From December 15, 2026 to December 19, 2026
IEEE ROBIO 2026 | Biomimetic robots meet AI in Tengchong, Yunnan, this December
The 22nd IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Biomimetics runs December 16–20, 2026 at the Empark Grand Hotel in Tengchong, Yunnan, under the theme “Biomimetic Robots Empowered by AI,” with plenaries from Tsinghua, Beihang, SJTU and Lingnan.
QUICK FACTS
| Date | Dec 16–20, 2026 |
| Location | Tengchong (Yunnan Province), China |
| Venue | Empark Grand Hotel Tengchong (腾冲世纪金源大饭店) |
| Organizer | IEEE ROBIO 2026 organizing committee; financially co-sponsored by the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (RAS); IEEE Region 10 shown as partner. The RAS calendar lists Shandong University as organizer |
| Event type | Academic Conference |
| Official website | https://www.robio2026.org/ |
| Registration | https://www.robio2026.org/registration.html |
| Admission | Paid (USD; CNY prices also listed). Early-bird / regular / on-site: IEEE member $650 / $720 / $750; non-member $700 / $770 / $800; IEEE student member $500 / $570 / $600; student non-member $550 / $620 / $650; IEEE Life Members free. Extra paper $330, extra page $120, extra banquet ticket $65. 50% refund (minus fees) for cancellations on or before Oct 31, 2026; none after |
| Scale | Submission, acceptance and attendance figures not published; table-top exhibition Dec 17–19 with sponsor tiers from $1,500 to $7,500 |
| Key deadlines | Early-bird registration ends Oct 31, 2026 (23:59 PST); regular registration to Dec 15, 2026; refund requests by Oct 31, 2026 |
EVENT OVERVIEW
IEEE ROBIO 2026, the 2026 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Biomimetics, takes place December 16–20, 2026 at the Empark Grand Hotel Tengchong in Yunnan Province, China. The organizer describes it as the 22nd conference in the ROBIO series, which has rotated mostly around China and Southeast Asia; the 2025 edition was held in Chengdu. ROBIO is on the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society's list of financially co-sponsored conferences, and IEEE Region 10 appears as a partner. J. Jason Gu of Dalhousie University is General Chair. The General Co-Chairs come from Shandong University, Tohoku University, the University of Technology Sydney, Kanazawa University, Toronto Metropolitan University and the Beijing Institute of Automation (as listed). Max Q.-H. Meng of SUSTech chairs the organizing committee. The organizer has not published submission, acceptance or attendance numbers.
The 2026 theme is “Biomimetic Robots Empowered by AI.” Listed topics include aerial and underwater robots, embodied intelligence, cyborg robots, soft and liquid-metal robots, micro/nano systems, medical and rehabilitation robots, swarms and robotics in intelligent manufacturing. Papers are six pages, with up to two extra pages at a charge. Review is single-blind, and accepted, presented papers go to IEEE Xplore. Plenary speakers named so far are Sam Kwong (Lingnan University), Guo Lei (Beihang University), Liang Bin (Tsinghua University) and Wang Hesheng (Shanghai Jiao Tong University). Five award categories are planned, including the T.J. Tarn Best Paper in Robotics and a Best Paper in AI in Robotics; finalists are still to be announced. A table-top exhibition is planned for December 17–19, with sponsor tiers from $1,500 to $7,500. The detailed program has not been posted.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
22nd ROBIO, Dec 16–20, 2026, Empark Grand Hotel, Tengchong, Yunnan
Theme: “Biomimetic Robots Empowered by AI”
Plenaries: Sam Kwong, Guo Lei, Liang Bin, Wang Hesheng
RAS financially co-sponsored; proceedings in IEEE Xplore
Early-bird registration ends Oct 31, 2026; table-top exhibits Dec 17–19
RECOMMENDED ATTENDEES
ROBIO suits academic researchers and graduate students in bio-inspired, soft, medical and micro/nano robotics, especially those working with Chinese and Asia-Pacific labs. It is a good place to meet Chinese university groups and RAS volunteers in the region. Industry visitors will find a small table-top exhibition, not a trade show. People focused on commercial humanoids or factory automation will get more from trade events such as the World Robot Conference in Beijing. Per the organizer, Tengchong Tuofeng Airport is about 33 minutes by car from the hotel.
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