Catching Them Young: Engaging Students in Robotics Standardization.
Catching Them Young: Engaging Students in Robotics Standardization.
A Student-geared Workshop on Robotics Standardization.
A Student-geared Workshop on Robotics Standardization.
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A Half-day workshop at the 2026 IEEE International Conference on Robotics & Automation
A Half-day workshop at the 2026 IEEE International Conference on Robotics & Automation
The goal of this event is to broaden participation in robotics standardization bridge the gap between students and the global standards community shaping the future of robotics.
The goal of this event is to broaden participation in robotics standardization bridge the gap between students and the global standards community shaping the future of robotics.
To learn more about how the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society supports student engagement in robotics standardization and how this workshop positions you within that ecosystem; click here.
OVERVIEW
Standards in Action: Engaging Students in Robotics Standardization is a half-day interactive workshop at ICRA 2026 in Vienna supported by the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (RAS) Standards Committee.
Robotics standards are the invisible framework that enable safety, interoperability, reliability, and ethical deployment of robotic systems across industries. From robots operating in hospitals to autonomous systems in public spaces, standards shape how these technologies are designed, tested, and trusted.
Yet for many students and early-career researchers, standards remain abstract and distant from mainstream robotics research. This workshop is designed to change that.
The goal is simple: To make robotics standards tangible, accessible, and exciting, especially for the next generation of roboticists, bridging the gap between students and Professionals at Standards Organisations like the U.S National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), International Organisation for Standardization (ISO), IEEE Standards Association.
WHY IT MATTERS
As robotics systems become more capable and more deeply embedded in society, the need for clear, globally aligned standards becomes increasingly critical.
Without standards:
Robots from different manufacturers may not interoperate.
Safety benchmarks may be inconsistent.
Ethical considerations may remain unaddressed.
Deployment in public spaces may face regulatory barriers.
Standards enable trust.
They provide structured requirements for safety validation, testing methodologies, interoperability protocols, performance metrics, and responsible deployment.
Organizations such as IEEE, NIST, ISO, and industry consortia collaborate across disciplines and regions to shape these frameworks.
However, participation in standards development is often limited to a small group of experts. While the IEEE RAS Standards Committee supports student engagement through initiatives such as the SPIRSE travel scholarship program, only a handful of students are selected each year to participate in working group meetings.
This workshop broadens that reach.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
This workshop is designed for a broad cross-section of the robotics community:
Students interested in robotics research, safety, AI ethics, human-robot interaction, or industry deployment who want to understand how standards influence real-world systems.
PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and young professionals seeking insight into how standards intersect with research impact and technology transfer.
Professionals navigating compliance, certification, interoperability, and safety frameworks in commercial robotics environments.
Organizations interested in understanding how evolving standards shape product development and deployment strategies.
Individuals interested in the intersection of robotics, regulation, and global technical consensus-building.
No prior experience in standards development is required.
Curiosity, engagement, and willingness to participate actively are all that is needed.
From Workshop to Opportunity
From Workshop to Opportunity
This workshop is supported by the IEEE RAS Standards Committee, who actively supports student engagement in robotics standardization through initiatives such as SPIRSE (Students Participating in IEEE Robotic Standardization Efforts) and the Standards Networking Luncheon & Prize Competition at ICRA.
SPIRSE provides annual travel grants (up to $3,000) for selected students to participate directly in standards coordination and working group meetings at flagship conferences.
The Standards Luncheon and Competition offers students the opportunity to compete in a creative standards-focused competition while networking with leaders in the field.
Attending Standards in Action provides valuable preparation for these opportunities; offering exposure to standards frameworks in robotics, interaction with professionals, and insight from past SPIRSE recipients and standards competition winners.
See you there!
Let us know if you'll be attending!
Let us know if you'll be attending!
For questions and inquiry, kindly contact: Oluwatosin Kolade (oluwatosin@ieee.org)
Supported by: IEEE Robotics and Automation Society Standards Committee
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