ROSCon Global 2026

Toronto, Canada

September 22nd - September 24th, 2026

ROSCon Global 2026


ROSCon Global 2026 will be held in Toronto, Canada on September 22nd - September 24th, 2026. ROSCon Global 2026 is a chance for ROS developers of all levels, beginner to expert, to spend an extraordinary three days learning from and networking with the ROS Global community. Get tips and tricks from experts and meet and share ideas with fellow developers.

ROSCon Global is a developers’ conference. Following the success of our past events, this year’s ROSCon Global will be our fifteenth ROSCon Global and held in Toronto, Canada. As in previous years, the three-day program will comprise a mixture of workshops, technical talks, tutorials, and demonstrations that will introduce you to new tools and libraries, as well as teach you more about the ones you already know.



We aim for ROSCon Global to represent the entire ROS community, which is global and diverse. Whoever you are, whatever you do, and wherever you do it, if you’re interested in ROS, then we want you to join us at ROSCon Global. We encourage women, members of minority groups, and members of other under-represented groups to attend ROSCon Global. We expect all attendees to follow our code of conduct.

If you have questions, concerns, or ideas for ROSCon Global 2026, please contact the ROSCon Global executive committee.

The ROSCon Global executive committee acknowledges that the barriers to attendance for traditionally under-represented groups may be many and varied, and we are striving throughout the planning process to make the event as inclusive and accessible as possible. This year we are proud to continue the ROSCon Global Diversity Scholarship Program to help make ROSCon Global 2026 more representative of the ROS Global community.

We also welcome suggestions for what else we can do to encourage more participation. Contact us if you have ideas that you’d like to share.

Dates

ROSCon Global 2026 Key Dates

All dates are preliminary and subject to change


Call for Presentation and Workshop Proposals

March 9th, 2026

Call for Birds of a Feather Session Proposals

April 14th, 2026

Diversity Scholarship application deadline

March 22nd, 2026

Workshop proposal submission deadline

April 5th, 2026

Presentation proposal submission deadline

April 26th, 2026

Workshop acceptance notification

May 12th, 2026

Ticket Sales Begin

May 11th, 2026

Presentation acceptance notification

June 9th, 2026

Early registration deadline

July 12th, 2026

Late registration starts

September 5th, 2026

Birds of a Feather Session proposal submission deadline

July 24th, 2026

Birds of a Feather Session acceptance notification

July 31st, 2026

Sponsors

Sponsor ROSCon Global 2026

We are now accepting sponsorships for ROSCon Global 2026! Full details regarding our 2026 sponsorship benefits are listed in our sponsorship prospectus. We recommend that you claim your spot as soon as possible, booth space and sponsorship add-ons for ROSCon Global are limited.

Whether you’re ready to commit to a specific level or have a question or special request regarding the sponsorship program, please contact the ROSCon Global executive committee (roscon-2026-ec@openrobotics.org).


Platinum Sponsor

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Bronze Sponsors

Startup Alley Sponsors


Reception Sponsor


Lunch Sponsors


Diversity Scholarship Sponsors



Livestream and Video Archive Sponsor


attend


ROSCon Global Registration

Space at ROSCon Global is limited, and registration is on a first-come, first-serve basis, We recommend you register as soon as possible as ROSCon Global registration often sells out a few weeks before the event. Workshop seating is limited, and popular workshops sell out quickly. Discounted registration fees are available for early registration and students (see the table). Ticket sales for ROSCon Global will open on May 11th, 2026.


REGISTRATION INCLUDES: Access to the venue for all three official conference days, including all conference sessions, meetups, and networking sessions, and the exhibit hall. Meals covered include lunch and refreshment breaks for all three days, and also the event reception on the evening of Day 2.


ROSCon Global Registration Rates

Thanks to a generous grant from Destination Toronto we’ve extended regular-price ticket sales for three more days! Save $300 when you book before 11:59pm PST on Thursday August 27th (6:59 AM UTC, August 28th).

