siwear2026
1st Workshop on Setup Interfaces for Wearable Robotics: Research Challenges and Industrial Perspectives (SIWeaR 2026)
IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics, July 7th - 10th 2026, Porto Antico, Magazzini del cotone Genova (Italy)
SIWeaR 2026
📋 Table of Contents
Workshop abstract
Adopting emergent technologies has become important in the field of wearable robotics. The integration of novel applications could simplify the task, improve performance, and increase the level of satisfaction when users interact with such disruptive technologies. These events should occur in a safe and reliable environment. At this point, the research meets the challenges of human interaction in wearable robotics applications. In this workshop, we will discuss the new trends and tendencies of human-interaction systems towards assistive technologies and devices, the benefits of human-robot interaction, how to better assess the user experience, and what research challenges are faced to create a positive impact on the industry. The topics of interest in this workshop are wearable robotics, assistive robotic devices, feedback interfaces, human-powered augmentation, and assessment method strategies. This workshop aims to gather researchers, developers, designers, and practitioners from various disciplines that cover the cutting edge of the HRI wearable approach community.
Call for contributions
Submission Platform: PaperPlaza system
Submission Format: Extended Abstract Papers must be up to 2-4 pages (references do not count toward the page length) in IEEE Conf format with 2 columns (templates are available here).
Important dates
We are pleased to share that our workshop has received three contributions. We are excited to present these works and look forward to the discussions they will inspire.
Submission deadline: 10th of March, 2026
Extended deadline: 24th of March, 2026
Notification of acceptance: 10th of April, 2026
Final version due: 20th of April, 2026
VERY IMPORTANT
After submitting your workshop contribution, you must email workshop organizers your paper ID. This step is mandatory to ensure that your submission is properly tracked and processed within the review system.
Email the Paper ID to: olmo.moreno@iit.it
We invite early-career researchers, roboticists, and members from different scientific communities to submit contributions. We will especially encourage women and young researchers’ participation in order to support gender balance in robotics and the promotion of early-career researchers to present themselves to the community.
Peer-reviewed (double-blind) evaluation: Submissions will be evaluated on their relevance to the workshop’s themes, including innovative strategies, interfaces, and applications in wearable and haptic robotics. Submissions should demonstrate originality, scientific and technical merit, and clarity of presentation and problem statement. Priority will be given to work that provokes meaningful discussion and showcases practical applications. Non-original submissions are welcome but should properly cite the prior work.
Accepted manuscripts will be invited to present a teaser of their work to all participants of the workshop (single-track presentation). The spotlight teaser presentations will be accompanied by posters during the interactive session at the coffee break. Selected extended abstracts and videos will be disseminated and available on the workshop website with the author’s consent. Authors are naturally allowed to opt-out for any reason.
Best Workshop Paper and Video Awards: The award for the best extended abstract will recognize the quality of the written submission and the presentation, including engagement during the poster session. Papers with an accompanying video will automatically enter the Best Video Award competition. The video should be a clear, concise (max. 3 minutes) demonstration of the system or experiment. It must adhere to ethical guidelines.
