Keynote speakers

Andreas Braun

Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research IGD, Germany

Applications of machine learning in physiological signal and exercise monitoring

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning have been significant drivers in computer science for the past years. Growing computational capabilities and increasingly powerful sensors enable applications in physiological monitoring and exercise tracking that were not feasible just a few years ago.
Of particular interest in our research are smart objects – typical objects that we use in our daily lives with added sensing and communication capabilities. Using invisible sensing technologies and sophisticated machine learning methods, we are able to monitor certain physiological parameters, and even track exercises that the user performs on or around those smart objects.
In this talk, I will present an overview of our research in smart objects, systems & methods in use, as well as recent applications. Some of the presented projects include an exercise-tracking chair, using the smartphone as an exercise tracker, and a car seat that monitors various physiological parameters.

Bio

Dr. Andreas Braun is the head of the department for Smart Living & Biometric Technologies at the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research IGD in Darmstadt, Germany. The department conducts research in the domains of Smart Environments, Identification and Biometrics, Capacitive Systems, as well as Embedded Sensing and Perception. Dr. Braun is the deputy spokesperson of the Fraunhofer AAL Alliance, a thematic network of ten Fraunhofer institutes in the areas of Active & Assisted Living and Personal Health. He is also a principal investigator at the Center for Research in Security and Privacy CRISP in Darmstadt. Dr. Braun is the representative of Fraunhofer IGD in the CAST-Forum, the European Association of Biometrics, and the TeleTrusT. He has been active for many years in various European research initiatives, including the Knowledge and Innovation Communities EIT Health and EIT Digital, of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology. He published more than 70 scientific papers and is holding several patents.

António Teixeira

University of Aveiro, Portugal

Multimodal Interaction

Abstract

The environments where we all live are increasingly populated by devices. Our houses, buildings and cities are becoming more “intelligent” and the way we interact with these devices, in our daily life, is changing constantly, consequence of the emergence of new technologies and methods. Interaction is becoming more complex and, if nothing is done, will contribute to more exclusion. It is crucial do have interaction and design for all.
How can we face these challenges creating new services and applications that are easily usable by all, despite contextual, temporary or permanent limitations of capabilities?
In this presentation, the use of multimodal interaction will be analyzed and defended as having great potential to contribute to the needed Design and Development for All. The set of commonly used modalities is increasing, with touch and classic text and graphics being complemented by body gestures and speech, a major current trend, due to recent evolution of devices and technologies such as speech recognition and conversational assistants.
The talk will start by a brief overview of motivations for Multimodal Interaction, and recent trends and developments, including the recommendations of the W3C Multimodal User Interaction Working Group (with a particular focus on their architectural proposals).
The second part of the talk will illustrate the potential of Multimodal Interaction, side-by-side with a user-centered approach, to tackle different audiences and needs, with examples of conceptual visions and applications for Autism Spectrum Disorders, older adults, Smart Homes, and Human Building Interaction, developed in projects such as Living Usability Lab, AAL PaeLife, AAL4ALL, IRIS and the ongoing Smart Green Homes. For example, recent work in Silent Speech Interaction and interaction for an Accessible Smart Home will be presented.
The talk is the direct continuation of the DSAI 2009 position paper “Speech as the Basic Interface for Assistive Technology” and the talk “Towards Speech-Based Interaction with Machines”, part of Microsoft Workshop “Natural User Interaction: Current Challenges and Future Perspectives” at DSAI 2012.

Bio

Dr. António Teixeira holds a Master in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, both from the University of Aveiro (Portugal). He is Associate Professor at University of Aveiro Department of Electronics, Telecommunications and Informatics (DETI) and a researcher at the Institute of Electronics and Telematics Engineering of Aveiro – IEETA.
He is the Chair of the Special Interest Group on Iberian Languages (SIG-IL) of the International Speech Communication Association (ISCA), since 2008. His main research activity is in the areas of Multimodal Human-Machine Interaction and Speech Processing.
He was General Chair of several international conferences on Processing of Speech and Language: IberSpeech 2016 (Lisboa, Portugal) IberSpeech 2014 (Las Palmas, Spain), IberSpeech 2012 (Madrid, Spain), FALA 2010 (Vigo, Spain), 1st Iberian SLTech (2009), PROPOR 2008 (Aveiro, Portugal). Was co-organizer of the DSAI 2013 Special Track “New Applications and Services for Ambient Assisted Living and Older Adults”.
Professor Teixeira has been project principle investigator or responsible for University of Aveiro participation in several national and European research projects in speech science and technology, Interaction and AAL (Heron II, LUL, AAL4ALL, Smartphones for Seniors, AAL PaeLIFE, IAPP IRIS) and has supervised 12 concluded PhDs and more than 50 Masters’ thesis.
He is co-author of more than two hundred publications (books, book chapters, international journals and proceedings of international conferences). He is a reviewer for several international journals.

