IROS Topic Selection
Use this before writing. IROS is strongest for an integrated intelligent system — perception,
estimation, planning, learning, or control working together on a robot — validated under a real
embodiment constraint. The house question is not "is the idea novel?" but "does the system run, on
stated hardware, and is that demonstrably hard?"
Fit test
- Prefer IROS when the contribution is a working system for perception-action integration, autonomy,
navigation, manipulation, robot learning deployed on hardware, human-aware robotics, or fielded
systems — and the embodiment (sensors, compute, power, latency) shapes the design.
- Route to ICRA when the work is a fine automation/robotics contribution whose natural slot is the
spring cycle; IROS and ICRA overlap heavily, so timing and program fit often decide.
- Route to RSS when the contribution is a single, foundational, science-first claim that wants a
single-track audience and a rebuttal, rather than deployed-system breadth.
- Route to CoRL when the learning method is the contribution and robots are the testbed, more than
the system integration being the point.
- Route to RA-L / T-RO when the work wants journal review and revision, then optionally a conference
presentation via the transfer window.
- Route to HRI / RO-MAN for interaction studies with human-subjects methodology, and to CASE for
automation-science and factory-scale problems.
Fit signal table
| Signal in the project |
IROS reading |
| A system that runs on real hardware under a compute/power/latency budget |
Core fit — the house genre |
| Perception + planning + control integrated and evaluated end to end |
Core fit |
| A single foundational theorem or model, science-first, best with rebuttal |
Better served at RSS |
| A learning algorithm whose novelty carries the paper, robot as testbed |
Better served at CoRL |
| A polished demo with no trials, resets, or failure analysis |
Not yet IROS-shaped — build evidence |
| Journal-length exposition or need for revision cycles |
RA-L or T-RO, then transfer to present |
Vignette: where a legged-locomotion project goes
A project delivers a controller that keeps a quadruped upright on loose gravel, on the robot, with trial
counts and a failure taxonomy. IROS reading: strong fit — an integrated system meeting a terrain
constraint with embodied evidence. Strip the hardware and keep only a simulation policy-learning result,
and it drifts toward CoRL; distill it to one provable stability claim wanting single-track scrutiny, and
RSS becomes the better home; grow it into a journal-length treatment with revisions, and RA-L or T-RO
fits, after which the transfer window can still put it on an IROS stage.
Sharpening moves before committing
- Name the embodiment constraint the system respects — onboard compute, power budget, sensor noise,
contact uncertainty, or real-time latency. If nothing physical constrains the design, the IROS framing
is thin.
- Confirm the argument fits the body alone: IROS has no supplementary PDF, so a system that only
makes sense with an appendix is mis-sized.
- Verify you can produce embodied evidence — real trials, resets, failures, and a stated sim-to-real
gap — not just a curve or a single hero run.
- Robotics program emphasis drifts between cycles and cities; scan the current CFP topic list before
final routing.
Quick router:
system on real hardware under a physical constraint? ---> IROS (or ICRA by season)
single foundational science claim, wants rebuttal? ----> RSS
the learning method is the contribution? -------------> CoRL
wants journal review + revisions? --------------------> RA-L / T-RO (then transfer to present)
Output format
[Fit] strong IROS / possible IROS / better elsewhere
[Best venue] IROS / ICRA / RSS / CoRL / RA-L / T-RO / HRI / CASE / other
[System sentence] <one sentence naming the integrated system>
[Embodiment constraint] <compute / power / latency / contact / sensing>
[Top rejection risk] <evidence / integration / novelty / scope>
[Next action] <build evidence, reframe, or switch venue>
1---2name: iros-topic-selection3description: Use when deciding whether a project is a strong IROS fit, routing among ICRA, RSS, CoRL, RA-L, T-RO, HRI, and CASE from IROS's seat on the fall IEEE/RSJ calendar, identifying the integrated-system contribution and its embodiment constraint, and sharpening the intelligent-robots-and-systems framing before writing begins.4---56# IROS Topic Selection78Use this before writing. IROS is strongest for an **integrated intelligent system** — perception,9estimation, planning, learning, or control working together on a robot — validated under a real10embodiment constraint. The house question is not "is the idea novel?" but "does the system run, on11stated hardware, and is that demonstrably hard?"1213## Fit test1415- Prefer IROS when the contribution is a working system for perception-action integration, autonomy,16 navigation, manipulation, robot learning deployed on hardware, human-aware robotics, or fielded17 systems — and the embodiment (sensors, compute, power, latency) shapes the design.18- Route to **ICRA** when the work is a fine automation/robotics contribution whose natural slot is the19 spring cycle; IROS and ICRA overlap heavily, so timing and program fit often decide.20- Route to **RSS** when the contribution is a single, foundational, science-first claim that wants a21 single-track audience and a rebuttal, rather than deployed-system breadth.22- Route to **CoRL** when the learning method *is* the contribution and robots are the testbed, more than23 the system integration being the point.24- Route to **RA-L / T-RO** when the work wants journal review and revision, then optionally a conference25 presentation via the transfer window.26- Route to **HRI / RO-MAN** for interaction studies with human-subjects methodology, and to **CASE** for27 automation-science and factory-scale problems.2829## Fit signal table3031| Signal in the project | IROS reading |32|---|---|33| A system that runs on real hardware under a compute/power/latency budget | Core fit — the house genre |34| Perception + planning + control integrated and evaluated end to end | Core fit |35| A single foundational theorem or model, science-first, best with rebuttal | Better served at RSS |36| A learning algorithm whose novelty carries the paper, robot as testbed | Better served at CoRL |37| A polished demo with no trials, resets, or failure analysis | Not yet IROS-shaped — build evidence |38| Journal-length exposition or need for revision cycles | RA-L or T-RO, then transfer to present |3940## Vignette: where a legged-locomotion project goes4142A project delivers a controller that keeps a quadruped upright on loose gravel, on the robot, with trial43counts and a failure taxonomy. IROS reading: strong fit — an integrated system meeting a terrain44constraint with embodied evidence. Strip the hardware and keep only a simulation policy-learning result,45and it drifts toward CoRL; distill it to one provable stability claim wanting single-track scrutiny, and46RSS becomes the better home; grow it into a journal-length treatment with revisions, and RA-L or T-RO47fits, after which the transfer window can still put it on an IROS stage.4849## Sharpening moves before committing5051- Name the **embodiment constraint** the system respects — onboard compute, power budget, sensor noise,52 contact uncertainty, or real-time latency. If nothing physical constrains the design, the IROS framing53 is thin.54- Confirm the argument fits the **body alone**: IROS has no supplementary PDF, so a system that only55 makes sense with an appendix is mis-sized.56- Verify you can produce **embodied evidence** — real trials, resets, failures, and a stated sim-to-real57 gap — not just a curve or a single hero run.58- Robotics program emphasis drifts between cycles and cities; scan the current CFP topic list before59 final routing.6061```text62Quick router:63 system on real hardware under a physical constraint? ---> IROS (or ICRA by season)64 single foundational science claim, wants rebuttal? ----> RSS65 the learning method is the contribution? -------------> CoRL66 wants journal review + revisions? --------------------> RA-L / T-RO (then transfer to present)67```6869## Output format7071```text72[Fit] strong IROS / possible IROS / better elsewhere73[Best venue] IROS / ICRA / RSS / CoRL / RA-L / T-RO / HRI / CASE / other74[System sentence] <one sentence naming the integrated system>75[Embodiment constraint] <compute / power / latency / contact / sensing>76[Top rejection risk] <evidence / integration / novelty / scope>77[Next action] <build evidence, reframe, or switch venue>78```
brycewang-stanford