[FOSDEM] Call for Participation: Robotics and Simulation Devroom at FOSDEM 2026

[Arnaud Taffanel]

We're excited to host the second Robotics and Simulation devroom at
FOSDEM 2026 on Saturday, January 31. If you build, simulate, deploy, or
hack on robots (or the tools that make all that possible), this is your
stage.

The Robotics and Simulation devroom spotlights core libraries,
frameworks, simulation tooling, and open-source robotic platforms.
Selected talks will highlight foundational capabilities alongside
emerging AI-driven approaches, celebrating practical advancements and
lessons learned. Expect focused presentations, a lightning talk burst,
and a demo session---each designed to share real work and spark
collaboration.

## Scope of Talks

Robotics is inherently interdisciplinary, so our scope is intentionally
broad while respecting neighboring FOSDEM devrooms. To help you tune
your proposal, here are key areas of interest:

- Core robotics libraries and applications: mapping, planning,
  localization, perception, and control. Examples include
  [Cartographer], [OMPL], [grid_map], [Octomap], [PCL], [OpEn],
  [OpenRMF].
- Frameworks for building robotics applications: [ROS], [Dora-RS],
  [OpenRR], [YARP], [Zenoh], [Copper-rs], [iceoryx].
- Simulation software: dedicated tools like [Gazebo], [Coppelia], [Isaac
  Sim], plus creative uses of general engines such as [Bevy], [Godot],
  [MuJoCo].
- DevOps and developer tooling specific to robotics: e.g. visualization,
  logging, data formats---[webviz], [MCAP].
- Open-source-friendly hardware platforms: [Arduino], [Crazyflie],
  [Turtlebot].
- Robotic products and applied open-source stacks, including
  AI/LLM-driven methods for skill acquisition or control: [dora-rs],
  [ros2ai], [robo-gym], [LeRobot].

These examples are illustrative, not limiting. You can present
improvements to any listed project, novel uses, emerging alternatives at
any maturity level, or something entirely different. If in
doubt---submit!

## Key Dates

- 1st of December: Proposals submission deadline
- 15th December: Announcement of selected talks
- 31st January: Robotics and Simulation devroom at FOSDEM, you must be
  available onsite (in Brussels, Belgium) to present your talk.

## Talk formats

- Full length talk: 40 mins + 5 mins for Q&A
- Mid length talk: 20mins + 5 mins for Q&A
- Lightning talks: 10 mins OR 5 mins
- Demos: TBD

## Submission process

Please [submit your proposals](https://fosdem.org/submit) before the end
of 2025-12-01.

If you already have an account from a previous year, you should reuse it
so all recorded FOSDEM contributions are associated with your profile.

When submitting your proposal, select 'Robotics and Simulation' from
the track drop-down menu and specify the length and format of the talk.

## Requirements

The conference language is English. By participating in the event, you
agree to the publication of your recordings, slides and other content
provided under the Creative Commons Attribution ([CC-BY]) license. By
participating in FOSDEM, you are required to adhere to the [FOSDEM Code
of Conduct].

## New to FOSDEM? Quick Primer

- What: FOSDEM is a free (no registration fee) community-driven
  conference about Free and Open Source Software, held annually in
  Brussels.
- Cost: Attendance is free; you cover your own travel, food, and
  accommodation. Hotels fill fast --- book early.
- Format: Parallel devrooms, main tracks, lightning talks, stands, and
  lots of hallway conversations.
- Getting Around: Venue is walkable; expect busy corridors. Pack a
  reusable water bottle and label your laptop.

If this is your first FOSDEM talk, that's fine --- great ideas matter
more than prior speaking experience!

## Devroom Committee

- Arnaud Taffanel (Bitcraze)
- Fred Gurr (Eclipse Foundation)
- Lucas Chiesa (Ekumen)
- Kimberly McGuire (Robotics Freelancer)
- Mat Sadowski (Weekly Robotics)

  [Cartographer]: https://google-cartographer.readthedocs.io
  [OMPL]: https://ompl.kavrakilab.org
  [grid_map]: https://github.com/ANYbotics/grid_map
  [Octomap]: https://octomap.github.io
  [PCL]: https://pointclouds.org
  [OpEn]: https://alphaville.github.io/optimization-engine/
  [OpenRMF]: https://www.open-rmf.org
  [ROS]: https://ros.org/
  [Dora-RS]: https://dora-rs.ai
  [OpenRR]: https://github.com/openrr/openrr
  [YARP]: https://www.yarp.it/latest/
  [Zenoh]: https://zenoh.io/
  [Copper-rs]: https://github.com/copper-project/copper-rs
  [iceoryx]: https://iceoryx.io/
  [Gazebo]: https://gazebosim.org/home
  [Coppelia]: https://manual.coppeliarobotics.com/
  [Isaac Sim]: https://github.com/isaac-sim/IsaacSim
  [Bevy]: https://bevyengine.org/
  [Godot]: https://godotengine.org/
  [MuJoCo]: https://github.com/google-deepmind/mujoco
  [webviz]: https://webviz.io
  [MCAP]: https://mcap.dev
  [Arduino]: https://arduino.cc
  [Crazyflie]: https://bitcraze.io/products/crazyflie-2-1-plus/
  [Turtlebot]: https://www.turtlebot.com
  [ros2ai]: https://github.com/fujitatomoya/ros2ai
  [robo-gym]: https://www.robogym.net
  [LeRobot]: https://huggingface.co/docs/lerobot/
  [CC-BY]: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/be/deed.en
  [FOSDEM Code of Conduct]: https://fosdem.org/2026/practical/conduct/