Animal-Machine Interaction at ACI 2026

The thirteenth edition of the Animal-Computer Interaction International Conference (ACI 2026) will take place from December 2 to 5, 2026, at the FHNW Campus Brugg-Windisch in Switzerland. Hosted by the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW), with Prof. Dr. Oliver Bendel serving as General Chair, the conference will be the first ACI conference held in continental Europe. One of this year’s highlights will be the participation of Rehkitzrettung Schweiz, which will present its work in a talk and a live demonstration. Rehkitzrettung Schweiz has saved many thousands of young deer from injury and death across Switzerland. The organization uses drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras to locate fawns hidden in meadows before agricultural mowing takes place. Since young deer often remain motionless when danger approaches, they are particularly vulnerable to mowing machinery. Drone-based detection makes it possible to find and rescue them in time. At ACI 2026, Rehkitzrettung Schweiz will give a presentation in the FutureHub (Forumsraum), providing insights into its activities and the technologies involved. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to experience a live demonstration on the meadow near the Hallerbau, where a drone equipped with a thermal imaging camera will search for an artificial fawn. The demonstration will illustrate how this technology works in practice and how it contributes to animal welfare. The organization’s activities are an excellent example of Animal-Machine Interaction, one of the main focuses of ACI 2026. They show how humans and machines can work together to protect animals, even when the animals themselves do not interact directly with the technology. The example also raises important questions about the responsible use of drones, sensors, and autonomous systems in environments shared by humans and animals. Further information on registration, the program, workshops, and participation is available on the ACI 2026 website.

Abb.: Ein Rehkitz nach der Rettung

ACI Conference 2026 in Switzerland

Prof. Dr. Oliver Bendel will host the next ACI Conference, bringing the event to continental Europe for the first time as it convenes on the FHNW campus in Brugg-Windisch, Switzerland, from December 2-5, 2026. The conference website is already online at www.aciconf.org, where the most important information is available; individual deadlines may still change. In the meantime, the website has been updated and expanded. It now includes visual elements that reference both the animal world of Switzerland and the thematic focus of the conference, strengthening its visual identity and contextual framing. Building on a tradition that has taken the community from Glasgow to North Carolina, Newcastle, Bloomington, Milton Keynes, Haifa, and Atlanta, this edition continues the conference’s role as a leading venue for advancing Animal-Computer Interaction. As the field grows, researchers and practitioners explore how technology shapes animals‘ lives, welfare, cognition, and social dynamics while developing animal-centered systems and methods that embrace multispecies perspectives. The conference maintains its commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration across biology, technology, and cultural studies, supporting work that seeks to design ethically grounded, welfare-enhancing, and inclusive technological futures for all animals, humans included. ACI 2026 will also feature a Special Issue on Animal-Machine Interaction, a research field shaped in important ways by Oliver Bendel. The conference proceedings will be published in a volume of a renowned organization, ensuring wide visibility and long-term accessibility for the contributions presented.

Fig.: ACI 2026 in Switzerland