CMU Robotics Expertise and Facilities Attract IROS 2026 Conference Attendees

Search Carnegie Mellon University Search

Search Carnegie Mellon University Search
* StoriesStories section
* College of Engineering
* College of Fine Arts
* Dietrich College of Humanities & Social Sciences
* Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy
* Mellon College of Science
* School of Computer Science
* Tepper School of Business
* ArchivesArchives section
* 20262026 section
* January
* February
* March
* April
* May
* June
* July
* August
* September

Experts
Media ContactsMedia Contacts section
* Statements

Podcasts

The Piper: Campus & Community News

News

Main navigation

1. News
2. Stories
3. Archives
4. 2026
5. October
6. CMU Robotics Expertise and Facilities Attract IROS 2026 Conference Attendees

Image 1: Attendees brows demo booths in the Robotics Innovation Center as part of the 2026 IROS conference..

_October 5, 2026_
# CMU Robotics Expertise and Facilities Attract IROS 2026 Conference Attendees

[Share on Facebook (opens in new window)](https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cmu.edu%2Fnews%2Fstories%2Farchives%2F2026%2Foctober%2Fcmu-robotics-expertise-and-facilities-attract-iros-2026-conference-attendees "Share on Facebook")
[Share on X (opens in new window)](https://x.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cmu.edu%2Fnews%2Fstories%2Farchives%2F2026%2Foctober%2Fcmu-robotics-expertise-and-facilities-attract-iros-2026-conference-attendees&text=CMU%20Robotics%20Expertise%20and%20Facilities%20Attract%20IROS%202026%20Conference%20Attendees "Share on X")
[Share on LinkedIn (opens in new window)](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cmu.edu%2Fnews%2Fstories%2Farchives%2F2026%2Foctober%2Fcmu-robotics-expertise-and-facilities-attract-iros-2026-conference-attendees&title=CMU%20Robotics%20Expertise%20and%20Facilities%20Attract%20IROS%202026%20Conference%20Attendees&source=https://www.cmu.edu/news "Share on LinkedIn")
[Print this page](https://www.ri.cmu.edu/cmu-robotics-expertise-and-facilities-attract-iros-2026-conference-attendees/ "Print this page")
[Share by email](mailto:?subject=CMU%20Robotics%20Expertise%20and%20Facilities%20Attract%20IROS%202026%20Conference%20Attendees%20%E2%80%93%20News%20%E2%80%93%20Carnegie%20Mellon%20University&body=From%20News%20%E2%80%93%20Carnegie%20Mellon%20University%0D%0ACMU%20Robotics%20Expertise%20and%20Facilities%20Attract%20IROS%202026%20Conference%20Attendees%0D%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fnews.pantheon.cmu.edu%2Fstories%2Farchives%2F2026%2Foctober%2Fcmu-robotics-expertise-and-facilities-attract-iros-2026-conference-attendees "Share by email")

By: Alexander Johnson

Media Inquiries

**Name

University Communications and Marketing, Media Relations**

[Email](mailto:[email protected])

Hundreds of academics and industry leaders in robotics toured Carnegie Mellon’s robotics and engineering facilities on Oct. 1 to see what Carnegie Mellon University researchers are working on inside the Robotics Innovation Center, Mill 19 and the National Robotics Engineering Center as part of theInternational Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS)(opens in new window).

Image 2: George Darakos

George Darakos

“Space was limited for these tours and spots filled up fast,” said George Darakos, the chief partnerships officer in theKenneth C. Griffin School of Computer Science. “We wanted to showcase not only the cutting-edge work in robotics happening across Carnegie Mellon and Pittsburgh, but also invite the world’s robotics community into CMU’s state-of-the-art facilities that foster this innovation.”

Displays filled the facilities, giving visitors up-close access to the work of researchers and teams rooted in CMU, including theFuture Interfaces Group(opens in new window),Biorobotics Lab(opens in new window) and CMU spin-outFuturHand Robotics.

Image 3: The Amazon Fauna Sprout, a compact robot that navigates space using technology from the lab of associate research professor Kris Kitani.

