From July 13, 2027 to July 16, 2027
WHC 2027 | Touch and tactile-robotics researchers convene in Boston for IEEE's biennial haptics meeting
The IEEE World Haptics Conference comes to Boston on July 13–16, 2027, joining the IEEE Haptics Symposium and EuroHaptics communities for papers, hands-on demos, a design showcase and a Student Innovation Challenge. The venue is not yet announced.
QUICK FACTS
| Date | Jul 13–16, 2027 |
| Location | Boston, USA |
| Venue | Not published on official site (IEEE RAS calendar lists Hilton Boston Park Plaza) — Not published on official site (IEEE RAS calendar lists 50 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116, USA) |
| Organizer | Sponsored by the IEEE Robotics & Automation Society (IEEE RAS); General Chairs Mounia Ziat (Bentley University) and Manuel Cruz (Innovobot); local arrangements by Bentley University |
| Event type | Academic Conference |
| Official website | https://2027.worldhaptics.org/ |
| Registration | https://2027.worldhaptics.org/registration-2/ |
| Admission | Not published. The registration page says information will be posted when available. |
| Scale | Not published for 2027. No attendance, paper or exhibitor figures on the official site. The IEEE RAS calendar describes WHC as 'the largest haptic conference held every two years' with an international audience (organizer-side claim, not independently verified). |
EVENT OVERVIEW
IEEE World Haptics Conference 2027 (WHC 2027) takes place in Boston, Massachusetts, on July 13–16, 2027. WHC is the joint meeting of the IEEE Haptics Symposium and the EuroHaptics Conference. It runs every two years and rotates among North America, Europe and Asia. The series began in Pisa, Italy, in 2005; the 2025 edition was held in Suwon, Korea. The IEEE Robotics & Automation Society sponsors the conference. General Chairs are Mounia Ziat of Bentley University and Manuel Cruz of Innovobot, and Lynette Jones of MIT is Program Chair. Bentley University staff handle local arrangements. The official site has not yet named a venue. The IEEE RAS calendar lists the Hilton Boston Park Plaza. Attendance figures are not published.
The organizers plan technical paper oral and poster sessions, keynote talks, work-in-progress sessions, hands-on demonstrations, workshops, tutorials and a Student Innovation Challenge. A haptic design showcase shares the May 7, 2027 submission deadline with demonstrations. Keynote speakers, tracks and the detailed program are not yet published. Robotics content is likely in teleoperation, tactile sensing, force feedback and human–robot physical interaction, which are core haptics topics, but session topics are not announced. The committee includes industry members: Hong Z. Tan of Google is Industry and Innovation Chair, Antoine Weill-Duflos of Haply co-chairs sponsorship and exhibits, and Keith Kirkland of The Haptic 9 Co. co-chairs the design showcase. Katherine J. Kuchenbecker of the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems is Awards Chair.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
Biennial joint meeting of the IEEE Haptics Symposium and EuroHaptics
Jul 13–16, 2027 in Boston; venue still to be confirmed
Hands-on demos, haptic design showcase and Student Innovation Challenge
Long/regular paper deadline Jan 29, 2027 (tentative)
Industry and Innovation Chair from Google; Haply on sponsorship team
RECOMMENDED ATTENDEES
Best for researchers and engineers in haptics, tactile sensing, teleoperation, VR/AR touch feedback and physical human–robot interaction. Companies building force-feedback devices, tactile sensors, surgical or teleoperated robots, and robot hands will find the most relevant audience. It is an academic meeting, not a trade show. General robotics buyers would be better served by Automate or a regional robotics expo. Researchers focused on social or interactive robots should also look at IEEE RO-MAN 2027 (Aug 23–27, Waterloo).
Leave a comment