T. Thang Vo-Doan
Confirmed
University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Insect flight, biohybrid systems and biological measurement
Soft aerialroboticsin the wild.
From the creatures that inspire flight
to the environments where robots must work.
01 / The workshop
Inspired by nature.
Ready for the wild?
Changing airflow.
Irregular surfaces.
New ways to interact.
Biological flightSoft aerial interactionEnvironmental research
Our two objectives
- Share recent advances and examine what softness enables in natural environments.
- Connect these advances with the needs of environmental research and conservation.
Soft aerial robotics explores how deformable structures, soft actuators and integrated sensors can help flying robots adapt to their surroundings. Drawing inspiration from birds, bats and insects, researchers are developing systems that change shape during flight and move between different environments. Across three previous editions of this workshop series, we have explored these ideas through robot design, modelling and control, while developing a two-way conversation between roboticists and researchers studying biological flight.
This year, Soft Aerial Robotics in the Wild brings the community together to share recent advances and examine what it takes for these systems to operate in natural environments. The RoboSoft 2027 theme asks us to consider nature both as a source of inspiration and as the setting in which future aerial robots must operate. Our focus is on adapting to changing conditions, moving between air, land and water, and interacting with the environment through perching, grasping and sampling.
Through talks, student demonstrations and shared discussion, this workshop will connect soft robotics and flight biology with questions from environmental research. We aim to identify promising applications, examine the barriers to deployment, and develop collaborations towards environmental monitoring, biodiversity conservation and ecological intervention, while considering the energy use, material choices and disturbance associated with robot deployment.
Topics of interest
- Compliant aerial contact, grasping and collection
- Tactile sensing and embodied intelligence for flight
- Flexible wings, compliant actuation and passive dynamics
- Morphing and reconfigurable aerial systems
- Multimodal locomotion across air, land and water
- Biological flight, biohybrid systems and robophysical models
- Modelling, control and comparative performance testing
- Environmental sensing, sampling and interaction
- Field validation, robustness and recovery from disturbances
- Energy use, durability, repair and retrieval
A continuing conversation / 2022–2027
The series ran at RoboSoft in 2022, 2023 and 2024, bringing together soft aerial robot design, biological inspiration and adaptive flight. The 2027 proposal builds on those exchanges to examine how these systems can operate reliably in natural environments with minimal environmental impact.
02 / Speakers
Across disciplines.
A shared curiosity.
A programme spanning biological flight, soft robotics and environmental applications.13 speakers confirmed. All listed speakers have confirmed participation. Themes below are suggested areas of contribution.
Salua Hamaza
Confirmed
Delft University of Technology, Netherlands
Tactile sensing and embodied intelligence for aerial contact
Stefano Mintchev
Confirmed
University of Bonn, Germany
Adaptive robots for environmental interaction
Hoang-Vu Phan
Confirmed
University of Nevada, Reno, USA
Biological flight mechanisms and aerial-robot design
Moju Zhao
Confirmed
The University of Tokyo, Japan
Soft morphing aerial robots and compliant perching
Hiroto Tanaka
Confirmed
Institute of Science Tokyo, Japan
Flexible flapping-wing mechanics and wind sensing
Raphael Zufferey
Confirmed
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA
Flexible flapping wings and transitions between air and water
Huichan Zhao
Confirmed
Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
Soft actuation and compliant aerial grasping
Pauline Pounds
Confirmed
University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Compliant aerial contact and environmental sensing in the field
Peng Lu
Confirmed
The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Compliant aerial continuum manipulation and coordinated flight control
Ulrik Lundquist
Confirmed
University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
Autonomous drones for wildlife monitoring and field operation
Pakpong Chirarattananon
Confirmed
University of Toronto, Canada
Passive morphing, compliant mechanisms and flight control for adaptive aerial and hybrid locomotion
Shaohui Foong
Confirmed
Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore
Nature-inspired flight and reconfigurable aerial robots
Soft Aerial Robotics in the Wild
RoboSoft 2027 · Brisbane, Australia · Workshop draft
03 / Programme
Ideas in flight.
