From June 17 to 19, 2026, Bratislava hosted the 35th edition of the international conference “Robotics in Alpe-Adria-Danube Region” (RAAD 2026), held annually under the auspices of the International Federation for the Promotion of Mechanism and Machine Science (IFToMM). The event regularly attracts leading researchers from both academia and industry from around the world. The conference provides an excellent opportunity for exchanging knowledge and experience in modern robotics and related scientific disciplines. This was the first time in twelve years that the conference was held in Slovakia. The decision to organize this jubilee edition in Slovakia represents recognition of the country’s research activities and technological progress in robotics. Hosting the conference significantly contributed to the presentation of domestic research and development results through important publications, demonstrations of tangible and intangible innovations, and increased international visibility of the country itself.
Nearly 60 scientists presented their research at the conference. Speakers included experts from Japan, Canada, Cyprus, and many other countries both within and outside the European Union. The presented papers have been published by the internationally renowned publisher Springer in the proceedings volume “RAAD 2026”, part of the series “Advances in Service and Industrial Robotics.” The program featured two keynote plenary lectures. Professor Eduardo Bayro-Corrochano from the Poznań University of Technology (Poland) delivered the opening keynote entitled “Geometric Algebra and Quantum Computing for Robot Modelling and Control.” The second plenary lecture was given by Dr. Hung-Yin Tsai, Director of Taiwan’s National Applied Research Laboratories (NARLabs), who presented the current state and emerging trends in robotics research in Taiwan.
In addition to the technical and scientific sessions, the program included a special section highlighting the most significant milestones in robotics research in Slovakia. The section covered the legacy of pioneers such as Wolfgang von Kempelen and Aurel Stodola, historical achievements including the Perelman machine, and the latest accomplishments concentrated within the National Robotics Centre. The conference also offered a dedicated program for students and young researchers, who were able to participate even without presenting their own scientific contributions, gaining valuable experience and insights directly from world-renowned experts.
The conference was organized by the Institute of Informatics of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS) in cooperation with the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the Slovak University of Technology (STU), the Slovak Society for Cybernetics and Informatics at SAS, and the National Robotics Centre. The event was supported by the Ministry of Education and held under the patronage of the Minister of Education.
Conference website: https://raad2026.sav.sk
