As one of the flagship conferences of the robotics community, IROS has always brought together the world’s robotics scientists, researchers, students, and key enterprises to share ideas and advances in the field. Much innovative research and development in intelligent robots and systems have historically been presented at the IROS conference. IROS 2022, in the 35th-anniversary event of its history, aims to move robotics technology one step further with the theme “Embodied AI for Symbiotic Society” by providing an international forum for the global robotics community to explore the frontier of science and technology in intelligent robots and systems.

The IROS 2022 host city, Kyoto, founded in 794, has flourished as the capital of Japan for over a millennium. The city has preserved its refined culture, historical sites, and innumerable Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, continuing to fascinate visitors worldwide. Kyoto has always been a center of culture and technological innovation in the city’s long history, where 47 universities, numerous research institutions, and forward-thinking corporations proudly uphold Kyoto’s tradition of innovation on the world stage. Holding IROS 2022 in Kyoto reflects a fantastic confluence between the rapid growth in the field, the best services to our society, and the SDGs (the Sustainable Development Goals).

For this year’s IROS conference, we received a total of 3579 paper submissions, including 2288 regular paper submissions and 1291 submissions to Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L) with the IROS option, from 57 countries and regions. Upon a careful review of the papers, 1716 papers were accepted into the IROS program representing an acceptance rate of 47.9%. In addition, 128 abstract-only submissions for late-breaking results posters and 80 workshop and tutorial submissions were submitted. The final program shall include 1765 papers, including 49 papers from Journal publications of TRO, TASE, and RAM, for oral presentation in 205 technical sessions over three days, 124 late-breaking results posters, and 43 workshops and tutorials.

The IROS 2022 technical program is anchored by three plenary talks and fifteen keynote presentations on topics focusing on the conference theme and representing the latest in intelligent robotics and systems research. To celebrate 35 years of IROS conferences by highlighting some significant contributions, two plenary speeches on the philosophy of “Robot Research and Development” and two keynotes on “Future Autonomous Systems” and “Assistive and Social Robots” will also be provided by world-recognized pioneers in the field. We believe and wish IROS has years to succeed in our mission to deliver benefits to the scientific and engineering communities and society at large.

Affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the IROS 2020 and 2021 were successfully held online, so we have not gathered in person for two years. We recognize the importance and value of the onsite meetings, which bring us together to meet physically, especially for newcomers to the IROS community. The IROS 2022 organizing committee then decided to hold the IROS as a traditional in-person conference. Virtual attendance will also be an option for those who have travel restrictions by their organization or do not feel comfortable participating in large gatherings, with the recognition that the conference cannot be experienced fully while remote. We will strive to make the in-person event fruitful and memorable while following safety precautions as warranted.

On behalf of the organizing committee, we cordially welcome you to IROS 2022 and let us meet in Kyoto to explore a historical, cultural, and innovative city while we share and celebrate the latest developments in the robotics community.

General Chair: Shugen Ma, Ritsumeikan University, Japan

Program Chair: Yasushi Nakauchi, University of Tsukuba, Japan