Dear Colleagues,


Due to a number of requests, we have extended the paper submission deadline to 6th April

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Call for Papers, Satellite Events and Sponsors: Living Machines VIII: The 8th International Conference on Biomimetic and Biohybrid Systems

9 – 12 July 2019

To be hosted at the the Todai-ji Museum, Nara, Japan,

Accepted papers will be published in Springer Lecturer Notes in Artificial Intelligence

Extended submission deadline: April 6th, 2019

http://livingmachinesconference.eu/2019
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ABOUT LIVING MACHINES 2019
The development of future real-world technologies will depend strongly on our understanding and harnessing of the principles underlying living systems and the flow of communication signals between living and artificial systems.

Biomimetics is the development of novel technologies through the distillation of principles from the study of biological systems. The investigation of biomimetic systems can serve two complementary goals. First, a suitably designed and configured biomimetic artefact can be used to test theories about the natural system of interest. Second, biomimetic technologies can provide useful, elegant and efficient solutions to unsolved challenges in science and engineering.

Biohybrid systems are formed by combining at least one biological component—an existing living system—and at least one artificial, newly-engineered component. By passing information in one or both directions, such a system forms a new hybrid bio-artificial entity. The theme of the conference also encompasses biomimetic methods for manufacture, repair and recycling inspired by natural processes such as reproduction, digestion, morphogenesis and metamorphosis.

The following are some examples of “Living Machines” as featured at past conferences:
• Biomimetic robots and their component technologies (sensors, actuators, processors) that can intelligently interact with their environments.
• Biomimetic computers—neuromimetic emulations of the physiological basis for intelligent behaviour.
• Active biomimetic materials and structures that self-organize and self-repair.
• Nature-inspired designs and manufacturing processes.
• Biohybrid brain-machine interfaces and neural implants.
• Artificial organs and body-parts including sensory organ-chip hybrids and intelligent prostheses.
• Organism-level biohybrids such as robot-animal or robot-human systems.


ACTIVITIES
The main conference will take the form of a three-day single-track oral and poster presentation programme, 9th to 12th July 2019, and will be hosted at the Todai-ji Museum, Nara, Japan. http://www.todaiji.or.jp/english/map02.html

The conference programme will include five plenary lectures from leading international researchers in biomimetic and biohybrid systems, and the demonstrations of state-of-the-art living machine technologies.


SUBMITTING TO LIVING MACHINES 2019
We invite both full papers and extended abstracts in areas related to the conference themes. All contributions will be refereed and accepted papers will appear in the Living Machines Proceedings, published in the Springer-Verlag Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence.

Full papers (minimum 8 pages, up to 12 pages) are invited from researchers at any stage in their career and should present significant findings and advances in biomimetic or biohybrid research. More preliminary work is better suited for short paper submission (maximum 4 pages, with a maximum of ten references and no more than three self-citations). Full papers will be accepted for either oral presentation (single track) or poster presentation with a short podium preview. Extended abstracts will be accepted for poster presentation only.

Authors of the best full papers will be invited to submitted extended versions of their paper for publication in a special issue of the Taylor & Francis journal Connection Science.


SATELLITE EVENTS
Active researchers in biomimetic and biohybrid systems are invited to propose topics for full or half-day tutorials, symposia or workshops on related themes to be held on 9 July at the Todai-ji Museum, Nara, Japan. http://www.todaiji.or.jp/english/map02.html

Attendance at satellite events will attract a small fee intended to cover the costs of the meeting. There is flexibility about the content, organisation, and budgeting for these events. Please contact us if you are interested in organising a satellite event!


EXPECTED DEADLINES
April 6, 2019 Paper submission - deadline extended
May 20, 2019 Notification of acceptance
May 25, 2019 Camera ready copy
July 9, 10-12, 2019 Workshops and Conference



SPONSORSHIP
Organisations wishing to sponsor the conference in any way and gain the corresponding benefits by promoting themselves and their products through conference publications, conference events, and conference publicity are encouraged to contact the organisers to discuss the terms of sponsorship and necessary arrangements. We also offer a number of attractive options to potential sponsors.



VENUE
Consistent with the Living Machines’ tradition of choosing historical venues at the crossroads between life and human sciences, this year the conference will take place at the Todai-ji Museum in the town of Nara, the old capital of Japan up until the 8th century. Todai-ji or Great Eastern Temple is a Buddhist temple once amongst the powerful Seven Great Temples of Japan and is most well-known for its bronze statue of the Buddha. The temple has been recognized by UNESCO as one of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara. Read more at http://www.todaiji.or.jp/english/map02.html
The workshops and poster sessions will be organized in the same venue.


ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

Minoru Asada Osaka University, Japan (Local Chair)
Paul Verschure IBEC, BIST, ICREA, CSN Foundation (Co-Chair)
Uriel Martinez-Hernandez University of Bath (Programme Chair)
Vicky Vouloutsi IBEC, BIST, Barcelona
Michael Mangan University of Sheffield
Koichi Suzumori Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan (Workshop Chair)
Tony Prescott University of Sheffield, CSN Foundation (Steering Committee)
Nathan Lepora University of Bristol (Communication)
Anna Mura IBEC, BIST, Barcelona, CSN Foundation (General Organization Chair)