56th Conference of the International Society for Terrain-Vehicle Systems

ISTVS 2026 | October 11-14, 2026 | Pretoria, South Africa

The conference is an opportunity to present and disseminate the latest scientific and technological achievements in the field of vehicle-terrain systems.

Both representatives of science in the field of mechanical engineering, vehicles and machines, mechatronics and automation, soil science, agriculture and environmental engineering, as well as professionals from industry, business environment and government agencies for whom the issues discussed at the conference are an important merit are invited to participate. The organizers also count on the participation of students from under- and postgraduate courses.

The intention of the organizers is to create a friendly atmosphere and comfortable conditions for holding plenary sessions. The conference includes the following thematic tracks:

• Innovative concepts in tires, wheels, tracks, and other ground contact elements

• Propulsion systems and vehicle electrification

• Creative terrain mechanical characterization and deformation modeling Advances in off-road mobility modeling

• Off-road autonomy, robotics and navigation

• Planetary terramechanics

• New instrumentation and analysis methods in terramechanics testing

• Climate impacts on terrain, terramechanics, and off-road vehicles

• Off-road vehicle dynamics and control, including advanced driver assist and collision prevention systems

• International collaborations