The Amazon Fauna Sprout, a compact robot that navigates space using technology from the lab of Associate Research Professor Kris Kitani.

Kris Kitani, an associate research professor in theRobotics Institute and co-director of theExtended Reality Technology Center, said the event helped to showcase the interdisciplinary and collaborative nature of robotics.

“As a lot of these AI and robot technologies become more and more practical, more and more used, it's really important to bring in diverse technologies to make one whole system,” Kitani said. “That's something that we've done as a lab over the years: We've had a diverse set of projects that I think all feed into AI collaborating with people.”

When tech meets the real world

Bio-inspired robots stole much of the show as researchers explained how the future of robotics could take inspiration from the natural world. Clarence H. Adamson Professor of Mechanical EngineeringCarmel Majidi, who serves as head of theSoft Machines Lab, gave visitors close looks at creations like starfish- and fossil-inspired robots and artificial hands for sensitive tactile scenarios.

Image 4: Carmel Majidi

Carmel Majidi

He said the event gives people a sense of what deployment looks like after years of innovative research.

“We’ve done a lot of work over the years in terms of developing new material architectures for creating these robotic systems,” Majidi said. “We’re now at the point where we need to find breakthrough applications of these technologies. Why today is significant with IROS being here and all of this activity and attention on Pittsburgh, is that we feel that we’re actually ready now to start deploying these systems in the real world.”

Image 5: Carnegie Mellon Universit Miami

Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and Citadel founder and CEO Ken Griffin recently announced a historic $3 billion gift to further elevate CMU in Pittsburgh and launch Carnegie Mellon University Miami, a new campus designed to pioneer a model for higher education built for the next era of American innovation.

Learn more

Image 6: Carmel Majidi, Clarence H. Adamson Professor of Mechanical Engineering, gives visitors a demonstration of a robotic hand as part of a demonstration for the Soft Machines Lab.

Carmel Majidi, Clarence H. Adamson Professor of Mechanical Engineering, gives visitors a demonstration of a robotic hand as part of a demonstration for the Soft Machines Lab.

Image 7: Majidi holds a motorless starfish-inspired robot created by the Soft Machines Lab.

Majidi holds a motorless starfish-inspired robot showcased during the IROS conference.

Image 8: Howie Choset

Howie Choset

Howie Choset, Kaνčić-Moura Professor of Computer Science in RI, served as general chair for the IROS organizing committee. Choset said the goal of this year’s tours was to allow visitors the chance to experience the knowledge and expertise that Pittsburgh and CMU have to offer.

“There are so many new things we are introducing to make a big conference feel small,” he said ahead of the event. “There truly will be something for everyone.”

Choset’s Biorobotics Lab also showed off many of its nature-inspired creations, including snake robots for underwater navigation, as well as a terrestrial snake robot — the same kind used by Choset inrescue operations after earthquakes in Venezuela.

Image 9: The Biorobotics team gives a demonstration of an aquatic snake robot in the Robotics Innovation Center’s wet lab.

The Biorobotics team gives a demonstration of an aquatic snake robot in the Robotics Innovation Center’s water tank.

Smarter systems for physical spaces

Image 10: Alexandra Ion

Alexandra Ion

Alexandra Ion, an assistant professor in theHuman-Computer Interaction Institute, creates smart devices for everyday use that seamlessly blend into the background of life. She calls it unobtrusive intelligence. HerInteractive Structures Lab works on everything from proactive robotic objects to unpowered wearable exoskeletons. Robots that understand human preferences, infer user intent, and assist them dynamically promise to add tremendous value to our lives, she said.

“The current advances in robotics and the enthusiasm around it is exhilarating and it was exciting to showcase our contributions with a global audience of experts,” Ion said.

The Robotics Institute’sAirLab(opens in new window) offered an up-close look at the future of drone technology, as autonomous flying robots performed complex spatial navigation tasks in real time.

Image 11: Autonomous drones navigate around one another during an AirLab demo at the Robotics Innovation Center.

Autonomous drones navigate around one another during an AirLab demo at the Robotics Innovation Center.

