Call for Papers:

18th International Conference on Social Robotics
ICSR + Art 2026
July 1-4, 2026
University of London
London, UK
https://icsr2026.uk

Deadlines for submissions:

• Workshop/Special Session Proposals: December 1, 2025
• Papers: February 15, 2026

The International Conference on Social Robotics (ICSR) is the foremost global forum for researchers, academics, and industry professionals dedicated to the expansive field of social robotics. For its 18th edition, ICSR 2026 introduces the special theme: “ICSR + Art: Exploring Creative Robotics.” While this theme will receive special attention, the conference warmly welcomes contributions across the full breadth of social robotics research and applications. The ICSR 2026 conference will take place at the Senate House, part of the University of London, in the heart of central London.

The topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Social Robotics & Human–Robot Interaction
• Creative Robotics
• Robotics, Arts & Culture (e.g., performance, visual arts, music, fashion)
• Trust, Personality, Emotion & Affective Computing in Robots
• Embodied Intelligence, Adaptation & Lifelong Autonomy
• AI, Learning, Explainability & Transparency
• Assistive Robotics, Human Augmentation, Rehabilitation & Welfare
• Medical Robotics, Healthcare Applications & Social Assistance
• Robotics in Education, Entertainment, Gaming & Immersive Media (VR/AR/XR)
• Design, UX & Human Factors
• Soft Robotics, Textile & Novel Materials
• Space, Underwater & Aerial Robots
• Environmental & Sustainable Robotics
• Robotics in Architecture & the Built Environment
• Swarm, Collective Robotics & Multi-Agent Systems
• Robotics for Agriculture, Food Systems & Supply Chains
• Disaster, Crisis & Rescue Robotics
• Robotics in the Humanities
• Ethics, Policy, Governance & Societal Impacts (e.g., privacy, bias, inclusion, socioeconomic issues)
• Novel and emerging concepts in social robotics and related fields

Submission formats:

• Regular Papers (12-15 pages) – original unpublished research
• Short Papers (6-11 pages) – to be presented as poster, image or video as well as a teaser talk
• Special Session Proposals (3–4 pages) – emerging topics of high interest
• Workshop Proposals (3–4 pages) – interactive formats, half/full day

All accepted papers will be published in Springer LNAI (Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence) and indexed by SpringerLink, Scopus, EI Compendex and more. Selected papers will be invited for journal special issues.

Important Dates:

• Call: ICSR + Art 2026 – 18th International Conference on Social Robotics
• Paper Submission Deadline: 15 Feb 2026
• Notification of Acceptance for Papers: 15 Apr 2026
• Camera Ready Deadline: 24 Apr 2026
• Conference: 1–4 July 2026

More information & submission details: https://icsr2026.uk/

We look forward to welcoming you in London for an inspiring event that embraces social robotics research and innovative explorations at the intersection of technology and creativity.

Organising Committee of ICSR 2026

Download CFP

Submission Instructions:

Regular Paper:

The International Conference on Social Robotics (ICSR) 2026 welcomes original contributions describing technically rigorous scientific and research advances in the topic areas of social robotics: innovative ideas and concepts, new discoveries and improvements, novel applications, and the latest fundamental advances in the core technologies that form the backbone of social robotics, as well as distinguished studies and projects related to social robotics, its interaction, and its impact on society.

Regular papers can be submitted to the main track of the conference or to Special Sessions. Regular papers submitted to the main track will be refereed by the Programme Committee, which will assign appropriate reviewers and oversee the review process. Papers submitted to Special Sessions will be refereed by the relevant Special Session Chairs, who will assign reviewers and manage the review process under the oversight of the Programme Committee.

Papers should contain original research that has neither been published nor submitted for publication elsewhere. Regular papers will undergo a thorough and rigorous peer-review process. Accepted papers will be published in the proceedings of the conference by Springer International Publishing as part of the Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence (LNAI) series, a topical subseries of the Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS). The proceedings of the conference will be indexed by SpringerLink and Scopus.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Papers should be written in English.

