Ha

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Fwd: reminder: 1st robotics candidate talk today at 11:00am in GB303 (Florian Shkurti)
by Fanny Chevalier 05 Mar '18

05 Mar '18

Hi HCI students, This talk today is probably of your interest. I encourage you to attend, and also other upcoming job talks. Don’t limit yourself to HCI-specific ones! — Fanny Chevalier Assistant Professor Department of Computer Science and Department of Statistical Sciences University of Toronto fanny(a)cs.toronto.edu http://fannychevalier.net/ > Begin forwarded message: > > From: Sven Dickinson <sven(a)cs.toronto.edu> > Subject: reminder: 1st robotics candidate talk today at 11:00am in GB303 (Florian Shkurti) > Date: 5 March 2018 at 08:05:54 GMT-5 > To: dcsall(a)cs.utoronto.ca > Cc: Sven Dickinson <sven(a)cs.toronto.edu>, sburns(a)cs.utoronto.ca, Konstantin Khanin <khanin(a)math.toronto.edu>, Goldie Nejat <nejat(a)mie.utoronto.ca>, Angela Schoellig <schoellig(a)utias.utoronto.ca>, Camille Angiers <camille.angiers(a)utoronto.ca> > > A reminder of our first robotics talk today! > > Date: Monday, March 5 > Time: 11:00am - 12:00pm > Location: Galbraith (GB) 303 > > Speaker: Florian Shkurti, McGill University > Title: Enabling robot videographers to record the visual footage that human experts want > > Abstract: > > The adoption of robotics is becoming widespread in many sectors of society, most notably in the contexts of automated transportation, warehousing, and advanced manufacturing. Yet, for robots that operate in more challenging and unstructured natural domains (e.g. underwater, air, deserts, forests, lakes), where the promise of automated environmental monitoring presents exciting possibilities for societal progress, open research problems still abound. > > In this talk I will focus on the problem of enabling robot videographers/documentarians that autonomously navigate in unstructured 3D environments, alongside scientists, to help them record visual footage that they deem valuable for their work. > > I will present a method to infer the expert's reward function over images, using a small number of labeled and a large number of unlabeled examples. This reward function is used to guide the robot's exploration and data collection in unknown environments. I will also present vision-based algorithms for tracking and navigation that are robust to long-term loss of visual contact with the subject, by making use of the subject's learned behavior, estimated via inverse reinforcement learning. Finally, I will describe a visual and inertial localization and mapping method that enables robust navigation in a wide range of challenging environments. Experimental validation of these methods on underwater, aerial and ground robots will be shown. > > Bio: > > Florian Shkurti is a Ph.D. candidate in computer science and robotics at McGill University, working with Gregory Dudek. His research is at the intersection of mobile robotics, computer vision, and machine learning. His favorite research problems revolve around increasing the autonomy of mobile robots, and include: inverse reinforcement learning, imitation learning, the control of dynamical systems under uncertainty and partial observability, visibility-aware multi-robot path planning, as well as robust visual mapping and localization in 3D. He is a recipient of the Lorne Trottier Fellowship, the AAAI-15 Robotics Fellowship, and the NSERC Alexander Graham Bell CGS Doctoral Award. He is also a member of the Center for Intelligent Machines and the NSERC Canadian Field Robotics Network. He did his M.Sc. in computer science at McGill, and his Hon. B.Sc. in computer science and mathematics at the University of Toronto.

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Round Table with Jian Zhao this Thursday, March 1 at 4pm in BA5187
by Peter Hamilton 01 Mar '18

