Many animals use vocal signals for a range of ecologically-motivated purposes: from detecting predators/prey and marking territory, to expressing emotions or physiological state, establishing social relations and sharing information. Whether it’s a bird raising an alarm, a whale calling to potential partners, a dog responding to human commands, a parent reading a story with a child, or a business person accessing stock prices using Siri on an iPhone, vocalization provides a valuable communication channel through which behavior may be coordinated, social interactions are mediated, and information is acquired and distributed. Indeed, the ubiquity of vocal interaction has led to research across a diverse array of fields, from assessing animal welfare, to understanding the precursors of human language, to developing voice-based human-machine interaction. Clearly, there is potential for cross-fertilisation between disciplines; for example, using robots to investigate contemporary theories of language grounding, using machine learning to decode animal communication or adding vocal expressivity to the next generation of autonomous social agents. However, many opportunities remain unexplored, not least due to the lack of a suitable forum.

VIHAR-2024 is the forth international workshop on Vocal Interactivity in-and-between Humans, Animals and Robots. It will take place in a hybrid format and will be hosted in Kos, Greece on 6th September 2024 and online on 9th September 2024. VIHAR-2024 aims to bring together researchers studying vocalisation and speech-based interaction in-and-between humans, animals and robots from a variety of different fields. VIHAR-2024 will provide an opportunity to share and discuss theoretical insights, best practices, tools and methodologies, and to identify common principles underpinning vocal behaviour in a multi-disciplinary environment.

VIHAR-2024 is scheduled to take place as a satellite event 6th September 2024, immediately after Interspeech 2024 (which takes place in Kos, Greece) and it is supported by the International Speech Communication Association (ISCA). We are aiming to keep the registration fee as low as possible.

Submission Guidelines

All papers must be original and not simultaneously submitted to another journal or conference. We invite original submissions of 5-page papers (with the 5th page reserved exclusively for acknowledgements and references) or 2-page extended abstracts in all areas of vocal interactivity. Accepted papers will be compiled in the VIHAR-2024 proceedings that will be published online. All papers should follow the Interspeech 2024 template.

List of Topics

• Self-supervised learning for vocal signals
• Generative audio systems for vocal interactivity
• Function of animal vocalizations: discovery of information embedded within signals, testing for functional reference, linking vocal signals to behavior
• Physiological and morphological comparisons between vocal systems in animals
• Vocal imitation and social learning of vocal signals
• Valence and emotion in vocal signals
• Inter and intraspecies comparative analyses of vocalizations
• Interspecific vocal interactivity between non-conspecifics.

Committees

Organizing committee

Marius Miron, Earth Species Project

Yossi Yovel, Tel Aviv University

Sara Keen, Earth Species Project

Eliya Nachmani, Google

Paola R. Peña, University College Dublin

Björn Schuller, Technical University of Munich

Olivier Pietquin, Earth Species Projec

Venue

The workshop will be held at the Delphi room of the Kipriotis Hotels & Conference Center (KICC), located in the city of Kos, Greece.

Contact

All questions about submissions should be emailed to vihar2024@earthspecies.org

Sponsors

Earth Species Project https://www.earthspecies.org/