Organizers

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Thurner^*, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Elmar Rueckert^#, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Hubert Zangl⁺, Univ.- Prof. Dr.-Ing. Andreas Müller^$, FH-Prof. Dr. Wilfried Kubinger^{^}, Dr. Christian Rauch^#

^* Chair of Automation and Measurement, TU Leoben
^# Chair of Cyber Physical Systems, TU Leoben
⁺ Department of Smart System Technologies, AAU Klagenfurt
^$ Institute of Robotics, JKU Linz
^{^} Department Electronic Engineering & Entrepreneurship, FH Technikum Vienna

Motivation

Recent advances in artificial intelligence, particularly in large language models (LLMs) and reinforcement learning, have led to remarkable progress in autonomous robotic systems. These developments have been especially impactful for complex motion generation in flexible robots and humanoid systems.

Despite this progress, dexterous and sensitive object manipulation as well as proficient tool use remain unsolved challenges in robotics. This is particularly true for artificial hands and humanoid robots that aim to achieve human-like dexterity, fine-grained tool handling, and safe, physically interactive contact with human counterparts.

The Austrian Robotics Workshop 2026 is dedicated to the rapidly emerging and increasingly industry-relevant field of Tactile Robotics. We address key scientific and technological challenges in robotics - especially for industrial applications - including integrable tactile sensing technologies, tactile gripping systems as mechatronic integrations, and the control and regulation of grasping, manipulation, and interaction tasks.
The workshop aims to serve as a platform for scientific discourse as well as for exchange and networking between academia, research institutions, and industry partners.

Topics for Contributions

A broad range of current and emerging scientific research, as well as technological and industrial challenges are covered. Submissions should focus on one or more of the following areas:

• Tactile sensing technologies for robotic manipulation and interaction
• Design and integration of tactile sensors for robotic hands and grippers
• Artificial skin, integrated tactile sensor systems, and multimodal sensing
• Dexterous manipulation and in-hand manipulation
• Tactile feedback for tool use and fine motor skills
• Control and regulation of grasping and manipulation based on tactile information
• Learning-based approaches for tactile perception and manipulation
• Reinforcement learning and imitation learning for dexterous robotic skills
• Human–robot physical interaction and safe tactile interaction
• Tactile perception for humanoid robots and artificial hands
• Mechatronic design of tactile grippers and end-effectors
• Sensor fusion and real-time processing of tactile data
• Industrial applications of tactile robotics
• Characterization, benchmarking, and evaluation methods for tactile sensors and manipulation technology

Workshop Program and Submissions

The workshop will be organized as one or two half-day sessions, each with a total duration of three hours. Presentations will have a duration of 15 to 20 minutes, followed by up to 10 minutes of discussion.

Submissions may be made in the form of short papers (2–4 pages) or full papers (8 pages). All papers must be submitted via the paper management system of AIRoV 2026 ( https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/AIROV2026/ ), indicating the name of the workshop and type of paper (full/short) during the submission process.

All contributions will undergo a double-blind peer review process by the program committee. All accepted submissions are eligible for poster presentation submissions, contributions with particularly high quality or relevance will additionally be invited for oral presentation during the workshop.
Symposium proceedings will be published electronically, covering all participating workshops and with a DOI for each paper.

Important Dates

• Paper submission deadline: 2026-02-28
• Notification of acceptance: 2026-03-13

Contact

E-Mail: thomas.thurner@unileoben.ac.at