Living Futures: Robotics for Longevity Ideathon
What could robotics make possible for longer, healthier and more connected lives?
Join students and alumni from LSE, Stanford University, and universities around the world for a two-day global Ideathon exploring Human-Centered Robotics for Longevity, the theme of the 2026–27 Stanford Longevity Design Challenge.
This isn't a traditional hackathon. Rather than racing to build a prototype, you'll start where great ideas actually begin: understanding a problem worth solving.
Working in interdisciplinary, global teams, you'll explore research from experts in longevity, robotics and social innovation, investigate a real-world challenge, and identify where robotics could make a meaningful difference.
High-tech and low-tech thinking are equally welcome. The goal isn't the most advanced robot. It's the most impactful one.
Come with a team or join on your own
Already have people you want to work with? Register together as a team. Coming solo? We'll match you with participants from other universities and disciplines. You can also choose to work independently if that's how you work best.
You'll choose one of four challenge streams as your starting point, then use the research, expert perspectives and design workshop to shape what you want to explore. Live sessions will bring everyone together, with flexible working time in between so teams across the world can collaborate in ways that work for their time zones.
Choose your challenge
You'll work within one of four research streams:
Mobility & Physical Safety
Explore movement, fall prevention, physical independence, and how mobility shapes participation in everyday life.
Caregiving & Daily Living
Examine the realities of caregiving across the lifespan and where assistive technologies can help without replacing the human relationships at the heart of care.
Social Connection
Investigate loneliness, relationships and belonging, including what technology can and cannot substitute for human presence.
Aging Infrastructure
Explore how our cities, transport systems and physical environments enable or constrain independence as we live longer, and where robotics might fill existing gaps.
Each stream begins with expert insight and curated research, giving your team a concrete starting point for exploration.
Hear from experts
Opening remarks
David Rehkopf, Director, Stanford Center on Longevity
LSE Generate representative
Research stream speakers
Corey Rovzar, Stanford University — Mobility & Physical Safety
Christina Irving, Family Caregiver Alliance — Caregiving & Daily Living
Yochai Shavit, Stanford Center on Longevity — Social Connection
Anna Miśniakiewicz, Wrocław University of Science and Technology — Aging Infrastructure
What you'll create
Over two days, your team will turn research into a focused 4–5 slide problem statement: defining the problem, who it affects, what the evidence tells us, where existing approaches fall short, and the opportunity for robotics to make a difference.
You don't need to arrive with a solution, and you won't be expected to build a robot during the event.
Come with a team or join individually and we'll match you with participants from other universities and disciplines. Live sessions will bring everyone together, with flexible working time in between so teams can collaborate across time zones.
Where could it lead?
Your work at the Ideathon can become the foundation for an application to the 2026–27 Stanford Longevity Design Challenge.
You'll leave with the hardest part underway: a well-researched problem worth solving. From there, teams can continue developing and testing their ideas ahead of the Design Challenge submission deadline on December 1.
Schedule of Events
October 20 — Explore
9:00 AM San Francisco · 5:00 PM London · 12:00 AM Hong Kong (+1 day)
Welcome, opening remarks and introduction to the challenge
10:30 AM San Francisco · 6:30 PM London · 1:30 AM Hong Kong (+1 day)
Research stream kickoffs with expert speakers
Afterwards · Flexible across time zones
Global team working time + optional drop-in Zoom rooms
October 21 — Share
9:00 AM San Francisco · 5:00 PM London · 12:00 AM Hong Kong (+1 day)
Team presentations, feedback and closing
Hosted by Stanford Center on Longevity × LSE Generate