Best Paper Award at MIPRO Robotics 2026!

From September 9–12, 2026, our team participated in the first standalone edition of MIPRO Robotics 2026 in Zadar, Croatia, where I presented our recent research in soft and rehabilitation robotics.

I am very pleased that our research paper received the Best Paper Award. The paper was authored by Ervin Kamenar, Tomislav Bazina, David Liović, Jelena Srnec Novak, Adelmo Šegota, Leonarda Došen, Jan Pelić and Igor Mezić.

The awarded work presents part of the research carried out within the ASoRo – Advanced Soft Robots: Data-Driven Development, Modeling and Control (UIP-2025-02-1541) project, funded by the Croatian Science Foundation, and the Koopman-driven real-time sEMG signal decomposition for robotic rehabilitation project, funded by the University of Rijeka.

The presentation covered the design and development of soft robotic systems for rehabilitation, including soft actuators inspired by human hand motion. It also highlighted our related work on EMG sensing and Koopman-based modeling and control, showing how these research directions come together toward the broader goal of developing more effective rehabilitation robotic systems.

This year’s conference marked the first standalone edition of MIPRO Robotics, dedicated to robotics and related research areas. The event brought together researchers and professionals from different areas of robotics, providing an opportunity to present current research, exchange ideas, and strengthen connections between Croatian and international research groups.