01 Mar '18

Hi everyone, We will be hosting a Round Table for *Jian Zhao*, a candidate for the data vis faculty position. The round table will be *Thursday at 4:00pm, BA 5187*. This is a great opportunity to ask the candidate questions and explain what makes UofT great for you. His talk (abstract below) will be Thursday at 11:00am, Room 244 - Galbraith Building. See everyone Thursday, -Peter Hamilton Abstract: Recently, a large amount of complex and heterogeneous data is being generated in almost every domain. However, deeply understanding such data remains a fundamental challenge. Where do we start? Which analytical model should we apply, and how does it work? How can we collaboratively analyze data? My research takes a step to address these questions using interactive visualization. In this talk, I will discuss how visualization can empower users in each of the three main stages of solving a practical data problem, including exploratory analysis, model curation, and insight communication. Each example study is situated in a real-world application such as time-series analysis and social media mining. I will also outline my future research plan towards optimizing the above workflow using interactive visualization. Bio: Dr. Jian Zhao is a Research Scientist at FX Palo Alto Laboratory (FXPAL). His research lies in the intersection of information visualization, human-computer interaction, and data science. He is dedicated to developing interactive visualizations that optimize the analytical workflow of solving complex real-world data problems. Before joining FXPAL, Dr. Zhao was a Postdoctoral Researcher at Autodesk Research. He received his Ph.D. from the Department of Computer Science at the University of Toronto, where he was advised by Dr. Ravin Balakrishnan. Dr. Zhao holds multiple patents that have successfully generated impact to products. He also has the experiences of working at other leading industry labs including Microsoft, IBM, and Adobe Research. He is the recipient of many scholarships and awards, such as an NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship, a Mitacs Postdoctoral Award, and four publication awards at top-tier venues including IEEE VIS and ACM CHI.

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Round table with Chris Collins on Monday, February 26, 4PM at BA 5187
by Nicole Sultanum 26 Feb '18

26 Feb '18

Hello folks, We will have another candidate for the data vis position, *Chris Collins*, visiting on *Monday Feb 26*. Events of interest include: - His talk is at *11am, at GB303* - The student round table will be at *4PM @ BA 5187* Abstract of the talk and bio follow below, for your convenience. Also, please note that the candidate has asked to keep his application *confidential*. As such, please* do not circulate this note or advertise this event* to anyone outside UofT. Thanks! Hope to see you all on Monday, Nicole ------------------ *Title*: Mixed-Initiative Visual Analytics: Model-driven Views and Analytic Guidance *Presented By*: Christopher Collins, University of Ontario Institute of Technology *Abstract*: The classic information visualization design pattern of “overview first, zoom and filter, details on demand” is no longer sufficient. As datasets have grown (and small displays have become more prevalent), simple overviews tend to be either too high-level to be useful, or too cluttered to reveal anything interesting. The task of exploring and sifting through the data is left only to the analyst in this traditional model. It doesn't have to be this way: well-designed computational models of various sorts can augment the analysis process by highlighting patterns and drawing attention to regions of potential interest. I seek to facilitate a closely coupled interaction between people and underlying computational models, mediated by visualizations which include algorithmic transparency as to what guidance is being provided or what data is being hidden. In this talk I will discuss several recent research projects which use various types of models to improve the human-computer visual analytic complex. Linguistic, interaction, information, and perception models can provide data-driven visualization views and create suggestions of starting points for analysis, just-in-time data curation, and guidance for next steps. I will discuss my vision for the future of mixed-initiative analytics which builds on transparent and understandable algorithms, including explainable machine learning, combined with highly interactive and powerful visualizations. *Biography*: Christopher Collins is the Canada Research Chair in Linguistic Information Visualization and an Associate Professor of Computer Science at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT). His research focus is interdisciplinary, combining information visualization and human-computer interaction with natural language processing, with a focus on interaction design and guidance in visual analytics. While his group is best known for text visualization, he collaborates across a wide variety of topics, including health informatics, machine learning, and computer security. His papers have been published in many venues including IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics, have received awards at IEEE VIS, and have been featured in popular media such as the CBS News and the New York Times Magazine. Dr. Collins is a past member of the executive of the IEEE Visualization and Graphics Technical Committee and regularly serves on the IEEE VIS Conference Organizing Committee. He received his PhD in Computer Science from the University of Toronto.

