Welcome to the Program Committee. This year we are planning to organize the work flow a bit differently, using a bigger group, and sub-committees, to do a first read on papers. We hope that this will reduce the reading load for everyone. In order for this to work, however, we’ll need everyone’s cooperation on the timeline, which is why we’ll need to agree one soon (a suggested timeline is below). That way everyone can mark their calendars now.
I’ve also attached a first draft of a call for papers. Your comments would be welcome. Please note carefully the proposed timeline. Ideally, we would issue the CFP in a few days.
The Website. I’ve also got the bare bones of our website up at robots.law.miami.edu/2016. In order to give it a bit more life, I would be very grateful if you would each send me one to three paragraphs about either why you like We Robot or who you would like to see at We Robot. The “why I like it” paragraphs will do double duty as they may also find their way into our fundraising packet.
The conferencing system. We’re going to try a new means of managing the paper flow since past year’s systems haven’t been wonderful (and the one two years ago was dreadful). It lives at https://cmt.research.microsoft.com/ROBOT2016/. The main web page for the conference will be at robots.law.miami.edu/2016, but I’m still trying to get some tech issues sorted there so it’s a few days away from ready-for-prime-time.
The timeline. Thanks to our student assistant Bryson Stafford, here’s a first try at a timeline:
Papers due Nov 1
[subcommittees read & vote via online system]
Subcommittee conf call Nov. 8, 5:30pm-7 Eastern (if needed)
Subcommittee decisions due Dec 11
[Intensive reading by all & voting via online system]
Full committee conf call 1: Nov 16 5:30-7pm Eastern
Full committee conf call 2: 18th 5:30pm-7 Eastern (if needed)
Full committee tentative decision Nov 23
Public announcement by Dec 4
Please scrutinize the above carefully. Calendars are my Achilles Heel.
Fundraising. Thanks to Ryan and Dan for pledging support from their home centers! Fundraising is progressing, and we’re actually ahead of where we were 2 years ago, but there’s still a great deal more to do because our budget will be larger due to the workshops. If each of you could identify two strong prospects, we’d probably be done. I’m particularly interested in contacts at Google, robotics companies, professional associations and, well, anyone else who might be interested. You could approach them, or send me the contact info, let me use your name, and I’ll do the ask. Some materials are linked on the Sponsor page, and I’m in the process of creating more.
