Research Workshop at RoboSoft 2026 Kanazawa, Japan
Multi-Stable and Origami-based Soft Robots
April 11, 2026
Ishikawa Ongakudo - Kanazawa
Bi- and multi-stable structures, including origami structures, allow to rapidly release stored strain energy as they transition between various equilibrium shapes. These snap-through transitions between stable configurations enable the generation of rapid and amplified deformations. The application of bi- and multi-stability to soft actuators and robots has attracted significant research interest. Previous and current work demonstrated numerous innovative applications of bi- and multi-stability. These include single-input control mechanisms, high-speed actuations for jumping robots, significant shape reconfigurations, adaptive sensing, mechanical logic computations, and more.
This workshop aims to showcase recent developments and foster connections among researchers exploring multistability in the field of soft robotics.
Invited Speakers
Cynthia Sung
University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania
Rebecca Kramer-Bottiglio
Yale University, Connecticut
Benjamin Gorissen
KU Leuven, Belgium
Hanqing Jiang
Westlake University, China
Andres Arrieta
Purdue University, Indiana
Giada Risso
Harvard University, Massachusetts
Tommaso Ranzani
Boston University, Massachusetts
Shingo Maeda
University of Tokyo, Japan
Yoav Matia
Ben-Gurion University, Israel
Perla Maiolino
University of Oxford, England
Excellent PhD student
Tian Chen
University of Houston, Texas
Organizers
Amir Gat
Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Israel
Robert Shepherd
Cornell University, New York
Ezra Ben-Abu
Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Israel
Zeynep Temel
Carnegie Mellon University, Pennsylvania
Hod Lipson
Columbia University, New York
April 11th - Saturday
09:00-09:10 Workshop Introduction
09:10-09:25 Shingo Maeda - Large Actuation of Belousov-Zhabotinsky Gels
09:25-09:40 Zeynep Temel - How Adaptive Morphology Shapes Locomotion
09:40-09:55 Giada Risso - Multistable Composite Surfaces for Adaptive Soft Crawlers and Aerial Robots
09:55-10:05 3 Spot-Light Talks of 3 Minute Each
10:05-10:35 Coffee Break & First Poster Session and Demos
10:35-10:50 Perla Maiolino - Exploring Kinematic Bifurcations and Hinge Compliance for In-Hand Manipulation
10:50-11:05 Hanqing Jiang- Muscle-Inspired Elasto-Electromagnetic Mechanism in Autonomous Insect Robots
11:05-11:20 Robert Shepherd - Bang Bang – Millisecond Sense and Respond Loop Using Explosive Actuation of Bistable Structures
11:20-12:00 First Debate Session
12:00-12:30 Lunch Break
12:30-12:45 Tommaso Ranzani - Electromechanically Controlled Bistable Mechanisms for Energy Efficient Underwater Locomotion
12:45-13:00 Ezra Ben-Abu - Harnessing Mechanical Instabilities for Self-Deploying Architectures
13:00-13:15 Amir Gat - Embedded Energy via Multistability
13:15-13:25 3 Spot-Light Talks of 3 Minute Each
13:25-13:55 Coffee Break & Second Poster Session and Demos
13:55-14:10 Excellent PhD student - TBD
14:10-14:20 Cynthia Sung - Dynamical Locomotion Enabled by Origami Design
14:20-14:35 Rebecca Kramer-Bottiglio - TBD
14:35-15:15 Second Debate Session
15:15-15:40 Coffee Break & Group Discussion Circles
15:40-15:55 Andres Arrieta - Embodying mechanical intelligence into soft robots from multistability
15:55-16:10 Yoav Matia - Organic Closed-Loop Control of Fluid Actuated Soft Robotics
16:10-16:25 Benjamin Gorissen - Navigating the Nonlinear Energy Landscape of Origami Structures
16:25-16:40 Coffee Break & Group Discussion Circles
16:40-16:55 Tian Chen - Mechanical Multi-Stability Towards Robotic Intelligence
16:55-17:10 Hod Lipson - Fast Untethered Soft Robotic Crawler with Elastic Instability
17:10-17:50 Hands-On Session - Fabricating Multistable Structures
17:50-18:00 Workshop Conclusions & Winners Announcement
Preliminary Program
The program is subject to change, and will be updated continuously up to the conference.
Call for abstract - Short talks and posters
We invite RoboSoft 2026 attendees to submit abstracts related to the following topics:
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Fabrication of bi- or multi-stable structures
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Bi- or Multi-stable structures in soft robotics
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Origami structures in soft robotics
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Fabrication of origami structures
Late-breaking results, materials under review, and elaborations on previously accepted works are all welcome.
Format:
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1 page maximum (excluding references)
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RoboSoft double-column format (templates available here)
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Submit abstract as a PDF file (10 MB limit)
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Authors of accepted abstracts will be asked to give a 3-minute spotlight talk and present a poster in person at the workshop; live demos are greatly encouraged!
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Accepted abstracts will be made publicly available on the workshop website
Timeline:
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February 01, 2026: Call for abstracts opens
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March 01, 2026: Submission deadline
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March 05, 2026: Acceptance notifications
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March 30, 2026: Extended submission deadline
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March 31, 2026: Acceptance notifications for extended submissions
Submission:
Please send your abstract to Ezrab@campus.technion.ac.il with the subject line: "Abstract for Multi-Stable and Origami-based Workshop RoboSoft 2026".
To further recognize excellence, the top abstract submitted by a PhD student will be selected for a full invited talk at the workshop. This opportunity is intended to showcase outstanding graduate research and increase its visibility within the community.
We will hold competitions for Best Demo and Best Poster!
Location
The upcoming conference will be held at the Ishikawa Ongakudo. Stay tuned for more detailed information on the exact location within the venue, which will be communicated at a later time.
