Avular attended the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) 2026 in Vienna, one of the world's leading events for robotics research and innovation.

Throughout the week, our team connected with researchers, engineers, customers, and technology partners from across the robotics ecosystem. Besides demonstrating our technology, ICRA was a great opportunity to discuss the challenges and opportunities currently shaping the industry.

Presenting Research at ICRA

Our presence at ICRA extended beyond the exhibition floor. Avular's Robotics Control Engineer, Amr Afifi, participated in the conference's technical program by presenting research conducted during his PhD at the University of Twente before joining Avular.

The presented research focuses on improving the performance of aerial robots during infrastructure inspection tasks. As drones are increasingly used to inspect critical infrastructure, they are often required to make physical contact with structures. Ensuring that these interactions can be performed safely and reliably remains an important challenge.

The paper introduces a control approach that helps aerial robots better handle these contact moments, improving stability and overall performance during inspection operations. The approach was validated on multiple robotic platforms, including aerial, humanoid, and quadruped robots, demonstrating its potential across a wide range of applications.

This research highlights how advances in robotics control can help make autonomous inspection technologies more practical and effective for real-world use.

Key Themes from ICRA 2026

Several trends were clearly visible throughout the conference and exhibition:

• AI continues to accelerate the capabilities of autonomous robotic systems.

• Mobile manipulation is gaining momentum, combining autonomous mobility with advanced manipulation capabilities.

• Robot perception and manipulation technologies are becoming increasingly robust and application-ready.

One trend was impossible to miss: humanoid robots dominated the exhibition floor. From startups to established robotics companies, many organizations showcased humanoid platforms and new developments in general-purpose robotics. While the commercial adoption of humanoids is still evolving, the number of humanoid platforms on display made it clear that many companies see this as an important area of development.

We would like to thank everyone who visited our booth, attended the presentations, and shared their insights with us.