Topics of interest
- Wearable Robotics Systems
- Setup Interfaces for Wearable Devices
- Human–Robot Interaction (HRI) in Wearable Robotics
- Human–Machine Interfaces (HMI)
- Assistive Robotic Devices
- Feedback Interfaces and Wearable Haptics
- Human-Powered Augmentation and Exoskeleton Design
- Control Strategies for Wearable Robots
- Assessment Methods and Performance Evaluation
- Multimodal Sensing Integration
- Abstract vs. Concrete Interface Modeling
- Dedicated Hardware and Software Architectures
- Industry 5.0 and Human-Centered Robotics
Program
| Time | Talk |
|---|---|
| 09:15 - 09:25 | Opening remarks |
| 09:25 - 10:00 | Invited speaker: Dr. Maria Pozzi |
| 10:00 - 10:20 | Lightning talks (3 talks, 6 minutes each) |
| 10:20 - 10:45 | Coffee break |
| 10:45 - 11:20 | Invited speaker: Dr. Guillermo Pérez García |
| 11:20 - 11:40 | Lightning talks (3 talks, 6 minutes each) |
| 11:40 - 12:00 | Poster + Q&A session |
| 12:00 - 12:35 | Invited speaker: Dr. Wansoo Kim |
| 12:35 - 12:50 | Roundtable discussion |
| 12:50 - 13:00 | Closing remarks |
| 13:00 - 13:30 | Wearable robotics Demo |
Invited Speakers
Dr. Maria Pozzi is a fixed term Assistant Professor (RTD-A) at the University of Siena and holds a Bachelor’s Degree (Computer and Information Engineering, 2013), a Master’s Degree (Computer and automation Engineering, 2015) and a PhD (Information Engineering and Science, 2019), all with honors from the University of Siena. In 2018, she won the RAS Haptics Grant promoted by the IEEE RAS Technical Committee on Haptics. In 2021, she was selected as an “RSS Pioneer” and was invited as a speaker for the “IFRR Global Robotics Colloquium on The Future of Robotic Manipulation”. Since 2021, she is Associate Editor for the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) and since 2023 she is Associate Editor for the IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters. From 2023 to 2025 she was Associate Editor for the IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine for which she was selected as Outstanding AE in 2025. Her main research interests include: robotic grasping and manipulation, simulation and modeling of soft robots, and haptic interfaces for human-robot augmentation.
Talk: “Beyond Teleoperation: Wearable Haptics in Human-robot Augmentation”, Department of Information Engineering and Mathematics, University of Siena, Italy.
Dr. Guillermo Pérez García is CEO of 4i Intelligent Insights and a PhD in Artificial Intelligence from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. He has over 30 publications, 1 book, and 12 patents in AI and dialogue systems. He previously served as CTO of Indisys, leading its technology and the process that resulted in its acquisition by Intel. At Intel, he was Principal Engineer and managed international AI teams, contributing to award-winning products such as “Radar Pace” (CES 2017). Since 2018, he has led 4i Intelligent Insights international expansion, delivering AI solutions for major clients including Airbus and Honda, and earning multiple innovation and business awards. His expertise focuses on conversational AI, multimodal systems, and applied artificial intelligence.
Talk: “Merging conversational AI and social robotics in real-world applications”, 4i Intelligent Insights, Sevilla, Spain.
Dr. Wansoo Kim, Dr. is an Associate Professor and Head of the Graduate Department of Robotics (since 03/2025) at Hanyang University ERICA, Republic of Korea. He obtained a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Hanyang University ERICA in 2008 and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering (Integrated M.S./Ph.D.) from Hanyang University in 2015. From 2016 to 2021, he was a Post-Doctoral Researcher at the Human-Robot Interface & Physical Interaction Lab at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Italy. His research focuses on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI), physical HRI (pHRI), exoskeleton control, ergonomics, and mobile manipulation. In 2018, he received the KUKA Innovation Award and, in 2019, the Solution Award in Robotics. He was also a Best Paper Finalist at IEEE RO-MAN 2020 and received the Best Ph.D. Thesis Award from Hanyang University in 2015. Since 2022, he has served as Associate Editor for IJRR: Human-Centered Robotics and Mechatronics, and since 2024 for IEEE ICRA. He is Co-Chair of the IEEE RAS Technical Committee on Human-Robot Interaction & Coordination for the 2026–2028 term. He currently leads multiple interdisciplinary research projects on human-robot collaboration, autonomous operations, wearable assistive devices, and multi-robot systems.
Talk: “Human-Centered Collaborative Robots: Towards Safe and Adaptive Interaction”, Department of Robotics, Hanyang University ERICA Campus, Korea.
Workshop Materials
We encourage participants to use Nearpod during the workshop as an interactive tool to actively engage with the presented content and discussions. This tool allows the integration of slide based material with real time interactive elements such as quizzes polls and open questions which can support reflection on key topics related to wearable robotics including setup procedures interaction design and user experience challenges. Through collaborative activities and short assessments participants can share perspectives provide feedback and contribute to discussions in a structured and inclusive manner. Download Nearpod.
