This year, CushyBots took the first step in bringing CBR-1 — our academic and demining-focused unmanned ground vehicle — in front of the global research community, exhibiting at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) 2026 in Vienna, Austria. ICRA is one of the world's most prestigious gatherings for robotics researchers, engineers, and industry leaders, and it marked CBR-1's introduction to the audience it was built for.
We exhibited on the Innovation Stage as a startup exhibitor, presenting CBR-1 to an international audience of researchers, program managers, and fellow robotics companies — the first real-world platform for building CushyBots' presence in the academic research community.
Why CBR-1, and Why Now
CBR-1 isn't a robot built from a blank sheet of paper. It's derived directly from CushyBots' proven Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) robotics systems, already field-deployed and tested in demanding operational environments. That field readiness is the core of what makes CBR-1 different: instead of a purpose-built academic robot with no track record, researchers get a platform adapted from hardware that has already proven itself where reliability isn't optional.
Standing on the same stage as leading robotics institutions and companies from around the world was more than a marketing moment — it was validation of a thesis we've held since day one: that rugged, field-proven EOD engineering can be adapted into an accessible, affordable research platform for academic and humanitarian demining programs, without the legacy defense-contractor price tag.
At our booth, we showcased:
CBR-1, our academic and demining-oriented UGV platform, engineered from field-proven EOD robotics for research institutions and humanitarian demining programs
R-BOT, our field-deployed UGV platform, currently operating in 27 units across active deployments — the operational foundation CBR-1 is built on.
An overview of our OEM fabrication capabilities, backed by our supplier network and Cambodia-based manufacturing operation that ensure total IP protections and quality control.
Conversations That Mattered
Exhibiting at ICRA gave us direct access to conversations we don't often get from behind a pitch deck — researchers asking pointed technical questions about CBR-1's motor control systems, engineers comparing notes on load testing and terrain performance, and program leads exploring what accessible EOD-derived robotics could look like for underserved regions.
These conversations reinforced something important: there is real, unmet demand for rugged, cost-effective UGV platforms — particularly in humanitarian demining and academic research contexts where budgets rarely stretch to cover legacy defense-contractor pricing. CBR-1 was built to close that gap.
What's Next
ICRA 2026 was a milestone, not a destination. It's the start of CBR-1's presence in the global academic robotics community, and we're taking what we learned in Vienna — from engineering feedback to market conversations — directly into our next phase of development, including our ongoing ROS1 to ROS2 migration and continued refinement of the CBR-1 platform.
We're grateful to the ICRA organizing committee for the opportunity to exhibit, and to everyone who stopped by our booth to talk robotics, engineering, and the future of accessible, field-proven unmanned systems.
Interested in bringing CBR-1 to your program or institution? Reserve your unit to find out more.