Annual Theme: Leveraging Design Thinking for the Implementation of Responsible Robotics
Date: November 10-11, 2026
Venue: Inamori Hall, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
As technological progress consistently outpaces traditional legislative processes, there is an urgent need for “compliance by design” in the development of social robots. This symposium explores how Design Thinking — a human-centric, iterative methodology — can serve as a foundational framework for Responsible Robotics.
By applying core design thinking principles — Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test — developers can move beyond mere technical functionality to address the Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications (ELSI) inherent in human-robot interaction. One example is the “Ethics-by-Design” approach, integrated through the BS 8611 standard for robot ethics, allows for the early identification of societal hazards such as privacy loss, emotional dependency, and algorithmic bias.
We welcome submissions that provide a case study/theoretical analysis of socially embedded systems (e.g., healthcare or assistive robots), demonstrating how iterative prototyping and stakeholder feedback loops foster transparency and accountability.
Schedule
- Full Paper Submission: March 13 – July 31, 2026.
- Workshop Proposal Submission: March 13 – July 31, 2026.
- Notification of Acceptance: August 31, 2026.
- Early Bird Registration: Starts August 31, 2026.