This AROB 18th '13 (Jan.30(Wed.)-Feb.1(Fri.), 2013. Daejeon Convention Center, Daejeon, JAPAN) symposium invites you all to present original research and to discuss development of new technologies concerning artificial life and robotics based on computer simulations and hardware designs of state-of-the-art technologies.

We wish to thank the followings for their contributions to the success of a series of conferences:

• Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japanese government
• Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)

History of symposium

This symposium was founded in 1996 under the support of Science and International Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japanese Government. Since then, this symposium has been held every year at B-Con Plaza, Beppu, Japan except AROB 5th '00 (Oita) and AROB 6th '01 (Tokyo). The Eleventh to Seventeenth symposiums (2006-2012) were held at B-Con Plaza, Beppu, Japan.

Objective of symposium

The objective of this symposium is to develop new technologies for artificial life and robotics and their applications in various fields listed in the following Topics. Authors are invited to submit papers presenting original research and to discuss development of new technologies concerning artificial life and robotics based on computer simulations and hardware designs of state-of-the-art technologies.

General session topics

Artificial intelligence	Artificial life and complexity
Artificial living	Control techniques
Human‐machine cooperative systems	Human‐welfare robotics
Image processing	Intelligent control & modeling
Learning	Mobile vehicles
Multi agent system	Neural networks
Pattern recognition	Robotics
Virtual reality

Organized session topics

Applications and Theories of Advanced Technology	Artificial Life and Control
Bio-inspired Theory and Applications	Biomimetic Machines and Robots
Complexity and Diversity	Computer-Supported Learning Systems
Control in Mechatronics and Power Electronics	Control of Mechatronic System
Facial Expression Recognition, Speech Synthesis of Emotions, and Music Recommendation	Information Technology for Environmental Research
Intelligent control and applications	Intelligent control and implement
Intuitive Human-System Interaction	Kansei Engineering and its Applications