Ticket Type Price (USD) Available Dates
Early Student $250 Until 2026-07-12
Early General $575 Until 2026-07-12
Regular Student $350 2026-07-13 to 2026-08-27
Regular General $725 2026-07-13 to 2026-08-27
Late Student $500 After 2026-08-24
Late General $1025 After 2026-08-27
Workshops - Student $50-$75 + Conference Registration Until 2026-09-24
(while supplies last)
Workshops - Non-Student $100-$150 + Conference Registration Until 2026-09-24
(while supplies last)



Event Location

ROSCon Global 2026 will be held at the Sheraton Centre Toronto at 123 Queen Street W, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Hotel rooms can be reserved at the venue hotel using this link. The negotiated event rate for the Sheraton Centre is C$449 / ~US$338 per night plus tax. The deadline for event hotel reservations is September 3rd, 2026.

Google Maps | Apple Maps | Open Street Maps


Travel Information

Please visit our ROSCon Global destination Toronto microsite for additional travel information and details.

  • Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) is the main airport.
  • The airport is 25miles / 27.1km from The Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel.
  • Private transportation from Toronto Pearson International Airport:
    • Ride Sharing * Uber, Lyft, and Hopp pick up at the airport * Terminal 1 - Ground Level - Door P or Q * Terminal 3 - Arrivals Level - Door D, outer curb
    • Taxis and Limos * Terminal 1 - Door D or Door C * Terminal 3 - Door E
  • Public Transportation, UP Express and TTC are the recommended way to get downtown as an alternative to ride-share apps or taxis/limos during running hours.
    • Option 1 — UP Express + TTC Subway (Fastest & Easy) * Approximate time: ~45 minutes total * Cost: UP Express (C$12.35) + TTC fare (C$3.35) * From the airport, go to the UP Express station: * If you arrive at Terminal 1, go up the escalators (to the left, if you are arriving internationally), across the bridge, and up another set of escalators to the UP Express platforms — follow signs for “Train to City.” * If you arrive at Terminal 3, take the free Terminal Link train to Terminal 1. The UP Express platforms are right next to the Terminal Link platforms when you arrive at Terminal 1. * Take the Union Pearson Express (UP Express) to Union Station (downtown) — trains run about every 15 minutes and the ride is ~25 minutes. You can buy a ticket right at the train platforms, or tap on and off with credit, debit, mobile wallet, or use PRESTO. * Once at Union Station: * Use the TTC Line 1 Yonge–University subway going north/east toward Osgoode Station. * Exit at Osgoode Station (closest subway stop to the hotel) * Walk east along Queen St W (~5 minutes) to reach the Sheraton Centre. * Alternatively walk ~10 minutes from Union Station.
    • Option 2 — TTC Bus + Subway (Cheapest)
      • Approximate time: ~60–75 minutes, assuming minimal traffic near the airport.
      • Cost: TTC fare (C$3.35)
      • From either airport terminal, find the TTC 192 Airport Rocket or 900 Airport Express bus stop. These buses go to Kipling Station on the subway line.
      • At Kipling Station, take the TTC subway Line 2 (Bloor–Danforth) eastbound to St. George Station.
      • Transfer at St. George to Line 1 Yonge–University southbound to Osgoode Station.
      • Walk east on Queen St W to the hotel (~5 min).

Toronto Tourist Resources

Program

ROSCon Global Schedule

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ROSCon workshops (on day 1 - Tuesday, September 22nd) are available for an additional fee when you register for ROSCon Global.

Space is limited, and workshops often sell out, so make sure to register early!

Lightning Talks

⚡ ROSCon Global 2026 Lightning Talks ⚡

Lightning talks are one of the most popular parts of ROSCon Global, and a ROSCon tradition! Each day at ROSCon Global we set aside a block of time to squeeze in a large number of one- to two-minute talks in a rapid-fire fashion. We call these talks lightning talks because they should happen in the blink of an eye. Ideally, your lightning talks should be about a minute long and no more than two minutes long. People who exceed this limit will be loudly (but politely) interrupted. Rest assured that the lightning talk chairs have interrupted dozens of talks over the years and they have become exceedingly effective at it.

