Submission instructions can be found at EasyChair submission page

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.

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.

Suggested workshop topics may include, but are not limited to the following areas:

  • Self-supervised learning for vocal signals
  • Generative audio systems for vocal interactivity
  • Function of 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 and humans
  • 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
  • Speech perception and production in human-human interactions and human-robot interactions
  • Comparative analysis of vocal signals in vocal interactivity
  • Theory development of vocal interaction interfaces.
  • Ethics of vocal interactivity

The submission form should contain the following information:

  • Title
  • Authors (and institutional affiliations)
  • Abstract (max 1000 characters)
  • Category (long or short paper)
  • Keywords
  • One sentence stating the relevance to VIHAR
  • Does this work relate to: Humans? Animals? Robots? (Multiple selections are certainly permitted!)
  • The paper or extended abstract should be submitted in PDF format (with fonts included)

Key Dates:

  • Submission deadline - 30th June 2024
  • Notification of acceptance - 21st July 2024
  • Registration closes - 21st August 2024
  • Workshop - 6th September 2024 (Kos, Greece), 9th September 2024 (Online)