International Symposium on Social Robots and Ethical Design
2026
iSRED
November 10-11, 2026
Inamori Hall, Kyushu University
Fukuoka, Japan
Call for Paper
The iSRED Annual Theme
Leveraging Design Thinking for the Implementation of Responsible Robotics
Deadline: July 31, 2026
As technological progress consistently outpaces traditional legislative processes, there is an urgent need for "compliance by design" in the development of social robots. This paper 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.
iSRED 2026 Symposium Topics include but are not limited to:
● Social, Ethical, and Environmental Implications of Social Robots
● Automation, AI Ethics, and Social Justice in Human-Robot Interactions
● Implications of Design Thinking for Social Systems, Robot Governance
● Social Robots and the Digital Transformation
● Challenges of Robot Technologies for Engineering Ethics Education
● Social Robots and Future of Work
● Emerging Robot Technologies and UN Sustainable Development Goals
● Ethics, Regulation, and Emerging Robot Technologies
● Perspectives on Emerging Robot Technologies from Humanities and Social Sciences
● Climate Change, Sustainability and Emerging Robot Technologies
● Teaching Robot Ethics
● The Future of Robot Innovation and Social Responsibility
Organization
General Chair
Program Chair
Yueh-Hsuan Weng (Kyushu University)
TBD
Program Committee
Benjamin Chen (The University of Hong Kong)
Diana Saplacan Lindbolm (University of Oslo)
Eduard Fosch-Villaronga (Leiden University)
Erich Schweighofer (University of Vienna)
Etsuko Kobayashi (The University of Tokyo)
Gabriele Trovato (Shibaura Institute of Technology)
Helena Haapio (University of Vaasa)
Hsiu-Ping Yueh (National Taiwan University)
Jessica K. Barfield (University of Kentucky)
Jia-Yang Juang (National Taiwan University)
Jim Toerresen (University of Oslo)
John C. Havens (IEEE A/IS Initiative)
Joshua C. Gellers (University of North Florida)
Juliana Bowles (University of St Andrews)
Kamil Mamak (Jagiellonian University)
Kuu-Young Young (National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University)
Mark Fenwick (Kyushu University)
Maria Claudia Solarte Vasquez (Tallinn University of Technology)
Melanie Sarantou (Kyushu University)
Mizuki Takeda (Toyohashi University of Technology)
Peishan Yang (National Taiwan University)
Phoebe Li (University of Sussex)
Ruth Lewis (IEEE SSIT Standards Committee)
Roberto V. Zicari (Seoul National University)
Steven van Uystel (Kyushu University)
Takashi Izumo (Nihon University)
Weijane Lin (National Taiwan University)
Yasuhisa Hirata (Tohoku University)
Ying-Yin Huang (National Taiwan University)
Yueh-Hsuan Weng (Kyushu University)
Zonghao Dong (Tohoku University)
Schedule
Full Paper Submission: July 31, 2026.
Workshop Proposal Submission: July 31, 2026.
Notification of Acceptance: August 31, 2026.
Early Bird Registration: Starts August 31, 2026.
iSRED 2026 offers authors the chance to submit 5-7 page papers in IEEE double-column format via OOOO. Accepted papers that meet IEEE Xplore's scope and quality requirements will be published for inclusion in IEEE Xplore. iSRED 2026 has IEEE OOOO Society as its Technical Co-Sponsor.