Co-organizing the Summer School on Deformations in Robotics (3rd edition)
Deformations in Robotics
I am thrilled to announce that I am co-organizing the 3rd edition of the Summer School on Deformations in Robotics, taking place June 29 – July 3, 2026 in Villeneuve d’Ascq (Lille), France.
This summer school brings together Inria, the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society, and the University of Lille to offer a focused, high-quality training week for researchers and engineers interested in deformable materials and their applications in robotics.
What to Expect
Over five days, participants will attend lectures, keynotes, and hands-on practical sessions covering the full spectrum of deformations in robotics:
- Overviews of the field — soft robotics, continuum robotics, hybrid rigid/deformable systems, and rigid robots interacting with deformable environments
- Design and fabrication of deformable robotic systems
- Bio-inspired approaches and mechanisms
- Modeling, sensing, and control of deformable structures
- Applications across medical robotics, manipulation, and beyond
- Hands-on sessions to get practical experience
This edition also features an exciting interdisciplinary dimension: through the participation of the PEPRO2R project, we will explore the intersections between robotics, social sciences, humanities, and arts — a perspective I find particularly stimulating.
The week is rounded out with a poster session (a great opportunity to share your own work) and several social events to connect with fellow participants.
Registration — Free, Limited Spots
Registration is free for up to 40 participants, covering lunches, the welcome reception, and the banquet. We want to make this accessible to as many motivated students and researchers as possible.
IEEE RAS Student Members can also apply for travel grants — please reach out if you are interested.
Spots are limited, so I encourage you to register early!
🔗 Full details, program, and registration: defrobotics2026.sciencesconf.org