CMU undergraduates also helped showcase new innovations in the space with 26x, the first student-built autonomous car to allow for both driverless and human-driven control. Each new car built every year represents the work of thousands of students from all seven of CMU’s schools and colleges as each class passes down their lessons to the next generation to build on.

Image 12: Arya Lohia (second from right) explains Carnegie Mellon Racing’s work on the 26x car during the IROS demos..

Arya Lohia (second from right) explains Carnegie Mellon Racing’s work on the 26x car.

Arya Lohia, a third-year engineering student and a lead for theCarnegie Mellon Racing(opens in new window) Autonomous Division, spoke about the chance to show the team’s design to visitors.

“To be able to speak about our work to other people is a massive, massive opportunity,” Lohia said. “We as undergraduates put our life into this: We spend 30 hours a week on classes, and can spend 40 hours a week on projects like this.”

“Having people who are the best at what they do come to see our work from all over the world is just a fantastic experience,” he said.

Image 13: Jean-Francois Legault

Jeff Legault

IROS is among the premier robotics conferences. Researchers from around the world came to the conference to present and learn about the latest in the field. Companies exhibiting at the conference offered a glimpse at the future. The conference was last held in Pittsburgh in 1995. The 2026 conference and its return to Pittsburgh reinforces the city’s status as a leader in dynamic physical systems and the technologies that make them possible.

“The occurrence of large robotics conferences like IROS in Pittsburgh further cements Pittsburgh as a global hub for robotics with a vibrant and growing ecosystem of start-ups, research centers and talent,” said Jeff Legault, associate director at NREC, which hosted a significant portion of the tours.

IROS 2027 will take place in Florence, Italy, and although on the other side of the Atlantic, CMU will have a strong presence.

— Related Content —

Image 14: “Conceptual rendering of CMU Miami featuring an open, outdoor campus with palm trees. Plans for the campus are subject to necessary regulatory approvals. ## Carnegie Mellon University Announces Historic $3 Billion Gift from Ken Griffin, Pioneering a New Model for Higher Education

Image 15: A student walks past a long window as other students study. ## $500M Gift Will Fuel Next Era of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon

Image 16: A drone photo from high above the Robotics Innovation Center shows the entire building and the solar array on the roof, as well as the roads and railroad tracks alongside the building and parts of Hazelwood Green and Hazelwood nearby. ## Robotics Innovation Center Earns LEED Platinum Certification for Sustainable Construction

The Piper: Campus & Community News (opens in new window)

Official Events Calendar (opens in new window)

▴scroll to top

Image 17: Company Logo

Your Opt Out Preference Signal Was Honored

Opt out of sale of personal data and targeted advertising

When you visit our website, we store cookies on your browser to collect information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences, or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect and to provide a more personalized web experience. However, you can choose not to allow certain types of cookies, which may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. Click on the different category headings to learn more and change our default settings according to your preference. You can exercise your rights to opt out by clicking on "Sale of Personal Data and Targeted Advertisement" below. You cannot opt out of our First Party Strictly Necessary Cookies as they are deployed in order to ensure the proper functioning of our website, such as prompting the cookie banner and remembering your settings (e.g. to log into your account, to redirect you when you log out, etc.). For more information about the First and Third-Party Cookies used please follow this link.
More information about your privacy

Allow All
### Manage Consent Preferences

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Always Active

These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.

Personal Data, Targeted Advertising, and Profiling

[x] Personal Data, Targeted Advertising, and Profiling Active

Third‑party trackers collect information to help us analyze site use and show you personalized ads. You have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal data to third parties, any processing related to targeted advertising, and the profiling of any automated decision that produces any legal or similarly significant effect. You may exercise these rights by using this toggle. If you opt out, we will not be able to offer you personalized ads, and we will stop sharing your personal information with third parties. Additionally, you may contact our legal department for further clarification about your rights as a consumer.

##### Performance Cookies

[x] Switch Label Active
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance.

##### Targeting Cookies

[x] Switch Label Active
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

Cookie List

Clear

- [x] checkbox label label

Apply Cancel

Consent Leg.Interest

[x] checkbox label label

[x] checkbox label label

[x] checkbox label label

Reject Confirm My Choices