The ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) is the premier venue for innovations on human-robot interaction. Sponsored by the ACM special interest groups on computer-human interaction (SIGCHI) and artificial intelligence (SIGAI) as well as the IEEE robotics and automation society (RAS), HRI brings together researchers spanning robotics, human-computer interaction, human factors, artificial intelligence, engineering, ... Read more
Dr Neil Urquhart of Edinburgh Napier University presents
Can Evolution Develop Public Transport Networks?
Public transport networks by their very nature evolve over time to meet the needs of travellers, fit the constraints of operators and meet the aspirations of politicians. This talk examines the use of novelty search to explore changes to the bus network in the centre of Edinburgh. The existing solution has been evolving since 1871 matching the changing nature of the city and transportation technologies. We harness geospatial data to evaluate the existing solution and then use novelty search to find modified solutions and examine their relationship to the existing solution. We are particularly interested in balancing the novelty of proposed changes with the distance from the current trusted solution.
This talk will demonstrate the potential for novelty search to assist with the design and modification of public transport routes and set and agenda for future research which will aim to cover larger areas and encompass multiple transport modes.
About This workshop series is a hands-on, team-forming sprint. You will meet potential collaborators, shape a concrete research idea and leave with a realistic plan and division of labour toward a Challenge-Track submission for SSBSE 2026. The SSBSE 2026 Challenge Track explores how Search-Based Software Engineering (SBSE) can optimize agentic AI systems (LLM-powered agents with tools, memory, planning, and ... Read more
The ACM CHI conference is the premier publication venue in the field of HCI, and Scotland-based researchers are contributing extensively to the programme for the 2026 conference which will be held in Barcelona, Spain in mid-April. The Pre-CHI Day is a chance for the Scottish HCI community to see some of the world-leading research going on across Scotland, and allow those not travelling to Spain to talk to authors first-hand and hear about their work. The event will be hybrid, and virtual attendance and virtual presentation will both be supported. We expect a mixed audience, including researchers of the Scottish HCI community as well as interested students, designers, industry, practitioners etc., as well as newcomers to the field of HCI.
AI-driven Humanoid Robots for Education: Insights from UK Rapid Technology Assessments with Dr Carl Strathearn Abstract: AI-driven humanoid robots are gradually moving out of laboratories and into factories around the world. However, more challenging domains such as education, domestic environments, and healthcare are significantly more unpredictable and difficult to evaluate in terms of effectiveness, social interaction, and ... Read more
The 2026 SICSA Writing Retreat will bring together researchers from across Scotland for a two-day intensive writing event. The programme will consist of networking and skill sharing activities, in addition to individual and group writing blocks. Postdoctoral researchers from any SICSA institution are invited to apply to attend the writing retreat by completing the online ... Read more
Register to attend Join us on Thursday, 30 April for an AI & Data Science Seminar. Dr Hazrat Ali of University of Stirling presents Generative AI for Medical Computer Vision Abstract Before synthetic data became popular, data scarcity was considered a major bottleneck in training AI (deep learning) models for medical imaging. Generative AI enabled the AI research ... Read more
SCONE is the SCOttish Networking Event – an informal gathering of networking and systems researchers in and around Scotland. The goal of these meetings is to foster interaction between researchers from our various institutions. Each meeting will take place over the course of an afternoon, and feature:
talks from PhD students
talks from faculty, postdocs and industrial researchers
discussions of possible funding opportunities
food and drink
Software engineering students are often well prepared to think about implementation and delivery, but less often asked to reason about value, prioritisation, uncertainty, and strategic trade-offs. In this talk, I will present the pedagogical design of CS5034, a Master's-level module in Software Product and Project Management at the University of St Andrews, and reflect on how it was used to reshape the student experience around product judgement rather than delivery alone.
Register to attend Join us on Wednesday 27 May for an AI & Data Science Seminar. Vilém Zouhar of EHT Zurich presents Theory and Practice of Efficient Evaluation Science without evaluation is limited to blind exploration, though good evaluation comes at a cost. In this session, we first cover basics of annotation protocols. We then build ... Read more
Scotland has a particularly high concentration of research groups working in the AI subfield of computational argumentation. Scottish Argumentation Day has previously been attended by researchers based both in Scotland and further afield, and has enabled the Scottish argumentation community to present their work in an informal setting, share feedback, and strengthen professional links. SAD began with Aberdeen 2011, and most recently took place in Edinburgh 2024.
In continuing this series, our aim is threefold: (i) enable Scottish argumentation researchers, and especially PhD students, to mutually present their work; (ii) affirm Scottish argumentation research as a recognisable presence; (iii) provide a concrete opportunity for Scottish researchers to network.
Evaluation in the field of Natural Language Generation (NLG) has changed considerably over the past several decades. This special symposium in honour of Prof. Ehud Reiter’s retirement provides a forum for academic and industry researchers to look back on the topic of how evaluations in the field of NLG have changed and to explore unaddressed ... Read more