All papers will be submitted and reviewed via the METEOR Springer submission system. Authors are invited to submit the complete article in PDF format, following the Instructions for Authors provided here. For detailed guidance, please refer to Springer’s author guidelines, available for both LaTeX and Word submissions. Springer’s proceedings LaTeX templates are also available in Overleaf.

Regular papers should be 12-15 pages including references. Additional pages are allowed, but at an extra charge of 40 pound per additional page. The front page must contain the title of the paper, full name(s) and address(es) of the author(s) and the appropriate academic field(s). Springer encourages authors to include their ORCIDs in their papers.

All papers will undergo a single-blind review process, meaning that authors do not need to remove their names or affiliations from their submissions.

Short Paper:

The conference welcomes the social robotics community to share their latest unpublished research, creative work, and ongoing projects through Short Paper submissions. Short papers are invited in all topic areas covered by the conference and should address timely challenges or emerging opportunities that are expected to advance the field of social robotics.

Short papers may present early-stage or exploratory work, innovative ideas, or experimental approaches that have the potential to inspire new directions in social robotics. They provide an opportunity to share cutting-edge, exploratory, or experimental research and receive valuable feedback from the community.

Short papers can also feature creative contributions related to social robotics. Submissions are welcome from researchers, designers, artists, and practitioners across disciplines who wish to share concepts, prototypes, performances, installations, media, demonstrations, or other creative and investigative formats. These works may contribute to rethinking, expanding, or critically reflecting on how social robots are designed, experienced, or understood.

ICSR Short Papers will undergo a peer-review process. They will be published in the proceedings of the conference by Springer International Publishing as part of the Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence series (LNAI), a topical subseries of the Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS). The proceedings of the conference are indexed by SpringerLink and Scopus.

Authors may include supplementary links to images, videos, or project webpages.

Short papers will be showcased in a digital/screen display format during the conference, offering authors flexible and creative ways to present their work. Accepted submissions may be displayed in one of the following formats based on the author’s preference, which should be indicated in the submission:

• Poster: A traditional academic poster (A1 size, digital format) displayed on digital screens at the conference venue. It should summarise the research, methodology, and key findings.
• Image: A freestyle visual representation (A1 size, digital format) capturing the essence of the work. This format is ideal for conceptual, artistic, or design-oriented contributions and will be presented either on digital screens or via projection, depending on the venue setup.
• Video: A dynamic presentation such as a demonstration, artistic interpretation, or late-breaking research update. Videos should clearly convey the core idea and its relevance to social robotics. They will be shown on digital screens or projected during the conference and must adhere to the following guidelines:
• Duration: Maximum length of 3 minutes
• Format: MP4, high-resolution
• Audio: Optional, but should be clearly audible if included, subtitles are encouraged to enhance accessibility and clarity
• Submission: A downloadable link must be provided at the time of submission

Accepted short papers also have an opportunity to have a short teaser talk during the conference.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Papers should be written in English.
All papers will be submitted and reviewed via the METEOR Springer submission system. Authors are invited to submit the complete article in PDF format, following the Instructions for Authors provided here. For detailed guidance, please refer to Springer’s author guidelines, available for both LaTeX and Word submissions. Springer’s proceedings LaTeX templates are also available in Overleaf.

Short papers should be 6-11 pages including references. Additional pages are allowed, but at an extra charge of 40 pound per additional page. The front page must contain the title of the paper, full name(s) and address(es) of the author(s) and the appropriate academic field(s). Springer encourages authors to include their ORCIDs in their papers. All short papers will be referred to by the program committee.

All papers will undergo a single-blind review process, meaning that authors do not need to remove their names or affiliations from their submissions.

