Robotics and Automation Practice (RA-P) seeks to publish applied research by or explicitly directed toward practitioners, with results demonstrated or deployed in real-world settings and applications.

Such results include algorithms, code, methodologies, data sets, and designs that clearly demonstrate either verifiable and replicable improvements over the state of the art or a new practical application within the broad context of robotics and automation. Also, insights and experiments previously described in patents might be relevant content to bring to the community. The journal may include empirical studies, in-depth case studies, and other experimental works that contribute to the latest body of knowledge in robotics and automation engineering.

RA-P launched in December 2024 and accepts papers of up to four pages in length plus up to one page for descriptions of supplementary materials plus up to one page for references (4+1+1). Each submission may be accompanied by supplementary material of up to 900 MB, which can be code, data sets, video content, CAD files, or any supplementary material that will help readers and the robotics community.

Potential article topics include:

• New field-tested algorithms and code for tasks ranging from sensing to planning and control, as found, for example, in the Robot Operating System (ROS), or a comparative analysis of algorithms and code in specific real-world settings.
• The design and empirical analysis of grippers made of soft materials— which break down easily, and which are more robust?
• Comparative analysis of algorithms/code in specific real-world settings (SLAM, motion planning, visual perception, etc.).
• System integration (e.g., when building a mobile manipulator using both off-the-shelf and custom parts, what are the unexpected challenges (compatibility issues, heat dissipation)? What are some potential workarounds?

Further details about RA-P can be found on the page about Background Information.