MAESTRI Doctoral Training School 4 Brings Researchers Together in Odense

From 7–11 September 2026, the MAESTRI consortium held its 4th Doctoral Training School (DTS4) in Odense, Denmark, hosted by the University of Southern Denmark (SDU). Building on the success of DTS3 in Vienna, the event provided an intensive programme of scientific lectures, hands-on workshops, and networking opportunities for MAESTRI doctoral candidates.

This edition of DTS4 centred on Robotic Applications, with the Scientific Training Workshop covering mobile robotics, gripping technologies, soft and smart materials for bionics and soft robotics, innovative actuation technologies, and mechanical transmissions for robot hands. A parallel Non-Scientific Training Workshop focused on the finalization of doctoral work, featuring sessions on embodied artificial intelligence for robotics, internal MAESTRI assessment sessions, and training on entrepreneurship and commercialization.

A particular highlight was the afternoon practical session, “Hands-on Workshop: Building and Programming Flexible Robots with Morphological Computation,” held from 13:00 to 17:00 and led by Xiaofeng Xiong, Saravana Prashanth Murali Babu, and Cao Danh Do (SDU). Participants worked hands-on with adaptive locomotion control, putting the morning’s theoretical sessions into practice.

The programme brought together an outstanding line-up of speakers, including Saravana Prashanth Murali Babu and Poramate Manoonpong (SDU), Matteo Cianchetti (SSSA), Alexey Stepanyuk (WEG), Francesco Clemente (PRE), and Sean Saßmannshausen (Start-up Center Regensburg). As with previous training schools, external doctoral researchers joined the MAESTRI fellows, enriching the discussions and further strengthening the exchange of knowledge between the MAESTRI consortium and the wider scientific community.

By combining high-quality scientific training with opportunities for networking and collaboration, DTS4 once again demonstrated MAESTRI’s commitment to educating the next generation of researchers in robotics and bio-inspired soft robotic systems.

Opening lecture session of DTS4 at SDU, 7 September 2026.

Figure 1 Opening lecture session of DTS4 at SDU, 7 September 2026.

Participants building an insect-inspired flexible robot leg during the hands-on workshop.

Figure 2 Participants building an insect-inspired flexible robot leg during the hands-on workshop.

DTS4 Photos

Lecture session on optical sensors during DTS4, 8 September 2026.
Lecture on soft and smart materials for bionics and soft robotics by Matteo Cianchetti (SSSA).
Doctoral candidates assembling a flexible robot during the hands-on workshop.
Building and wiring flexible robots during the hands-on workshop.
Lecture on Bioinspired Robot Design during DTS4.
Close-up of a flexible robot leg built during the hands-on workshop.
Group discussion during the insect-inspired limbs building workshop.
Lecture on neural and muscle models by Xiaofeng Xiong (SDU).
A doctoral candidate with his finished robot leg from the hands-on workshop.
Participants following a scientific session on Day 3 of DTS4, 9 September 2026.
Presentation by Júlio Santos (Universität Wien) on soft matter research.
Lecture on liquid-based sensors for robotic hands.
Presentation on fiber Bragg grating shape sensing (University of Ljubljana).
MAESTRI doctoral candidates with their finished robot from the hands-on workshop.
Internal MAESTRI assessment session: presenting the “4Skin” adaptive magnetic elastomer skins project, 11 September 2026.
Internal MAESTRI assessment session: presenting the “G’Love” haptic glove project.