In addition to submissions in the main track, AAMAS-2011 will be soliciting papers in three special tracks.  The review process for the special tracks will be similar to the main track, but with program committee members specially selected for that track.

Special Track on Robotics (Chair: Maria Gini):
Papers that advance theory and applications of single and multiple robots are welcome, specifically those focusing on real robots that interact with their environment. Papers should clearly explain how the work addresses challenges in  robotics, opportunities for novel applications, and fundamental  research issues in autonomous robotic systems. The goal is to demonstrate the synergy achieved from integration of research in agents and robotics.

Keywords for Robotics Track:
Cognitive robotics
Formal methods
Integrated perception, cognition, and action
Intelligence for human-robot interaction
Machine learning for robotics
Mapping (including exploration, coverage, and SLAM)
Networked robot/sensor systems
Robot planning (including action and motion planning)
Robot teams, multi-robot systems
Robot coordination
Robotic agent languages and middleware for robot systems

Special Track on Virtual Agents (Chair: James Lester):
Virtual agents are embodied agents in interactive virtual or physical environments that emulate human-like behavior. We encourage papers on the design, implementation, and evaluation of virtual agents as well as challenging applications featuring them. The goal is to provide an opportunity for interaction and cross-fertilization between the AAMAS community and researchers working on virtual agents and to strengthen links between the two communities.

Keywords for Virtual Agents Track:
Modeling cognition and socio-cultural behavior
Conversational agents
Verbal and non-verbal expression
Affect and personality
Multimodal agent interaction
Computational models of narrative
Pedagogical, companion, and coaching agents
Culturally-aware agents
Virtual character modeling and animation
in games, education, training, and virtual environments
Empirical studies

Special Track on Innovative Applications (Chair: Peter McBurney):
The Innovative Applications Track is a continuation of the tradition started by the Industry Track in past years. Due to the growing maturity of the field there are now agent-based applications in widespread use across many domains, responsible for the generation of significant revenues, or the saving of major costs, or for supporting important public policy and business strategy decision-making. This special track provides the ideal forum to present and discuss your work: to inform and inspire the largest international gathering of agent technology researchers and practitioners with presentations and demonstrations of your compelling applications, agent system deployment experiences, and new business ideas. The goal is to promote the fostering of mutually-beneficial relationships between members of the AAMAS community who are engaged in foundational scientific research and those who are working to make autonomous agents and multi-agent systems a commercial or public policy reality. Due to the special review process for the Innovative Applications track, papers accepted in this track may be designated in the proceedings as belonging to this track.
For submissions to the special track on innovative applications, authors are particularly encouraged to address the following questions: What is the rationale for using agent-based technology in this application domain, as opposed to other approaches? If you have deployed your technology, what insights have you gained from the experience?  For instance, what lessons do you have for anyone pitching, designing, implementing, deploying, using, or evaluating similar agent systems or working in similar domains? What improvements or external factors (such as technology standards) might facilitate wider-spread adoption of your technology?  What improvements in fundamental agent technology might improve your application, or enable it to be adopted more broadly, or support its better use?

Keywords for Innovative Applications Track:
Telecommunications and media
Energy and emissions
Bio-technology and health care
Financial markets
Manufacturing and logistics
Transportation and telematics
Ambient intelligence
Surveillance and security
Aerospace and defense
Business strategy and marketing
e-Government and e-Democracy
Public policy and Economics
Simulation
Implementation lessons
Business cases for MAS