🧠 4th Workshop on NeuroDesign in Human–Robot Interaction @ ICRA 2026
June 5, 2026 | Vienna, Austria | Hybrid Event
https://neurodesign-in-hri.webflow.io/

Dear Colleagues, Researchers, and Students,

We are delighted to invite you to participate in the NeuroDesign in Human–Robot Interaction Student Competition and Poster Presentation, held as part of the 4th Workshop on NeuroDesign in Human–Robot Interaction at the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA 2026), on June 5, 2026, in Vienna, Austria.

The workshop will be organized in a hybrid format, welcoming both onsite and remote participation from around the world.

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🔘 About the Workshop
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NeuroDesign in Human–Robot Interaction (HRI) is an emerging interdisciplinary field that integrates neuroscience, cognitive and behavioral psychology, robotics, artificial intelligence, wearable technologies, and human-centered design to create human–robot systems that are not only high-performing, but also intuitive, ergonomic, emotionally resonant, and cognitively aligned with the human brain and body. Rather than focusing only on technical performance, NeuroDesign emphasizes designing interactions that feel natural, adaptive, and socially meaningful.

The workshop will feature cutting-edge research, live demonstrations, and interdisciplinary discussion on topics including brain–computer interfaces, wearable and assistive robotics, neuroergonomics, embodied AI, human–AI co-adaptation, affective and social robotics, soft robotics, exosuits, and human augmentation.

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🔘 Suggested Submission Topics
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We warmly welcome submissions related to, but not limited to, the following topics:

* Affective and Social Robotics
* Brain–Machine / Brain–Computer Interfaces (BCI)
* Wearable and Assistive Robots
* Exoskeletons and Rehabilitation Systems
* Human–AI Co-adaptation
* Embodied AI / Large Language Models for HRI
* VR/AR/XR and Metaverse-based Interaction
* Haptics, Teleoperation, and Sensory Feedback
* Cognitive and Physical HRI (cHRI / pHRI)
* Neuroergonomics and Human Factors
* Soft Robotics and Bionic Systems
* Smart Environments and Pervasive Computing
* Multimodal Interfaces: Gesture, Speech, Emotion Recognition
* RoboEthics, Inclusion, and DEI in HRI
* Adaptive Wearables, Robot Skins, and RoboFashion
* Supernumerary Limbs, Human 2.0, and Intelligence Augmentation
* Any work that meaningfully connects minds, bodies, and robots

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🔘 NeuroDesign in HRI Student Competition
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The NeuroDesign in HRI Student EXPO & Competition is now open for submissions. This hybrid showcase invites undergraduate, master’s, and PhD students to present innovative concepts, prototypes, systems, and exploratory studies in HRI, BCI, neuro-inspired design, and related fields.

To reserve a spot for the 5-minute pitch presentation, participants may submit any one or any combination of the following:

(1) Video Abstract
 A 100-word summary plus a 1–2 minute video overview
(2) Slide Deck
 A 100-word summary plus 5 informative slides
(3) Extended Abstract
 A 2-page write-up in IEEE RAS format

🟢 Finalists and Presentation Format

Submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and approximately 10 projects will be selected for the final on-stage or online 5-minute pitch presentations. Finalists may participate in person, via Zoom, or by pre-recorded presentation. The selected finalists will be offered poster/demo space at the workshop venue, and posters for virtual participation will also be printed and exhibited onsite. We especially encourage submissions from students who have already presented related work at ICRA 2026 or published elsewhere, as this workshop provides an excellent opportunity to further increase the visibility of their research.

🏆 Awards

Awards for the Student Competition include:

🏅 Best Innovation in HRI NeuroDesign
* 1st Prize: €500
* 2nd Prize: €250
* 3rd Prize: €125

🏅 Most Popular Project Award
* 1st Prize: Raspberry Pi 5 (8GB RAM)
* 2nd Prize: Raspberry Pi AI HAT+ (13 TOPS)

In addition, the remaining finalists will each receive a €50 honorable mention award, and all finalists will receive certificates.

⏰ Important Dates — Student Competition
* Submission Deadline: May 3, 2026
* Acceptance Notification: May 10, 2026
* Competition Day: June 5, 2026

📤 Submission Link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdHr36BmtfTxLbjHSmiY1CYapUiZPXHgsnDIXzXLjf0Kg_-Vw/viewform

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🔘 Poster Track
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In addition to the competition, we also welcome submissions to the Poster Track for participants who prefer not to enter the competition. Selected poster submissions will be invited for an onsite or online spotlight presentation during the workshop. The Poster Track is intended for short “original” research papers.

Authors should prepare their manuscripts as short papers (6–8 pages) using the Springer Nature proceedings format. We are currently exploring the possibility of publishing the workshop proceedings with Springer Nature. Alternatively, we will publish proceedings on arXiv. Please note that these workshop proceedings are separate from the main ICRA conference proceedings.

Springer guidelines:
https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-guidelines

🏆 Poster Awards

Top poster submissions will be recognized with special awards. The top three Poster Award winners will receive the following prizes:
* 1st Prize: Full APC waiver for Frontiers in Robotics and AI (open-access journal)
* 2nd Prize: €125
* 3rd Prize: DIY Neuroscience Kit – Pro

⏰ Important Dates — Poster Track
* Submission Deadline: May 3, 2026
* Acceptance Notification: May 10, 2026
* Workshop Day: June 5, 2026

📤 Submission Link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf4w6Y4YC_NBpV6SKYY_5aoE0bi5dacbyqbdTlYbTIJ6jVA7g/viewform

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🔘 Onsite Participation Travel Support
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We strongly encourage onsite participation. For competition and poster presentation participants who wish to attend in person, we offer €50 travel support to help offset travel and workshop registration costs for ICRA.

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Why Participate?
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The NeuroDesign in HRI Workshop offers a unique interdisciplinary platform to connect with leading researchers, industry innovators, designers, and student creators who are shaping the future of human–machine synergy. Whether you join us onsite or remotely, you will have the opportunity to share your work, receive valuable feedback, build new collaborations, and contribute to a growing community at the intersection of brains, bodies, AI, and robots.

We warmly encourage students, early-career researchers, and interdisciplinary teams to submit their work and join us in Vienna for this exciting event.

For more information and participation guidelines, please visit the workshop website:
🌐 https://neurodesign-in-hri.webflow.io

And for any questions, please send email to:
📧 neurodesign.hri@gmail.com

We look forward to welcoming you to the 4th NeuroDesign in Human–Robot Interaction Workshop at ICRA 2026!

Best regards,
Organizing Committee
🧠 4th Workshop on NeuroDesign in Human–Robot Interaction @ ICRA 2026
🌐 https://neurodesign-in-hri.webflow.io
📧 neurodesign.hri@gmail.com