Robots in action.
Full day · 7 hours
Illustrative · 09:00–16:0013 confirmed speakers · 3 thematic blocks
All 13 confirmed speakers have one 10-minute slot: eight minutes for a focused research case and two minutes for questions. Talks total 130 minutes; student feedback and collaborative activities receive 175 minutes. Welcome and closing take 15 minutes; lunch and coffee breaks take 100 minutes.
-
Welcome and discussion themes
Adaptive flight; aerial contact and sampling
Welcome: Pham Huy Nguyen and Andre Farinha
-
Biological flight and bioinspired design
T. Thang Vo-Doan; Hiroto Tanaka; Hoang-Vu Phan; Shaohui Foong
4 × 10-minute slots: 8-minute case study + 2-minute Q&A
Chairs: Christina Harvey and YuFeng (Kevin) Chen
-
Field needs and experimental questions
Participants define measurable requirements for vegetation sensing and water sampling
Facilitator: Andre Farinha
-
Coffee break
Informal discussion
-
Soft actuation and aerial interaction
Salua Hamaza; Peng Lu; Huichan Zhao; Pauline Pounds
4 × 10-minute slots: 8-minute case study + 2-minute Q&A
Chair: Aníbal Ollero
-
Student posters and demonstrations
Six two-minute introductions; 33 minutes of discussion and individual mentor feedback
Chair: Sophie Armanini
-
Lunch break
Participants arrange their own lunch
-
Adaptive systems and environmental applications
Stefano Mintchev; Moju Zhao; Pakpong Chirarattananon; Raphael Zufferey; Ulrik Lundquist
5 × 10-minute slots: 8-minute case study + 2-minute Q&A
Chairs: Mirko Kovač and Andre Farinha
-
Shared questions and experiment briefing
Revisit questions from all three talk blocks and connect field requirements to group tasks
Moderator: YuFeng (Kevin) Chen
-
Coffee break
Informal discussion
-
Small-group experimental design
10 min problem definition; 20 min design; 15 min peer feedback; 15 min revision
Coordinators: Andre Farinha and Sophie Armanini
-
Student-led group reports and discussion
Up to six three-minute reports; 12 minutes comparing proposed experiments
Moderator: YuFeng (Kevin) Chen
-
Closing remarks
Summary and follow-up
Closing: Pham Huy Nguyen
The full-day programme is complete, with no unfilled oral slots. The open call focuses on student posters and demonstrations. Speaker order, chairs and clock times will be agreed after the conference allocation.
Half day · 4 hours
Illustrative · 09:00–13:006–7 speakers
If the conference allocates a half day, six or seven speakers will be selected in consultation with the 13 confirmed speakers, retaining Australian participation and seeking gender balance and topic coverage. This six-talk example uses 15-minute presentations and five minutes for questions.
-
Welcome and discussion themes
Adaptive flight; aerial contact and sampling
Welcome: Pham Huy Nguyen and Andre Farinha
-
Biological flight and morphing
T. Thang Vo-Doan; Hiroto Tanaka
2 × 20-minute slots: 15-minute talk + 5-minute Q&A
Chair: Christina Harvey
-
Student posters and demonstrations
Six two-minute introductions, followed by 18 minutes of discussion
Chair: Sophie Armanini
-
Coffee break
Informal discussion
-
Aerial contact and manipulation
2 × 20-minute slots: 15-minute talk + 5-minute Q&A
Chair: Aníbal Ollero
-
Adaptive aerial systems
Stefano Mintchev; Hoang-Vu Phan
2 × 20-minute slots: 15-minute talk + 5-minute Q&A
Chair: Mirko Kovač
-
Small-group discussion
Groups outline experiments, with biological-flight feedback invited from Vo-Doan
Coordinator: Andre Farinha
-
Group reports and discussion
Up to six two-minute reports, followed by eight minutes of discussion
Moderator: Kevin Chen
-
Closing remarks
Summary and follow-up
Closing: Pham Huy Nguyen
If seven speakers are selected, each talk will have 12 minutes to present and three minutes for questions, with a further 15 minutes for shared speaker discussion. Session boundaries will change; student activities, the coffee break and group discussions remain.
