Abstract

Soft robotics offers distinct advantages in interaction scenarios through inherent compliance. However, realizing truly intelligent interactions demands addressing fundamental challenges: How can soft robots exploit compliance for adaptive navigation through unstructured environments? How can they achieve precise yet gentle manipulation of delicate and unknown objects? How can they collaborate with humans in ways that are safe, intuitive, and responsive?

The 4th SOFT Frontier Workshop at IROS 2026 explores "Intelligent Interactions" as the next critical frontier in soft robotics, examining how soft robots can achieve sophisticated interactions across three fundamental domains: environmental navigation, object manipulation, and human collaboration. Participants will examine how interdisciplinary advances — from bio-inspired morphologies and proprioceptive sensing to distributed actuation and adaptive control — enable soft robots to perceive their surroundings, plan adaptive behaviors, and act effectively in real-world conditions.

Time: 1:30 pm- 5:30 pm, Oct 1, 2026

Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Call for Early-Career Talks

What? Rather than a call for papers, we invite early-career researchers to present their broader research vision, not just a single paper. The organizers will select three speakers, each of whom will give a 10-minute talk with an accompanying poster and receive a USD $100 award. Other strong applicants will be invited to present posters during the coffee break. All selected applicants are also welcome to join the panel discussion alongside senior researchers and industry experts.

Who? PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and junior faculty are encouraged to apply. Selected speakers must attend in person to give their talk.

How? Send your CV and a one-page talk proposal (no formatting requirements) to sft.frontier@gmail.com. The proposal should outline how you plan to present your work in a 10-minute talk. Research connected to intelligent interactions across environments, objects, and human collaboration is especially welcome.

Application deadline: Sept 1, 2026
Notification: Sept 15, 2026