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FW: Postdoc and PhD positions in HCI at Inria Lille
by Ravin Balakrishnan 23 Feb '18

23 Feb '18

From: Thomas Pietrzak [mailto:thomas.pietrzak@univ-lille1.fr] Sent: Friday, February 23, 2018 1:38 PM To: Ravin Balakrishnan <ravin(a)dgp.toronto.edu> Subject: Postdoc and PhD positions in HCI at Inria Lille Hi Ravin, Can you transmit these job offers to your group, please? Many thanks! The LOKI research group ( <http://loki.lille.inria.fr> http://loki.lille.inria.fr) is looking for excellent and highly motivated candidates for one post-doctoral researcher and three PhDs positions, on the following subjects: 1) Post-Doctoral researcher on understanding users' reactions to unexpected changes in GUIs Duration: 16 months fixed term (start date: November 2018) Application deadline: March 26th 2018 Supervised by Sylvain Malacria, Géry Casiez and Mathieu Nancel, Loki (Inria, University of Lille, France) Detailed offer: <http://loki.lille.inria.fr/jobs/2018-Changes-en.pdf> http://loki.lille.inria.fr/jobs/2018-Changes-en.pdf Contacts: <mailto:Sylvain.Malacria@inria.fr> Sylvain.Malacria(a)inria.fr, <mailto:Gery.Casiez@univ-lille.fr> Gery.Casiez(a)univ-lille.fr, <mailto:Mathieu.Nancel@inria.fr> Mathieu.Nancel(a)inria.fr This project investigates the consequences of situations where the user interface updates or reflows independently of users’ inputs, at a visual (notifications, changes of layout , pop-up windows, etc.) or control (input-output mappings) level. These situations raise interesting and novel research questions about the consequences of control and visual changes on a daily use: When does a change become noticeable, or unexpected? Do people understand the causes of these changes? How do these changes impact everyday use of computing systems, both positively and negatively? etc. The selected applicant is expected to characterize the causes, noticeability, and consequences of these changes, and to design and evaluate possible solutions to either avoid or take advantage of them. 2) PhD in Computer Science, 3D interaction techniques and devices for immersive virtual environments Duration: 3 years (start date: October 2018) Application deadline: May 1st 2018 Collaboration between Thomas Pietrzak, Géry Casiez, Loki (Inria, University of Lille, France), and Martin Hachet, Potioc (Inria Bordeaux) Detailed offer: <http://loki.lille.inria.fr/jobs/2018-3DInteraction-en.pdf> http://loki.lille.inria.fr/jobs/2018-3DInteraction-en.pdf Contacts: <mailto:Thomas.Pietrzak@univ-lille.fr> Thomas.Pietrzak(a)univ-lille.fr, <mailto:Gery.Casiez@univ-lille.fr> Gery.Casiez(a)univ-lille.fr, <mailto:Martin.Hachet@inria.fr> Martin.Hachet(a)inria.fr Immersive virtual environments gained popularity in the past years although technical limitations used to degrade the immersion sensation and control capabilities. Recent VR headsets are promising technology to improve immersion thanks to better display resolution and head tracking accuracy. They are also shipped with input devices which provide multiple degrees of freedom. Overall, these technical improvements make it possible to study interaction in this kind of environment more effectively and finely. The goal of this thesis is to design and study new interaction techniques and devices for elementary tasks such as pointing and navigation in immersive VR environments. These novel techniques may for example leverage touch interaction and haptic feedback to increase performance and enhance control. 3) PhD on interaction with flexible devices Duration: 3 years (start date: October 2018) Application deadline : April 3rd 2018 Cotutelle in collaboration between Thomas Pietrzak, Stéphane Huot, Loki (Inria, University of Lille, France), and Audrey Girouard, Creative Interactions Lab at Carleton University (Ottawa, CA) Detailed offer: <http://loki.lille.inria.fr/jobs/2018-Flexible-en.pdf> http://loki.lille.inria.fr/jobs/2018-Flexible-en.pdf Contacts: <mailto:Thomas.Pietrzak@univ-lille.fr> Thomas.Pietrzak(a)univ-lille.fr, <mailto:Stephane.Huot@inria.fr> Stephane.Huot(a)inria.fr, <mailto:Audrey.Girouard@carleton.ca> Audrey.Girouard(a)carleton.ca Flexible devices are a relatively new approach that offers continuous input modality. Similarly to joysticks, flexible devices pertain to the category of elastic devices. They move back to their initial position when the user releases them. Depending on their elasticity, they either behave like an isotonic (like a mouse) or isometric device (like a trackpoint). In this thesis, the candidate will design, implement and evaluate new flexible devices and interaction techniques in relevant contexts an application domains to be identified (e.g., mobile interaction, creativity support tools, control with numerous degrees of freedom such as robotics, etc.). On a more theoretical perspective, he, or she, will study the relation between input actions and feedback (sensory-motor loop) in this very new and particular context, in order to inform the design of efficient flexible devices for direct manipulation. 4) PhD on rethinking command histories as full-fledged interactive objects Duration: 3 years (start date: October 2018) Application deadline : May 1st 2018 Supervised by Mathieu Nancel and Stéphane Huot, Loki (Inria, University of Lille, France) Detailed offer: <http://loki.lille.inria.fr/jobs/2018-Causality-en.pdf> http://loki.lille.inria.fr/jobs/2018-Causality-en.pdf Contacts: <mailto:Mathieu.Nancel@inria.fr> Mathieu.Nancel(a)inria.fr, <mailto:Stephane.Huot@inria.fr> Stephane.Huot(a)inria.fr Histories of commands have undergone little evolution since their initial design, the ubiquitous "undo-redo", decades ago. This PhD project stems from the observation that the information used in the computation of editing commands is under-used and forgotten too quickly, as soon as the command is completed. The goal will be to treat the user's actions as full-fledged interactive objects, thus allowing users to edit and manipulate not only the most recent version of a document, but also its entire creation process. The thesis will explore new ways to design, navigate, and exploit these augmented histories for content editing, error correction, and creative process sharing. The outcome of this project will be to augment the flexibility and operational vocabulary of interactive systems by including complete and interactive command histories at the lowest level of their design and use. Work environment Loki is a dynamic HCI research group whose research aims at producing original ideas, fundamental knowledge and practical tools to inspire, inform and support the design of human-computer interactions. Members of Loki frequently publish in top-tier HCI conferences such as ACM CHI and ACM UIST. The Loki research group is based in the Lille - Nord Europe Inria research center, located in the Lille area. Lille is at the northern tip of France and its metropolitan area is the 5th biggest in France. At the crossroads of northern continental Europe and thanks to its Eurostar train station, it is 35 minutes away from Brussels, 1 h away from Paris and 80 minutes away from London. With four international airports (including Paris Charles de Gaulle and Brussels Zaventem) less than one hour away by bus or train, it is of easy access from virtually anywhere in the world. — Thomas Pietrzak Assistant Professor, Université Lille 1 +33(0) 3 59 35 87 86 http://www.thomaspietrzak.com

