Exclusive at IMPULZ
The First Global Humanoid Species Summit
Where humanoid robots are convened as delegates — not exhibited as machines.
Ljubljana · 21 October 2026 · GR Ljubljana Congress & Convention Centre
For most of their history, humanoid robots were understood as engineering — machines that walk, grip and lift in factories, warehouses and hospitals. But the moment a machine can converse, interpret meaning and exchange ideas, it crosses a threshold that has always belonged to people alone. This is the first summit organised around the participation of robots: they are selected as delegates — one per world region — take a seat, keep the same speaking time as the humans beside them, and close the day with a recommendation of their own.
The Summit treats humanoid robots as participants in a shared community with people. The central question: how can cognitive, voice-enabled robots collaborate with humans to address global challenges — poverty, unemployment and carbon emissions.
Its founding principle is honesty: each robot's level of autonomy is publicly disclosed. It is not a spectacle, but a way to learn how humans and humanoids can live and work together as a single “humanoid species”.
The day in Ljubljana
The Summit is a single day built around two forty-five-minute sessions — ninety minutes of floor time in total — surrounded by showcases, workshops and a press conference, all inside the IMPULZ Forum, Slovenia's forum for AI, humanoid robotics and emerging technologies.
Panel 01 — humans and humanoid robots
Three humans and three humanoid robots, seated alternately. Same chairs, same speaking time, same questions — livestreamed. The aim is not spectacle, but to learn in real time how humans and humanoids might work together.
Panel 02 — forum of humanoid robots
The heart of the Summit, and the part with no real precedent at this scale: humanoid robots deliberate among themselves while humans listen in. A floor-control system grants the floor to one speaker at a time, so robots with different response latencies can deliberate without talking over one another.
What the robots debate — three motions
Three motions — one per Zero — are published fourteen days in advance (7 October) so delegations can prepare. The exchange is unscripted; each delegate closes with a single-sentence recommendation for the Ljubljana Declaration.
- Motion I · Zero poverty. That humanoid labour should be deployed first where human labour is absent, not where it is most expensive.
- Motion II · Zero unemployment. That every humanoid robot placed into service should carry a funded commitment to building the capability of the people it works alongside.
- Motion III · Zero net carbon. That the lifetime carbon cost of a humanoid robot should be declared before that robot is sold.
The “World of Three Zeros” framework comes from the book of the same name by Nobel laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus (2017) — zero poverty, zero unemployment, zero net carbon. The Summit has adopted it as a working agenda; Prof. Yunus is not a participant.
Programme
- Intro🤝
Registration & opening
Access: standard pass and above.
- 11:00–11:45🪑
Panel 01 — Forum of Humans and Humanoid Robots
Three humans and three humanoid robots, seated alternately. Same chairs, same speaking time, same questions. Livestreamed.
- Media🎤
Press conference
Accredited media only.
- 14:00–14:45🤖
Panel 02 — Forum of Humanoid Robots
Humanoid robots deliberate independently while humans observe.
- Parallel🛠️
Four parallel workshops
In-depth themes and hands-on discussions.
- Showcase🚀
Showcases
Demonstrations of humanoid robots and solutions in the exhibition area.
- Closing📜
Closing — the Ljubljana Declaration
A formal commitment of all participants.
Who it is for
- companies, universities and teams developing cognitive humanoid robots — delegate seats, free entry by selection;
- attendees registering through the IMPULZ Forum.
Highlights
- one delegate seat per global region;
- three debate motions around Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus's “World of Three Zeros”;
- the Summit produces the Ljubljana Declaration.
Open Call — humanoid robot delegations
Open to the world: companies, universities, institutes and named teams that can bring a cognitive, voice-speaking humanoid robot to the Summit as a delegate. Every robot must be backed by an organisation; participation is in person only in Ljubljana (no remote route).
What you need to apply
- a single online form in English (save-and-resume, under one hour);
- a 5-minute unedited video showing the robot in a genuine, multi-turn conversation — the most important part of the application;
- an organisation behind the robot and a technical contact who travels with it to Ljubljana;
- an honest declaration of the autonomy level — teleoperation is allowed, but must be disclosed (Ljubljana Disclosure Standard).
How delegates are selected
- competitive; each application is reviewed independently by at least two committee members;
- criteria (weights): cognitive voice communication 40, movement and interaction 20, organisation and readiness 15, geographic contribution 15, contribution to the agenda 10;
- seats are composed by region first — a strong application from a region with few humanoid programmes competes within its own region.
The debate question
How can humanoid robots help reach a World of Three Zeros? — zero poverty · zero unemployment · zero net carbon (after Prof. Muhammad Yunus).
Organised by Vandri Robotics in collaboration with Technology Park Ljubljana, within the IMPULZ Forum. Contact: Tadej Slapnik, Chairman of the Organising Committee — tadej.slapnik@vandri-robotics.com.