Date: Thursday, June 4
Time: 15:00-17:00
Location: Schubert 2 at the VIECON (first floor)
Queer in AI’s demographic survey reveals that most queer scientists in the robotics community do not feel completely welcome in conferences and their work environments, with the main reasons being a lack of queer community and a lack of role models. Organizations like Queer in AI and Queer in Robotics aim to build an inclusive community for queer students, researchers and practitioners. The purpose of Queer in Robotics’s event at ICRA 2026 is to create a safe and inclusive space for LGBTQIA+ researchers in robotics and to foster connections between queer researchers to facilitate the academic development of the queer research community.
Submission deadline: May 22, 2026 (EOD)
Notification of acceptance: Rolling
Camera-ready deadline: May 31, 2026 (EOD)
The program brings together queer students, researchers, and practitioners working in robotics and related fields. We welcome all submissions about the intersection of robotics and queerness, as well as research in any area of robotics conducted by queer individuals.
We welcome submissions that explore any intersection of robotics and queerness, as well as research in any area of robotics conducted by queer individuals. Topics may include, but are not limited to:
Robotics research conducted by LGBTQIA+ researchers
Queer perspectives on robotics design, ethics, and deployment
Human-robot interaction through a queer lens
Reflections on queerness in academic and research culture
Personal narratives and lived experiences at the intersection of queerness and robotics
Submissions will be evaluated on:
Scientific or intellectual merit
Alignment with the mission of Queer in Robotics — to promote and support queer research and researchers
We welcome submissions in a variety of formats, including research papers, extended abstracts, position papers, opinion pieces, surveys, and artistic expressions (art, poetry, or other creative work). Submissions should be made through our OpenReview portal.
The review process will be double-blind, and there is no strict page limit.
Link to Submit: https://openreview.net/group?id=IEEE.org/ICRA/2026/Workshop/QiR
Ruchira Ray, she/they (University of Edinburgh | Edinburgh Centre of Robotics)
Oluwatosin Kolade, he/him (IEEE-RAS Student Activities Committee)
Markus Knauer, he/him (German Aerospace Center (DLR) | TU Munich)
Uksang Yoo, he/him (Carnegie Mellon University)