Illustrative local Brisbane times (AEST, UTC+10); the workshop date and allocated clock times are unconfirmed. All 13 speakers are confirmed; session assignments and clock times remain provisional.
If a speaker cannot attend
We will agree short backup case studies with available organisers before the workshop, covering the main themes. If a speaker withdraws, an agreed organiser reserve can take the same slot. With sufficient notice and consent, a selected open-call contributor may be invited instead.
If no suitable substitute is available, the chair will lead a prepared case-study discussion. Remote or prerecorded contributions depend on conference facilities, policy and speaker permission. Student demonstrations, group work, reports and the advertised start and finish will be protected.
Attendance will be reconfirmed two weeks before the workshop and checked again 48 hours beforehand. Chairs will retain local slides and permitted videos; tabletop models or videos can replace demonstrations affected by equipment or venue constraints. Any changes will be announced here and in the room.
04 / Student posters & demonstrations
Prototype · Experiment · ShareBring your work.
Find new questions.
Share a prototype, a video or a poster, and discuss your work with researchers across soft robotics and biological flight. Early results and experiments that reveal useful limitations are welcome.
Participation enquiriesIntroduce your idea.
A short abstract and, optionally, a prototype image or video. Selection will consider relevance to the workshop and a clear research question, with a range of methods and career stages represented.
Share what you learned.
Six two-minute introductions followed by discussion and organiser feedback: 45 minutes in the full day (33 minutes of discussion) or 30 minutes in the half day (18 minutes of discussion). Each contribution will have a named organiser mentor.
Develop an experiment.
Up to six mixed groups will design an experiment, specifying a task, a compliant or adaptive mechanism, a comparison baseline and performance measures. The full day provides 60 minutes for problem definition, design, peer feedback and revision, followed by 30 minutes of student-led reports and discussion. The half day provides 35 minutes of group work and 20 minutes of reports.
Two questions for discussion
- How can soft aerial robots adapt to changing flight conditions?
- How can they make contact with the environment to perch, grasp or collect samples?
With contributors’ permission, we plan to share a summary of the discussions and proposed experiments within four weeks of the workshop.
Participation & presentation details
The full-day oral programme is filled by 13 confirmed speakers. The open call focuses on student posters and demonstrations. Selected contributors may be invited, with their consent, to replace a withdrawn speaker; no extra oral places are promised.
Demonstrations will use tabletop prototypes, unpowered models or videos. Any live flight demonstration must be agreed with the venue and conference in advance.
The workshop is planned as an in-person event. Registration will follow conference policy. Remote access or recording will depend on conference facilities and speaker agreement.
Proposed call · opens after workshop acceptance
Abstract submissions
Selection decisions
Discussion questions circulated
These are proposed dates, subject to workshop acceptance and conference registration deadlines.
05 / Organisers
The people
bringing us together.
Seven returning organisers will coordinate the programme, student activities and discussions. Participation and responsibilities will be reconfirmed for 2027.
Pham Huy Nguyen
Empa; EPFL; Imperial College London (visiting)
Coordination and participant communication
Mirko Kovač
Empa; EPFL; Imperial College London (honorary)
Scientific programme and aerial interaction
Research profile
Andre Farinha
CSIRO, Australia
Local coordination and group discussions
YuFeng (Kevin) Chen
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Experimental comparisons and closing discussion
Research profile
Christina Harvey
University of California, Davis
Biological flight and student mentoring
Research profile
Aníbal Ollero
GRVC Robotics Laboratory, University of Seville
Aerial contact and feedback on proposed experiments
Research profile06 / The gathering
Next stop,
Brisbane.
A meeting of soft robotics and the wider world, at the 10th IEEE International Conference on Soft Robotics.
Visit RoboSoft 2027Australia / 2027
BRISBANE
Conference dates
5–9 April 2027
Workshop date & room to be confirmed.