CoSLI 2011
Computational Models of Spatial Language Interpretationand Generation– Preface –Joana Hois1 , Robert J. Ross2 , John D. Kelleher2 , and John A. Bateman3
1

University of Bremen, Germany
joana@informatik.uni-bremen.de2
Artificial Intelligence Group, Dublin Institute of Technology, Irelandrobert.ross@dit.ie,johnd.kelleher@dit.ie
3
English Department and Research Center on Spatial Cognition (SFB/TR8),
University of Bremen, Germany
bateman@uni-bremen.deCompetence in spatial language modeling is a cardinal issue in disciplines including Cognitive Psychology, Computational Linguistics, and Computer Science.
Within Cognitive Psychology, the relation of spatial language to models of spatial
representation and reasoning is considered essential to the development of more complete models of psycholinguistic and cognitive linguistic theories. Meanwhile, within
Computer Science and Computational Linguistics and Engineering, the developmentof a wide class of so-called situated systems such as robotics, virtual characters, andGeographic Information Systems is heavily dependent on the existence of adequate
models of spatial language use.
Achieving competence in spatial language requires that appropriate meanings
be assigned to spatial terms used in language, such as location, motion, orientation, perspective, projective, topological, distance, or path descriptive markers. The
computational modeling of such spatial language meanings in turn supports the interpretation of an intended spatial meaning as well as the generation of adequate
linguistic expressions in certain situations and contexts. While early computationalmodels for spatial language interpretation and generation primarily focused on a geometric understanding of spatial terms, it is now widely recognized that spatial term
meaning depends on functional and pragmatic features in many ways. Competentmodels of spatial language interpretation and generation must thus draw on complex
models of situated meaning by developing heterogeneous approaches with qualitative and quantitative models and by combining geometric, functional, pragmatic,
and cognitive features in multi-modal contexts and applications.
Drawing together theories and results in spatial language modeling is a criticalresearch topic for a range of research disciplines. These includes not only Psychology
where computational theories can be used to bind experimental results and models, but also disciplines from the wider community, including: Artificial Intelligence,Computational Linguistics, Human-Robot Interaction, Ontology Engineering, theSemantic Web, and Geographic Information Systems.

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The main objective of the CoSLI-2 workshop is to foster computational formalisms and approaches for interpreting or generating spatial language that take
into account cognitive, functional, or embodiment criteria in modeling. In particular, this years workshop theme is “Function in Spatial Language: From evidence toexecution”, and we welcome in particular any contributions which aim to address theissues of modeling function or pragmatic features in spatial language interpretationor generation. More generally, the workshop also welcomes contributions that address
symbolic and embodied spatial language interpretation and generation. This topic
remains an ongoing issue in both natural language processing and cognitive science,and novel work is encouraged. Such work includes both formal and empirical models of spatial language templates and linguistic calculi, corpus-based and statisticalmethods, combinations of symbolic and sub-symbolic representations, and aspects ofsensory-motor and multi-modal information. Contributions to spatial language interpretation and generation that integrate results from empirical and psychologicalframeworks for spatial language and that can improve and support situated natural
language systems are also particularly welcomed.

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Workshop Organization
Co-Chairs
Joana Hois
Robert J. Ross
John D. Kelleher
John A. Bateman

University of Bremen, Germany
Artificial Intelligence Group, Dublin Institute of Technology,
Ireland
Artificial Intelligence Group, Dublin Institute of Technology,
IrelandEnglish Department and Research Center on Spatial Cognition(SFB/TR8), University of Bremen, Germany

Program Committee
Marios Avraamides
Kenny Coventry
Alexander Klippel
Alexander KollerGérard Ligozat
Matt Mac Mahon
Amitabha Mukerjee
Philippe Muller
Robert Porzel
David Schlangen
Emile van der Zee
Joost Zwarts

University of Cyprus, Cyprus
Northumbria University, UK
Penn State, USA
University of Potsdam, Germany
University of Paris-Sud, FranceGoogle, USA
Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, India
Université Paul Sabatier, France
University of Bremen, Germany
University of Potsdam, Germany
University of Lincoln, UK
Universiteit Utrecht, Netherlands

Invited Speaker
Kenny Coventry

Northumbria University, UKVI

Acknowledgements
We acknowledge generous financial support from the DFG-funded Research Centeron Spatial Cognition (SFB/TR 8) situated at the Universities of Bremen & Freiburg,
Germany, and from the Artificial Intelligence Group situated at the Dublin Instituteof Technology, Ireland. We would like to thank the PC members for their timely
reviewing work, our invited speaker, Kenny Coventry, for delivering the keynote
presentation at the workshop, and especially Barbara Landau and Kenny Coventry
for contributing to our panel session during the workshop.
We would also like to thank the organizers of the 33rd annual meeting of theCognitive Science Society for hosting the CoSLI-2 workshop, in particular, Duncan
Brumby, Kevin Gluck, Andy Stull, and Nicole Dillon for their support.

July 2011

J. Hois, R. Ross, J. Kelleher, J. BatemanCoSLI 2011 Program Chair

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Workshop Schedule

9:00 - 9:05
9:05 - 10:00
10:00 - 10:30

10:30 - 11:00
11:00 - 11:30
11:30 - 12:00

12:00 - 13:00
13:00 - 14:00
14:00 - 14:30

14:30 - 15:00

15:00 - 15:30
15:30 - 16:00
16:00 - 17:00

Opening
Invited Talk: Kenny Coventry “Spatial Language and the Dynamics ofMeaning”
Kalyan Moy Gupta, Abraham R. Schneider, Matthew Klenk, Kellen
Gillespie, and Justin Karneeb “Representing and Reasoning with Functional Knowledge for Spatial Language Understanding”
Coffee Break (poster setup)
Yunhui Wu and Stephan Winter “Interpreting Destination Descriptions
in a Cognitive Way”
Masoud Rouhizadeh, Daniel Bauer, Bob Coyne, Owen Rambow, andRichard Sproat “Collecting Spatial Information for Locations in a Textto-Scene Conversion System”
Poster Session
Break
Alice Ruggeri, Cristina Battaglino, Gabriele Tiotto, Carlo Geraci,
Daniele Radicioni, Alessandro Mazzei, Rossana Damiano, and Leonardo
Lesmo “Where should I put my hands? Planning hand location in signlanguages”
James Pustejovsky, Marc Verhagen, Anthony Stefanidis, and Caixia
Wang “Geolocating Orientational Descriptions of Landmark Configurations”
Coffee BreakAlexander Klippel, Sen Xu, Jinlong Yang, and Rui Li “Spatial Event
Language across Geographic Domains”
Round Table Discussion & Closing