Special Session Proposal:

ICSR 2026 is open to organising Special Sessions for topics of special interest for attendees. The objective is to complement the regular program with new and emerging topics of interest in social robotics.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Organisers of Special Sessions should submit proposals indicating:

• Title
• Organisers (including their affiliations)
• Special Session Description (One paragraph for the conference website)
• List of topics
• Previous editions (if any)
• Other information such as Intended audience and plan to solicit participation

Proposals will be evaluated on an on-going basis until the deadline, and organisers will be informed of the outcome. Once accepted, the special session will be publicised on ICRS website (SS title, organisers, description and list of topics with optional website and/or poster) together with the special session code, which will be used at the time of paper submission.

For the conference submission, authors can submit their papers to the appropriate Special Session (SS) via the conference submission system, using the designated SS code. Each SS paper will undergo a peer-review process managed by the SS organisers, who will invite at least 3 independent reviewers for each submission. Based on the reviewers’ evaluations, the SS organisers will make the decision regarding acceptance or rejection.

Accepted papers for Special Sessions will be included in the conference proceedings, published by Springer International Publishing in the Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence (LNAI) series — a topical subseries of the Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS). The proceedings will be indexed in SpringerLink and Scopus.

During the ICSR 2026 conference, SS organisers will chair their special session and accepted papers for each SS will be presented in that session.

Submissions should be PDF documents of no more than 3 – 4 pages. They can follow the Springer LNCS/LNAI layout.

Please send your proposals to the Special Session Committee Members with the subject starting with [ICSR2026 Special Session Proposal].

Workshop Proposal:

Participants are invited to hold workshops on topics relevant to social robotics. We particularly welcome creative, innovative, and interactive workshop formats that focus on areas of active research to generate significant discussion and exchange of ideas between participants, as well as interactions between established experts and early-career researchers. We encourage state of the art programs with high level of interest, impact, creativity and innovation that will attract a broad and active audience. Also, workshops focusing on academia-industry partnership and technology transfer of robotics research are welcome, with the aim of making connections to fields outside of robotics and/or connect academia to industry.

The primary criteria for selection are anticipated level of interest, impact, novelty or creativity, and background of organizers. By default, the workshops, as the conference, are held in-person.

All workshop proposals will be reviewed, and organisers will be informed of the decision within two weeks following the proposal deadline. Accepted workshops will be featured on the ICSR website.

Workshop organisers and presenters will be invited to publish their curated workshop papers in CRC Press’ book series on Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and the Arts.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

The submission of the workshop contribution must be accompanied with the following information:

• Title
• Workshop duration: half or full day
• Organisers: name, email address, affiliation and a short bio of the members of your organising committee.
• Tentative workshop structure: lectures, interactive, pane discussions, etc.
• Workshop description and objectives: concise description of the content and objectives of the workshop.
• Intended audience and plans to solicit participation: describe the intended workshop audience, how you plan to solicit participation: (i) ahead of the workshop to generate submission and (ii) within the workshop in encouraging discussions and exchanges between participants.
• List of topics: a bulleted list of the topics of interest that will be covered by the workshop.
• List of invited speakers: list any invited speakers (if applicable)
• Additional information: Any relevant information that could not be captured by the previous sections (e.g. regarding previous workshop organisation)
• Room equipment requirements if any.

Submissions should be PDF documents of no more than 3 – 4 pages. They can follow the Springer LNCS/LNAI layout.

Please send your proposals to the Workshop Committee Members, with the subject starting with [ICSR2026 Workshop Proposal].

PUBLICATION

The proceedings of ICSR 2026 will be published by Springer International Publishing as part of the Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence series (LNAI), a topical subseries of the Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS). The proceedings of the conference are indexed by EI Compendex, SpringerLink, Scopus and more. Authors of papers accepted for inclusion in the proceedings volume published by Springer are required to adhere to the Springer Code of Conduct, which can be found HERE.

Regular papers, short papers and special session papers will be published in the conference proceedings by Springer.

Regular papers, short papers and special session papers as well as workshops information will be included in the conference booklet.

Workshop organisers and presenters will be invited to publish their curated workshop papers in CRC Press’ book series on Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and the Arts.

Selected papers and workshops will be invited to submit an extended version for publication in specific Special Issues (SIs) of various journals and/or books.