Amnon Ribak

SYNTAX AND LEXICAL STATISTICS IN ANAPHORA RESOLUTION

We describe a syntactically based salience algorithm for pronominal anaphora resolution and a procedure for reevaluating the decisions of the algorithm on the basis of statistically modeled lexical semantic/pragmatic preferences. We report the results of an extensive blind test of both systems on computer manual text. We discuss the implications of these results for the comparative roles of syntactically defined salience and statistically measured lexical preference in determining the references of pronouns in text.

Populating the Hermitage Museum's new web site

Experts from around the world tackle one of the most ambitious Web-based museum projects and the result captures the true artistry of teamwork, technology, and yes, art.

COCONET: A Roadmap for Context-Aware Cooperation Environments

This paper presents the approach and some results of the COCONET Roadmap project (1ST-2001–37460). This project has as its objective to prepare a strategy and roadmap for RTD of high industrial impact in the area of context-aware collaborative environments for next generation business networks. The roadmap approach as presented here is based on scenarios for future work and business environments. Major challenges in future RTD are described and the approach is evaluated.

Using image analytics to monitor retail store shelves

Using image analytics to monitor the contents and status of retail store shelves is an emerging trend with increasing business importance. Detecting and identifying multiple objects on store shelves involves a number of technical challenges. The particular nature of product package design, the arrangement of products on shelves, and the requirement to operate in unconstrained environments are just a few of the issues that must be addressed. We explain how we addressed these challenges in a system for monitoring planogram compliance, developed as part of a project with Tesco, a large multinational retailer. The new system offers store personnel an instant view of shelf status and a list of action items for restocking shelves. The core of the system is based on its ability to achieve high rates of product recognition, despite the very small visual differences between some products. This paper covers how state-of-the-art methods for object detection behave when applied to this problem. We also describe the innovative aspects of our implementation for size-scale-invariant product recognition and fine-grained classification.

Mobile Communications Versus Pervasive Communications: The Role of Handhelds

The intent of this panel is to stimulate discussion around the design of HCI for handhelds and related applications in pervasive communication scenarios. The panel will create a provocative framework for future interactive communications and will generate a debate with the audience around the emerging and contentious topic of using mobile devices as main interfaces in a ubiquitous communication experience. It is expected that the panelists will promote inter-disciplinary and multidisciplinary discussion about a range of HCI issues including: management of multiple user interactions, interaction between mobile phones and other devices, the development of usable design models for convergent media, special HCI considerations around media sharing, new applications and new forms of interactive content more suitable in pervasive communication contexts. Other ethical, legal, business and social implications of ubiquitous communications may also be raised. Short position statements will be followed by moderated debate between panelists that will be open to questions from the floor stimulating high interaction with the audience. The panel will conclude with a summarization of the most relevant outcomes of the discussion.