Autonomous robots are increasingly relied upon to perform tasks in outdoor environments that are challenging, inconvenient, or unsafe for humans. From exploring remote natural terrains to surveying disaster-stricken areas, these robots are expected to operate in settings that demand adaptability and robustness to change and uncertainty. Prominent examples include search and rescue operations, autonomous inspection and maintenance of outdoor plants, agricultural automation, and crop monitoring. Effectively deploying robots in real-world outdoor environments presents numerous challenges related to their sensemaking, planning, decision-making, and deliberation capabilities. Outdoor operational scenarios are often characterized by unpredictable terrain, dynamic weather conditions, and limited access to reliable communication and sensing infrastructure. These environments introduce high levels of uncertainty, frequent changes, and increased risks of hardware failure, due to, for instance, exposure to extreme temperatures, moisture, or physical impacts from rugged terrain. In particularly extreme scenarios, robots are expected to complete their tasks before their hardware is compromised, e.g., due to radiation or other hostile environmental conditions. In outdoor robotics, autonomy is particularly critical, as systems often need to function independently for extended periods without direct human intervention to successfully complete long-horizon tasks. This is especially true for scenarios where real-time human oversight is impractical, such as in the exploration of remote areas or even hostile environments characterized by adverse climates. However, many existing robotic systems remain either overly specialized for specific outdoor tasks or perform well only in constrained and simulated environments. While laboratory and simulation studies offer valuable insights, a significant gap persists between controlled experiments and the realities of deploying robots in unconstrained outdoor settings.

This workshop welcomes contributions aimed at addressing this gap, to foster a multi-disciplinary discussion of the challenges, implications, and objectives of deploying autonomous robots to support outdoor tasks in demanding scenarios.