ABOUT VSMM2017
The 23rd Int’l Conference on Virtual Systems and Multimedia will be held October 30th - November 2nd 2017 in Ireland at University College Dublin, with Special Workshops and Cultural Tours on November 3rd - 5th in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

For over 2 decades, VSMM has been the premier world forum for cross-disciplinary research on multimedia, VR, AR, 3D acquisition, visualization and interaction technologies, and their myriad applications. Known for its broad multidisciplinary approach, VSMM has become a unique bridge between technology and the arts, history, science and engineering. Held annually since 1995, VSMM2017 will mark the 23rd international gathering of the VSMM Society. VSMM’s Proceedings are available in IEEE’s digital library, Xplore.

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS: Back to the Future of Virtual Reality
VSMM2017 will explore ground-breaking applications of new media, VR, sensing, and imaging in creative societies. Some 30 years after the dawn of VR, with a new boom in virtual devices, products and applications, it is an apt moment to look “Back to the Future” and examine the potentials and pitfalls of VR, AR and 3D technologies. With virtual and 3D technology entering health to tourism, games to manufacturing, and art to entertainment, deep issues and questions arise.

The Conference will bring together researchers and academics, creative industry professionals and technologists, futurists and students to explore where virtual and 3D technologies have been and are taking us. Experts in the arts and culture, heritage and museums, design and engineering, architecture and planning, health and inclusion, and computing and digital systems are invited to gather to present, discuss, debate and learn.

SELECTED HIGHLIGHTS:
- Keynote: Women of the Wayback on VR & Tech Futures, featuring:
VR Pioneer Dr. Jacki Morie, All These Worlds
Artist & Theorist Dr. Gayil Nalls, World Sensorium
Astronaut & Educator Dr. Mae Jemison, 100 Year Starship
- Workshops at UCD on 3D Printing with Novel Materials, Assistive Technology Interfaces for Creative Expression, and Drones for Accessibility
- Workshops at UU Belfast on Virtual Reality, Simulation and Animation
- Opening Address by Professor Orla Feely, UCD VP for Research, Innovation & Impact
- Pre-Conference excursion to the Skellig Islands (Star Wars & Dark Sky Reserve site) & Wild Atlantic Way
- Post-Conference cultural tours to Giant’s Causeway, Titanic, Game of Thrones …

PRELIMINARY PROGRAM
PRE-CONFERENCE (China & Southern Ireland)
Oct. 2017 VSMM Pre-Conference Workshop in Ningbo, China
27-30 Oct South Ireland Expedition: The Wild Atlantic Way & Dark Sky Reserve
VSMM2017 (SMARTlab @ The Lightbulb Factory, Newstead Campus, Univ. College Dublin)
Tue 31 Oct Workshops (all day), Registration, & Evening Opening Keynote
Wed 1 Nov Conference Day 1 (Dublin)
Thu 2 Nov Conference Day 2 (Dublin)
CONFERENCE EXTENSION (Ulster Univ., Belfast)
Fri 3 Nov Transfer to Belfast, Tracks 7 & 8
Sat 4 Nov VR Workshops / Optional Cultural Tours
Sun 5 Nov Optional Cultural Tours in Belfast environs

CONFERENCE THEMES
VSMM2017 will focus on innovative and cross-disciplinary research in applied multimedia & gaming, VR & AR, visualization & animation, digital archives & repositories, interaction & haptics, 3D scanning & imaging, 3D making & printing, animation & digital cinema, and more. This call invites proposals in the 8 strands listed below:

Theme 1: VR is Dead / Long Live VR
• The History & Herstory of VR
• Virtual Worlds vs Virtual Experiences
• The Ethics of VR
• VR as a healing modality
• Stress Testing & Stress Reduction Using VR
• Women’s Ways of Using Virtual Worlds
• Artificial Intelligence & VR
• Context-specific virtual worlds

Theme 2: Mixed Realities
• Applied Augmented and Mixed Reality
• Experience Design for MR
• Presence Studies in MR
• Location-based Reality
• MR/AR software and hardware
• Immersive Reality Gaming
• 360VR using Drones
• Opportunities for SMEs in MR

