Latest research on robot intelligence, autonomous operation and human-robot interaction to be unveiled

An AI humanoid robot developed by Professor Park Hae-won's research team waves in greeting. [Herald DB]
An AI humanoid robot developed by Professor Park Hae-won's research team waves in greeting. [Herald DB]

Some of the world's foremost robotics scholars are set to convene in South Korea to discuss the present and future of autonomous robot technology.

KAIST, led by President Lee Kwang-hyung, announced Friday that it will co-host the "2026 Nature Conference: Autonomous Robotics" with the academic journal Nature at its main campus in Daejeon from Oct. 13 to 15.

It will be the first time Nature has held a conference dedicated solely to robotics.

The event will draw leading robotics researchers from around the world. Sami Haddadin, vice president of Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence and developer of the collaborative robot "Franka Emika Panda" — known for its human arm-like fluid motion — will deliver a keynote address. So will Kwon In-so, head of the KIST Physical AI Research Center and a professor in KAIST's Department of Electrical Engineering, who has led computer vision and robot intelligence research in South Korea.

Also joining as keynote speakers are Aude Billard, a professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne and a global authority on robot learning and control, and Steven H. Collins, a Stanford University professor renowned for his work in wearable robotics.

Kim Seung-hwan, a KAIST researcher with complete paralysis, demonstrates a wearable robot developed by KAIST Professor Kong Kyoung-chul at the 2025 Innovate Korea event. [Herald DB]
Kim Seung-hwan, a KAIST researcher with complete paralysis, demonstrates a wearable robot developed by KAIST Professor Kong Kyoung-chul at the 2025 Innovate Korea event. [Herald DB]

During the conference, organizers will also run an exhibition and demonstration of the latest robot technologies, along with academic exchange programs featuring leading international researchers and Nature editors.

KAIST has been at the forefront of autonomous robotics research in South Korea, showcasing a series of world-class achievements — among them Professor Kong Kyoung-chul's exoskeleton robot "WalkON Suit," Professor Park Hae-won's quadruped robot "Hound," Professor Shim Hyun-chul's humanoid pilot robot "Pibot," and Professor Myung Hyun's vision-based quadruped locomotion technology "DreamWalk."

Kim Jung, dean of KAIST's School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, said that "if AI has driven innovation in the digital space, autonomous robots are now recognized as the key platform for extending that innovation into the physical world." He added that the conference "will serve as a bridge allowing more domestic researchers and engineering students to align with global research trends, and an opportunity to elevate the overall global competitiveness of South Korea's robotics research to the next level."


nbgkoo@heraldcorp.com