Organizers
Dr. Olmo A. Moreno Franco received his PhD in Bioengineering and Robotics from the University of Genova, Italy, in 2019, with a thesis on optimising damping coefficients for improved transparency in bilateral telemanipulation. Currently, Dr. Moreno is a Senior Technician at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, a position he has held since 2024, after serving as a Postdoctoral Researcher there since 2019. Omo Moreno’s main expertise lies in human-robot interaction, wearable robotics, and telemanipulation, with a strong focus on industrial exoskeletons and haptic-enabled teleoperation systems. His work involves user command interfaces, adaptable setup systems, and ergonomic design assessment for occupational exoskeletons. He also has significant experience in embedded system design and CubeSat mission development. He has worked with systems such as the Shoulder-SideWINDER, XoTrunk, and Omega 6 haptic device.
Dr. Elahe Abdi received her PhD in Mechanical Engineering Robotics from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland. Dr. Abdi is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Monash University, Australia, a position she has held since 2023. Abdi’s main expertise lies in human-robot interaction, medical robotics, automation in construction, and service robotics. Her work has a significant impact, as demonstrated by her role as a Chief Investigator on multiple government and industry funded research grants. She was named as one of Science and Technology Australia’s Superstars of STEM 2023-2024. Most recently, she was selected as a 2025-2026 Emerging Leader, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering.
Prof. Hiroaki Kawamoto received his PhD at the Doctoral Program in Intelligent Interaction Technologies, Graduate School of Systems and Information Engineering, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. Dr. Kawamoto has been a Professor at the Institute of Engineering, Information and Systems, University of Tsukuba since 2024. Kawamoto’s main areas of expertise are wearable cyborg systems and assistive robotics, with a particular focus on human–robot interaction, motor intention decoding, and their applications in rehabilitation and neurorehabilitation technologies. He also specializes in the clinical evaluation of wearable cyborg interventions for motor impairments, frequently using systems like the Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL).
Dr. Luigi Monica received his PhD in Production Systems and Industrial Plants from the Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of Parma, Italy, after receiving his Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Naples - Federico II, Italy. Currently, Dr. Monica is a Technologist at the Italian Workers‘ Compensation Authority (INAIL), where he is the Chief of the Technical-Scientific Technical Assessments Section within the Department of Technological Innovation and Safety. His main expertise lies in coordinating conformity assessment activities for machines, systems, appliances, and products against prescribed safety requirements (including the Machinery Directive and PED Directive) and conducting lifting work equipment verification activities. His research activities primarily focus on workplace safety, risk assessment methodologies, human factors, safety of machines and production plants, risk management, nanotechnologies, technological innovation, and robotics.
Dr. José Gabriel de Amores Carredano received his PhD in Anglogermanic Philology from the University of Sevilla in 1992. Dr. Amores Carredano is currently a Professor at the University of Sevilla, a position he has held since 2019 in the English Language Department of the Faculty of Philology. His main areas of expertise are computational linguistics and natural language processing, which he helped establish at his university. He has successfully led numerous national and European research projects focusing on conversational systems, multimodal dialogues, and language generation. Dr. Amores Carredano also possesses significant entrepreneurial and executive experience, having co-founded Indisys, a spin-off acquired by Intel, and subsequently working as a software engineering manager and principal engineer at Intel Corporation Iberia. He has also applied for several international patents in natural language processing.
Dr. Jesus Ortiz earned his PhD in New Technologies in Automobiles from the Centro Politécnico Superior, University of Zaragoza, in 2008. Currently, Dr. Ortiz works as a Research Technologist and he is currently the leader of the exoskeletons group (XoLab) at the department of Advanced Robotics (ADVR) of Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) in Genova, Italy, a role he has held since 2014, following several post-doc positions at the same institution since 2008. Ortiz’s main expertise lies in advanced robotics, human-robot interaction, teleoperation of vehicles and robots, and the application of new technologies in automobiles. His work encompasses areas such as multisensorial interfaces for teleoperation, soft modular biomimetic exoskeletons, robot-assisted microsurgery, and real-time processing for autonomous underwater vehicles.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the Italian Workers’ Compensation Authority (INAIL) and Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) within the project Sistemi Ciberneteci Collaborativi - Esoscheletro Collaborativo 3.