New Friends 2026
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New Friends 2026
Home
Call for Paper
Registration
Program
Venue
Speakers
Committee
  • Leadership Team
  • Organising Committee
  • Technical committee
  • Publication Committee
More
  • Home
  • Call for Paper
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  • Committee
    • Leadership Team
    • Organising Committee
    • Technical committee
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  • Home
  • Call for Paper
  • Registration
  • Program
  • Venue
  • Speakers
  • Committee
    • Leadership Team
    • Organising Committee
    • Technical committee
    • Publication Committee

Call for Paper

The use of social robots in therapy, healthcare, and education is rapidly advancing as these “new friends” become increasingly sophisticated, accessible, and affordable. Over the past decade, numerous successful initiatives have demonstrated the value of social robots for individuals with special needs, including people living with dementia, hospitalized children, and children with autism spectrum conditions.

These developments have created a growing need for interdisciplinary collaboration across psychology, healthcare, occupational and physiotherapy, nursing, education, artificial intelligence, and robotics. Bridging technological innovation with clinical and educational practice is now essential for translating research into real-world impact.


New Friends 2026 – International Conference on Social Robotics, Human-AI Interaction, and Assistive Intelligence aims to bring together researchers, clinicians, therapists, educators, developers, and industry practitioners from around the world. The conference provides a multidisciplinary forum to present and discuss advances in theory, technology, and applications of social and assistive robotics for human well-being.

The conference program will include keynote lectures, technical paper presentations (oral and poster), demonstrations, workshops, competitions, and hands-on sessions.


We invite original, unpublished research contributions describing theoretical advances, empirical studies, system development, and real-world deployments in (but not limited to) the following areas:


Human–Robot Interaction & Social Robotics

  • Human–robot interaction models and evaluation
  • Socially assistive robotics
  • Companion, service, and therapeutic robots
  • Child–robot and elderly–robot interaction
  • Long-term interaction and engagement
  • Robot behavior generation and adaptation
  • Multimodal interaction (speech, gesture, gaze, emotion)
     

Robot Design, Engineering, and System Development 

  • Mechanical design of social robots
  • Bio-inspired and biomimetic robots
  • Embedded systems and robot architectures
  • Sensors, perception, and environment understanding
  • Actuators, mobility, and manipulation
  • Low-cost and accessible robot platforms
  • Prototyping, fabrication, and hardware integration
  • Safety, reliability, and usability in human environments
     

Artificial Intelligence & Computational Methods 

  • Machine learning and deep learning for robotics
  • Reinforcement learning and adaptive behavior
  • Affective computing and emotion recognition
  • Computer vision for social interaction
  • Speech processing and conversational agents
  • Cognitive architectures and decision-making
  • Explainable and trustworthy AI in human-interactive systems
     

Therapy, Healthcare & Rehabilitation

  • Robot-assisted therapy and intervention studies
  • Dementia care and elderly assistance
  • Rehabilitation and physiotherapy robotics
  • Clinical trials and outcome evaluation
  • Healthcare monitoring and support technologies
     

 Education & Learning Technologies

  • Educational robotics and STEM learning
  • Assistive technologies in classrooms
  • Inclusive and special education
  • Learning analytics and engagement assessment
  • Child development and learning support
     

Submitted papers must present original work and must not be under review elsewhere. All submissions will undergo a peer-review process.


Important Dates


  • March 10, 2026 – Regular paper submission opens 
  • April 10, 2026 – Workshop, tutorial, and competition proposal deadline
  • May 10, 2026 – Full paper submission deadline
  • June 30, 2026 – Notification of workshop/tutorial and competition proposals
  • August 10, 2026 – Paper acceptance notification
  • August 20, 2026 – Camera-ready paper submission




Become a Sponsor/Exhibitor

Join us at The International Conference on Social Robotics and Human-Robot Interactions, ICSR & HRI 2026 and position your brand at the forefront of one of the fastest-growing fields in technology, healthcare, and education. As social robots become integral to therapy, learning, eldercare, and daily life, this conference brings together global leaders shaping the future of human–robot interaction.

By becoming a Sponsor or Exhibitor, your organization gains direct access to researchers, innovators, clinicians, policymakers, educators, and industry professionals who are driving advancements in socially assistive robotics.

Opportunities

Sponsorship Opportunities


We offer a range of sponsorship packages designed to maximise exposure and value:


  • Platinum Sponsor
  • Gold Sponsor
  • Silver Sponsor
  • Bronze Sponsor
  • Session / Track Sponsorship
  • Workshop Sponsorship
  • Student Travel Grants Sponsorship
     

Each package includes logo visibility, branding opportunities, exhibition space, and special recognition during the event.

Custom sponsorship packages can also be created based on your goals.


Exhibitor Opportunities


Showcase your technology, prototypes, commercial products, research demos, or services to an engaged and diverse audience.
Exhibitors receive:

  • Premium booth space
  • Direct interaction with conference attendees
  • Listing in the conference program and website
  • Opportunities for product demos and live interactions
  • Access to networking events
     

Whether you are a robotics company, startup, research lab, healthcare organization, or educational institution—this is the ideal platform to present your innovations.

Contact Us

jaishankar.bharatharaj@bharathuniv.ac.in

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