Theme 3: Applied 3D Sensing & Modeling
• 3D Scanning, 3D Digitizing, Lidar, range sensors
• Photogrammetry and Computer Vision
• SLAM, Motion Tracking, and Robotics
• Remote Sensing & GNSS (GPS, GLONASS, …
• Building Information Modeling (BIM)
• Internet of Things (IoT) sensors
• Image-based 3D Modeling
• CAD-based 3D Reconstruction
• 3D Connected Learning

Theme 4: Applied Haptics & Interaction
• Creative Haptics / Interaction
• Virtualisation of Other Senses
• Alternative Interfaces for Accessible VR
• VR/AR Tracking/Input devices
• Tangible User Interfaces/Robotics
• Multimodal Interaction
• Distributed VR
• Industrial/Biomedical Applications
• Semantic Web

Theme 5: Digital Heritage & Preservation
• Digital Heritage / Virtual Heritage
• 3D Repositories and Archives
• 3D Information Systems for Culture
• Virtual Conservation/Restoration
• Augmented Travel / Virtual Tourism
• Virtual Archaeology, Museum & Exhibitions
• Multimedia Valourisation of CH Sites
• Serious Games/Gamification in/of Heritage
• Land Stewardship Using 3D tools

Theme 6: VS & MM in Design/Engineering
• Technology for Inclusive Design
• VR & 3D in Civil, Architecture & Planning
• VR & 3D in Industrial/ Biomedical/ Environ. Eng
• E-Health & Virtual GP/Virtual Health Clinics
• Design Thinking and Future Foresight
• Industry 4.0
• 3D Printing & Digital Materialisation
• Technology-Enhanced Learning

Theme 7: Creative Arts & Design
• Virtual Storytelling
• Simulation-based Training
• VR & Learning Theories
• Digital Art
• Video Modeling
• Digital Live Performances
• Cultural Analytics
• Digital Humanities
• New Museology

Theme 8: Visualisation & Animation
• Animation and Simulation
• Local/Remote Rendering
• Active/Passive Stereo Displays/HMDs
• Immersive Displays/CAVES
• Visual Simulation of Materials
• Virtual GIS
• Visual Analytics
• Social Media
• Collaborative Research and Embodiment

IMPORTANT DATES
1 Mar 2017 Call for Papers, Posters, & Workshops
Fri 2 Jun 2017 Deadline for Abstracts/Workshop Proposals
Fri 28 Jul 2017 Notification of Acceptance to Authors/Presenters
Fri 1 Sep 2017 Registration Opens
Mon 15 Sep 2017 Camera-ready Papers Due
Fri 13 Oct 2017 Registration Closes
Tue 31 Oct VSMM2017 Launches in Dublin
3 - 5 Nov Workshops & Cultural Tours, Belfast

CfP SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
(PROPOSALS DUE 2 June 2017 online via EasyChair)
Papers
Please submit your extended paper abstract by Friday, 2nd June 2017 (12pm GMT). Extended abstracts (or draft papers) should include references and be a minimum of 500 words and no more than 1000. Submissions must be of original and unpublished work on the conference topics, should be written in English, and formatted in IEEE double-column, single-space format (see link below). As the conference uses a double-blind review, authors must ensure any information that links authors or co-authors (e.g. affiliations, contact details, e-mails, etc) is redacted prior to EasyChair submission.
Notification to authors will be sent on Friday, 28 July 2017. If accepted, papers must be formatted as at https://www.ieee.org/conferences_events/conferences/publishing/templates.html and submitted no later than Friday, 15 September 2017. Length is not to exceed 4 pages for short and 8 pages for long papers (including all figures, tables and references).

Workshops
Workshop proposals should be submitted by the deadline: Friday, 2nd June 2017 (12pm GMT). Proposals must include a title, overview and motivations, and format of the workshop (half or full day, maximum number of participants, etc), a short description of the material required, contact information and a CV for each presenter (maximum submission length of 3,000 words).

