A2S Institute at the European Robotics Forum (ERF) 2026 - Stavanger, Norway

At ERF 2026 in Stavanger, we organized the workshop “From Black Box to Open Book: Cracking the Code of Cognitive Robotics”, which focused on the role of explainability, cognition, and scalability in future robotic systems. The workshop brought together invited speakers and participants from academia and industry to discuss how robots can become not only more intelligent, but also more transparent, trustworthy, and adaptable in real-world environments.

The session combined short invited talks with an interactive discussion format. Topics included explainable and embodied AI, interpretable robots, cognitive approaches in manufacturing, and the challenges of scaling robotic solutions beyond controlled lab settings. In the interactive part, participants exchanged ideas on best practices for robot explainability, user expectations, technology gaps, and strategies for deploying robotics in regulated and complex environments.

Overall, the workshop created a lively space for discussion and collaboration, highlighting the importance of moving cognitive robotics from “black-box” systems toward open, understandable, and reliable solutions.