Related papers: Voice-Based Smart Assistant System for Vehicles us…
In this paper, we identify challenges in children's current information retrieval process, and propose conversational robots as an opportunity to ease this process in a responsible way. Tools children currently use in this process, such as…
In this paper, we present an acoustic database, designed to drive and support research on voiced enabled technologies inside moving vehicles. The recording process involves (i) recordings of acoustic impulse responses, acquired under static…
In social robotics, a pivotal focus is enabling robots to engage with humans in a more natural and seamless manner. The emergence of advanced large language models (LLMs) such as Generative Pre-trained Transformers (GPTs) and autoregressive…
Advances in artificial intelligence have transformed the paradigm of human-computer interaction, with the development of conversational AI systems playing a pivotal role. These systems employ technologies such as natural language processing…
Vision Language Action (VLA) models promise an open-vocabulary interface that can translate perceptual ambiguity into semantically grounded driving decisions, yet they still treat language as a static prior fixed at inference time. As a…
There has been vast literature that studies Conversational Agents (CAs) in facilitating older adults' health. The vast and diverse studies warrants a comprehensive review that concludes the main findings and proposes research directions for…
As voice-based Conversational Assistants (CAs), including Alexa, Siri, Google Home, have become commonly embedded in households, many children now routinely interact with Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems. It is important to research…
Chatbots have become integral to various application domains, including those with safety-critical considerations. As a result, there is a pressing need for methods that ensure chatbots consistently adhere to expected, safe behaviours. In…
Most online information sources are text-based and in Western Languages like English. However, many new and first time users of the Internet are in contexts with low English proficiency and are unable to access vital information online.…
Voice assistants (VAs) are typically evaluated through task performance metrics and self-report questionnaires, but people's voices themselves carry rich paralinguistic cues that reveal affect, effort, and interaction breakdowns. We present…
In human conversation, empathic dialogue requires nuanced temporal cues indicating whether the conversational partner is paying attention. This type of "active listening" is overlooked in the design of Conversational Agents (CAs), which use…
Virtual assistants (VAs) have become ubiquitous in daily life, integrated into smartphones and smart devices, sparking interest in AI companions that enhance user experiences and foster emotional connections. However, existing companions…
Rescue vessels are the main actors in maritime safety and rescue operations. At the same time, aerial drones bring a significant advantage into this scenario. This paper presents the research directions of the AutoSOS project, where we work…
Intelligent assistants (IAs) such as Siri and Cortana conversationally interact with users and execute a wide range of actions (e.g., searching the Web, setting alarms, and chatting). IAs can support these actions through the combination of…
Virtual assistants are becoming increasingly important speech-driven Information Retrieval platforms that assist users with various tasks. We discuss open problems and challenges with respect to modeling spoken information queries for…
Speech is the fundamental means of communication between humans. The advent of AI and sophisticated speech technologies have led to the rapid proliferation of human-to-computer-based interactions, fueled primarily by Automatic Speech…
Conversational chatbots are Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered applications that assist users with various tasks by responding in natural language and are prevalent across different industries. Most of the chatbots that we encounter on…
The dialogue experience with conversational agents can be greatly enhanced with multimodal and immersive interactions in virtual reality. In this work, we present an open-source architecture with the goal of simplifying the development of…
Voice controlled virtual assistants (VAs) are now available in smartphones, cars, and standalone devices in homes. In most cases, the user needs to first "wake-up" the VA by saying a particular word/phrase every time he or she wants the VA…
Since Automated Driving Systems are not expected to operate flawlessly, Automated Vehicles will require human assistance in certain situations. For this reason, teleoperation offers the opportunity for a human to be remotely connected to…