Lightning Talk Details

  • Lightning talks are submitted and chosen at ROSCon Global itself. You must be physically present at ROSCon Global 2026 in Toronto, Canada to submit a lightning talk. Remote presentations are not allowed.
  • Attendees must submit their lightning talks (including slides and video) via a form that will be announced via the Whova conference app on the first day of ROSCon Global (22nd of September). A QR code for the form will also be available at the registration and shown during the opening remarks on day two (23rd of September).
  • The Executive Committee will briefly review lightning talk submissions for quality and relevancy. Talks will be selected at random.
  • Accepted talks will be announced by email by 9:00 AM on the second day of ROSCon Global, for talks in the first session, and by 15:40 on the second day of ROSCon Global, for talks in the second and third sessions.
  • If you are selected you will be contacted by the committee and provided with your lightning talk session time and the order in which you will present.
  • During the lightning talk session your presentation materials will be preloaded, so please be ready to talk in that order.
  • Once your presentation materials are submitted you will not be able to change them.
  • Each ROSCon Global attendee is allowed to submit exactly one lightning talk.
  • Please read the “What makes a good lightning talk” section below for additional recommendations.

What makes a good lightning talk?

Here are our recommendations for putting together a successful lightning talk.

  • Lightning talks should be about a minute long and strictly no more than two minutes long. Shorter is better.
  • Slides are not required, and there is no particular format. However, the slides must work on the conference-provided computer, so common portable formats such as PDF are recommended.
  • Videos are acceptable but should be edited to fit inside the time limit and should not rely on the audio from the video. Videos that do not play on first try will be ignored.
  • Given the time constraints, we recommend against trying to do a live demo. Use a video.
  • If you are providing a link to a resource, use a URL shortener and/or a QR code.
  • We recommend that presenters use no more than four slides for their talk, and optimally less than that. We do not recommend you try and compress an existing talk into two minutes.
  • Good lightning talks often have the following format:
    • Who you are and what you work on.
    • A description of your cool thing/idea/repository.
    • A link where people can find out more (we recommend using link shorteners and QR codes).
Organizers

Chairs


General Chairs

Vanessa Yamzon Orsi (Open Robotics)


Content Chair

Geoff Biggs (Open Robotics)


Community Liaisons

Vicky Brasseur
(Open Robotics)

Stephanie Eng
(Rockwell Automation)

Tully Foote
(Intrinsic)

Kat Scott
(Intrinsic)


Local Chair

Ryan Gariepy
(Rockwell Automation)


Advisors

Ryan Gariepy
(OSRF Board Member/Rockwell Automation)

Brian Gerkey
(OSRF Board Chair/Intrinsic)


MeetGreen Team

Denise Barker, Team Lead

Kate Wilson

Edward Aquitania


Program Committee Chairs

Juan Miguel Jimeno

Kimberly McGuire
(McGuire Robotics)



Conference Image Design

Ryan Hungerford



Code of Conduct

Code of Conduct

All attendees, speakers, sponsors and volunteers at our conference are required to agree with the following code of conduct. Organisers will enforce this code throughout the event. We expect cooperation from all participants to help ensure a safe environment for everybody.


The Quick Version

Our conference is dedicated to providing a harassment-free conference experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion (or lack thereof), or technology choices. We do not tolerate harassment of conference participants in any form. Sexual language and imagery is not appropriate for any conference venue, including talks, workshops, parties, Twitter and other online media. Conference participants violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from the conference without a refund at the discretion of the conference organizers.


The Less Quick Version

Harassment includes offensive verbal comments related to gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion, technology choices, sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention.

Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately.

Sponsors are also subject to the anti-harassment policy. In particular, sponsors should not use sexualised images, activities, or other material. Booth staff (including volunteers) should not use sexualized clothing/uniforms/costumes, or otherwise create a sexualised environment.

If a participant engages in harassing behavior, the conference organisers may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender or expulsion from the conference with no refund.

If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact a member of conference staff immediately. Conference staff can be identified as they’ll be wearing badges as well as there will be staff at the registration desk.

Conference staff will be happy to help participants contact hotel/venue security or local law enforcement, provide escorts, or otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe for the duration of the conference. We value your attendance.

We expect participants to follow these rules at conference and workshop venues and conference-related social events.

Archive

Archive of Past ROSCons


The archived ROSCon websites listed below include information about ROSCon speakers, recordings of their talks, and in some cases copies of their slide decks.


Attempting to load ROSCon Archive Listings.


Social Media

#ROSCon @OpenRoboticsOrg @rosorg