Special Sessions
Special Session proposals should be submitted by the deadline: Friday, 2nd June 2017 (12pm GMT). Proposals must include a topical title, rationale, session outline, contact information for the Session Chair(s) and information on any authors who have already agreed to present a paper in the session with a tentative title and short abstract for each paper (maximum submission length of 3,000 words).

Conference Fees
Full Registration (incl. keynotes, sessions, welcome reception & gala dinner)
For Authors/Presenters € 295
IEEE Member discounted rate € 250
Student Registration (incl. keynotes, Dublin sessions, & welcome reception) € 150
Extras
Dublin Pre-Conference Workshops € 100 (€50 Half Day)
Dublin Pre-Conference Workshops – Student Rate € 50 (€30 Half Day)
Extra tickets - Conference Welcome Reception (Dublin) € 30
Extra tickets - Conference Gala Dinner (Dublin) € 50
Belfast Workshops € 100 (€50 Half Day)
Belfast Workshops – Student Rate € 50 (€30 Half Day)
Belfast Reception & Dinner to be announced
Cultural Tours to be announced
Please Note:
1) To be included in Proceedings, Full Registration required by at least one author / presenter of each submission regardless of event attendance. Full Registration includes all Dublin and Belfast conference sessions and keynotes, as well as the opening reception and Gala dinner. Workshops, cultural tours, and Belfast dinner / reception available separately.
2) IEEE Members must list their Member number at booking and show their ID to pick up credentials.
3) Student rates are available to full-time students only —Student ID must be shown at conference registration to pick up credentials. Workshops, dinners and tours available separately.
5) Workshops require separate registration and are sold on a first booked/ first served system. Seats are limited and we expect the workshops to be in high demand, so encourage participants to book as early as possible. Please make sure that you are choosing the correct workshop.

VSMM2017 COMMITTEE
Conference Chair
Prof. Lizbeth Goodman, SMARTlab – Inclusive Design Research Centre, University College Dublin
Co- Chair & Chair of Scientific Committee
Prof. Eugene Ch’ng, NVIDIA Joint-Lab on Mixed Reality, University of Nottingham Ningbo China

Special Panel Chairs
Prof. Frank Lyons, Assoc. Dean, Ulster University Assistive Technology for Creative Expression
Prof. Greg Maguire, Belfast School of Art, Ulster University Animation and Modeling
Prof. Mohamed Gamal Abdelmonem, Chair in Arch., Nottingham Trent Univ. Cultural Heritage

Organising Committee, Publications and Events team
Dr Shane Keaveney, Dr Anita McKeown, Dr Eleni Mangina, Dr Joe Eyerman, Dr Mick Donegan, Dr Gloria Crispino, Dr Donal Holland, Dr Ken Stanton, Dr Aoife Ahern, Dr Ciaran McNally, Dr Anna Kelly, Dr Aviva Cohen, Dr Anita Yakkundi, Dr Yugos Politis, Dr Nigel Robb, Colin Keogh, Cagri Cubucku, Bo Zhang, Cheryl L’Hirondelle, Elysa Kelly, Frank Gleeson, Mureann O’Sullivan, Stephen Howell, Graham Smith, Pierre Jolivet, Vincent Hyland, Lucy Hunt, Eleanor Bowen, Rick Nassar, Niall Hogan, Niall McAllister, Tara O’Neil, Julie LeMoine, Conor Brennan, John Ryan, et al

Advisory Committee
Prof. Alonzo Addison, President, VSMM Society, Berkeley CA, USA
Prof. Gabrielle Guidi, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
Prof. Hyun Seung Yang, KAIST, South Korea
Prof. Maurizio Forte, Duke University, USA
Prof. Michele Russo, La Sapienza University, Italy
Prof. Hal Thwaites (Honorary President, VSMM Society), Sunway University, Malaysia
Prof. Lizbeth Goodman, University College Dublin, Ireland
Dr. Jacki Morie, All These Worlds LLC, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Dr. Halina Gottlieb, Digital Heritage Cultural Centre, Sweden


Come Back to the Future of VR with VSMM2017