Athanassios Jimoyiannis

University of Peloponnese, Greece

Rethinking about e-Learning 2.0: Challenges and opportunities for higher education and professional development

Abstract

Conventional on-line courses are designed by organising content though learning management systems, in order that students will acquire the knowledge related to this content. But, is this approach effective to enhance 21st century learners’ capacity to think critically, to be creative, and deal with complex problems that do not have clear or predictable solutions?
E-learning 2.0 is a new notion which reflects a wide spectrum of on-line learning experiences where the relations among the four educational pillars (i.e., curriculum, content, pedagogy and assessment) are radically changed. This paradigm shift is determined by a fundamental change in our pedagogical thinking from individual learning to authentic, self-directed and collaborative learning experiences within open, distributed, connected and flexible learning environments.
In his presentation, Prof. Athanassios Jimoyiannis will outline a possible framework of e-learning 2.0 for higher education and professional development. Current projects and research findings will be presented with regards to a) university students’ engagement in learner-generated content through blogs and wikis, and b) the design of cMOOCs for teacher professional development.

Bio

Athanassios Jimoyiannis is a Professor of Science and ICT in Education, leading the e-Learning Research Group (e-LeReG) at the Department of Social and Educational Policy, University of Peloponnese, in Greece. He has more than thirty years of academic experience in research and teaching at university level and teachers’ professional development. He has also held a variety of academic, research and administrative responsibilities in National and International Organisations/Committees.
Prof. Jimoyiannis has been involved in various national and EU research and development projects regarding learning technologies in primary, secondary and higher education, and teacher development as well. His current research interests include e-learning, ICT and Web 2.0 in education, digital literacy, teachers’ professional development on ICT in education, and computer science education. His publication record includes over 200 peer-reviewed articles in journals, books, international and national conferences proceedings. He is also a member of the Scientific Editorial and Review Board in various international journals and conferences related to e-learning and ICT in education.

Javier Ganzarain

Research Project Officer at AGE Platform Europe

Silver Economy: a driver to support active and healthy ageing

Abstract

As introduction to the talk, the demographic change that the world, in general, and the EU, in concrete, are undergoing and a set of challenges that the ageing society brings with it will be presented.
But we do not want just to live longer, adding years to life, but better and healthier, adding life to years, and for this a change of mind-sets and the promotion of an Active and Health Ageing are key.
But much more than a burden, an ageing society also means a whole set of opportunities, from growing demand, via a better quality of life of older people, to a economic growth. The sum of all economic activities that serves the needs of people aged 50 and over is the so called Silver Economy.
The second part of the talk will then be dedicated to present the Silver Economy, the concept and its opportunities. In addition, a set of European initiatives going from partnership, like the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing, and networking, like the Covenant on Demographic Change and the Thematic Network Smart and Healthy Age-friendly Environments, to R&D and funding opportunities will be presented. Finally, the awareness raising initiative, the Silver Economy Awards, that has just undergone its first edition and the Silver Economy Report, which has just also been published, both in May, will also be presented.

Bio

Holds a Computer Science Degree, Basque Country University (Spain), and a Master of Science (MSc) in Design and Management of Communication Systems, Centre d’Ingénierie des Technologies de la Communication (France and Spain). He has gained extensive international experience within various project management and IT areas while working in Germany, first in the European Space Agency as a telecommunications engineer, then in a multinational consulting company (Atos Origin) as Senior IT-Specialist and in a German research company as a senior software engineer and project leader. He was over the last 13 years the lead of R&D Department within tioman & partners, SL, which he co-founded and was dedicated to promote and facilitate innovation for better ageing. He was in 2016 and 2017 Promoter of the Action Group C2 “Interoperable independent living solutions” of the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on Active and Healthy Aging (AHA). His research areas of interest include Human Centred Innovation, Design and Creativity. He is currently Research Project Officer at AGE Platform Europe (Brussels, Belgium), Owner of AFEdemy (Academy on Age-Friendly Environments in Europe B.V., Gouda, The Netherlands) and Innovation Director at INNJOY (Barcelona, Spain) and collaborates as a teacher of the module “Technology to the service of elderly people necessities” of the Master of Science (MSc) in Social Gerontology at the University of Barcelona. He is fluent in German, English, French and Spanish.