Organizers
Ilaria Alfieri, Antonio Fleres, Rebecca Mannocci, Hagen Lehmann, Luisa Damiano
IULM University, Milan
We invite researchers to submit their contributions to the Special Session “Social Robotics and the Future of Sustainability. Transdisciplinary dialogues on social robots’ philosophical, scientific and technological innovation”, to be held within the International Conference on Social Robotics 2025 (ICSR 2025), taking place on September 10–12, 2025, in Naples, Italy.
Please note that the paper submission deadline has been extended to April 30th, 2025.
Important Dates
- Paper Submission Deadline: April 30, 2025 (extended)
- Notification of Acceptance: June 6, 2025
- Camera-ready Submission: June 30, 2025
Scope and Objectives
This Special Session aims to promote transdisciplinary discussions on social robotics in the context of sustainability. We welcome contributions that explore how social robotics can foster social, economic, and environmental sustainability, and how the development of social robots can itself be made more sustainable.
The session seeks to bring together perspectives from robotics, cognitive science, philosophy, design, and related disciplines, with the aim of bridging technological innovation and critical reflection. We are particularly interested in works that approach social robots both as instruments of sustainability (e.g., in healthcare, education, and public space) and as objects whose design and deployment raise questions of ethical and ecological responsibility.
Topics of Interest include (but are not limited to):
- Social robotics for sustainability and well-being
- Social robotics for sustainable healthcare
- Human–robot interaction for sustainability
- Design for sustainable or ecological robots
- Domestic robotic ecologies
- Social robots in urban environments and public spaces
- Cultural imaginaries of social robots and their impact on social sustainability
- Educational social robots for sustainability purposes
- Social robotics in relation to the UN Sustainable Development Goals
- Environmental impact of robotic embodiment
- Embodiment design in sustainable social robotics
- Ethics of sustainable social robotics
Submission Guidelines
Authors are invited to submit original research contributions following the official submission guidelines of the International Conference on Social Robotics 2025. All submissions will undergo peer review. Accepted papers will be published in the conference proceedings.
For submission details and further updates, please visit the conference website or contact us at: socialroboticforsustainability@gmail.com
We look forward to receiving your contributions and to engaging discussions on the role of social robotics in shaping a sustainable future.