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[Room changed] HCI meeting today
by Seyong Ha 20 Feb '18

20 Feb '18

Hi folks, Room has changed. We will have a HCI meeting at DGP Seminar room at 12:00pm ⁣Sent from BlueMail

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away this week
by Ishtiaque Ahmed 19 Feb '18

19 Feb '18

Hi folks, I am away this week. if we have a meeting scheduled this week, that has to be done on Skype (id: syed.ishtiaque.ahmed) Best Regards, Ishtiaque Syed Ishtiaque Ahmed Assistant Professor Department of Computer Science University of Toronto, ON, CA web: https://www.ishtiaque.net/

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HCI group meeting tomorrow
by Seyong Ha 19 Feb '18

19 Feb '18

Hi folks, We have a HCI group meeting tomorrow at 12:00pm - 1:30pm @ BA5287. Benett and Amna will have practice talks for their conference presentations. Please keep track of my email until tomorrow, if I can find a better place, the location will be changed. 1. Benett “Touch-Supported Voice Recording to Facilitate Forced Alignment of Text and Speech in an E-Reading Interface” 2. Amna “ Towards a Writing Analytics Framework for Adult English Language Learners” Thanks, Seyong ------------------------------------------ Dynamic Graphics Project Lab., Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto, Seyong Ha

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Demos for David Lindlbauer, Feb 19 (Monday)
by Seongkook Heo 15 Feb '18

15 Feb '18

Hi, David Lindlbauer, a PhD candidate at TU Berlin is visiting the lab next Monday. If you'd like to meet him and share your demo after the talk, please let me know. Thanks, Seongkook

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