Target Journals and Conferences
A Researcher’s Guide to Target Journals and Conferences in HRI, AR/VR, and Smart Manufacturing
If you work at the intersection of human-robot interaction (HRI), augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR), robot programming, digital twins, and smart manufacturing (Industry 4.0), the venue landscape can feel scattered — some venues live in the robotics world, some in HCI, some in mechanical/industrial engineering, and some in computer vision. Below is a curated, tiered list of journals and conferences relevant to this research area, with a short description of each venue’s scope and a link to its official homepage. Useful as a quick-reference for literature reviews or when deciding where to submit next.
Journals
Tier 1 — Core Venues
Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing (JIM) Published by Springer, JIM is a leading outlet for applying AI and intelligent systems to manufacturing, covering topics like production planning, robotics in manufacturing, and cyber-physical systems.
ASME Journal of Computing and Information Science in Engineering (JCISE) An ASME journal focused on computational methods, information technology, AR/VR, and digital engineering tools used across the product design and manufacturing lifecycle.
Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing (RCIM) An Elsevier journal dedicated to industrial robotics, automation, and computer-integrated manufacturing systems — a strong fit for human-robot collaboration and cobot research.
International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction (IJHCI) A Taylor & Francis journal covering the design, evaluation, and theory of human-computer interfaces, including AR/VR interaction and usability studies.
ASTM Smart and Sustainable Manufacturing Systems Focuses on smart manufacturing technologies, sustainability, and systems-level innovation in modern production environments.
Tier 2 — High-Relevance Targets
IEEE Transactions on Human-Machine Systems (THMS) Covers human factors, human-machine collaboration, and interface design across robotics, automation, and cyber-physical systems.
IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L) A fast-turnaround IEEE letters journal covering all areas of robotics and automation, often paired with presentation at IROS or ICRA.
ACM Transactions on Human-Robot Interaction (THRI) The premier ACM journal specifically dedicated to HRI research, spanning social robotics, collaborative robots, and human-centered robot design.
International Journal of Social Robotics A Springer journal on social and assistive robotics, human-robot communication, and robot behavior design.
Computers in Industry Covers digital transformation of industry, including digital twins, Industry 4.0, and computer-based systems in manufacturing.
Journal of Manufacturing Systems An Elsevier journal on manufacturing systems design, automation, and smart factory technologies.
Virtual Reality (Springer) Dedicated to VR/AR technologies, systems, and applications, including tracking, calibration, and immersive interaction techniques.
IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (TVCG) A top-tier venue for visualization, computer graphics, and AR/VR research, including the journal track associated with IEEE VR and ISMAR.
Tier 3 — Extended / Cross-Disciplinary
International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology (IJAMT) Covers manufacturing processes, technologies, and systems broadly, from machining to automation.
Sensors (MDPI) An open-access journal covering sensing technologies, perception systems, and applications in robotics and human-machine interfaces.
Applied Ergonomics Focuses on human factors and ergonomics in workplace and system design, relevant to human-robot collaboration safety and usability.
Automation in Construction Covers automation, robotics, and digital technologies (including AR/VR and digital twins) applied to the construction industry.
Conferences
Tier 1 — Core Venues
IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) One of the two flagship international robotics conferences, covering all areas of intelligent robots and systems, from manipulation to human-robot interaction.
ASME International Manufacturing Science and Engineering Conference (MSEC) ASME’s flagship manufacturing conference, covering manufacturing processes, systems, robotics, and Industry 4.0 technologies.
ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conferences (IDETC-CIE) Combines design engineering and computing/information science tracks, covering CAD, digital design tools, and AR/VR in engineering design.
ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI) The premier venue in human-computer interaction, covering interface design, usability, and interaction techniques including AR/VR and HRI.
IEEE International Conference on Robot and Human Interactive Communication (RO-MAN) A dedicated conference for human-robot and human-machine interactive communication, social robotics, and cognitive robotics.
Tier 2 — High-Priority Targets
ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) The top dedicated venue for HRI research, spanning technical, social, and design-oriented approaches to human-robot interaction.
IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) The other flagship robotics conference alongside IROS, covering the full breadth of robotics research.
IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality (ISMAR) The leading conference dedicated specifically to AR/MR technologies, tracking, registration, and applications.
IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces (IEEE VR) IEEE’s flagship VR conference, covering immersive technologies, 3D interaction, and virtual environments.
International Conference on Extended Reality (ICXR) Organized by the China Computer Federation (CCF), covering VR, AR, and MR technologies, applications, and the emerging metaverse.
American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference A major conference for engineering education research, including robotics/AR curriculum design and pedagogy.
Tier 3 — Extended / AI & Vision Crossover
Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems (NeurIPS) A top-tier AI/machine learning conference, relevant for research bridging AI methods (e.g., LLMs, prompt tuning) with robotics.
IEEE/CVF International Conference on Computer Vision (ICCV) A premier computer vision conference, relevant to vision-based robot perception and vision-language-action (VLA) models.
IEEE/CVF Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR) The largest computer vision conference, covering perception, recognition, and increasingly robotics-vision integration.
IEEE International Conference on Automation Science and Engineering (CASE) Covers automation systems, robotics, and manufacturing automation from an industrial engineering perspective.
ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology (UIST) Covers novel interaction techniques and interface technologies, closely related to AR/VR interface research.
Compiled for literature review and submission-planning reference purposes.