en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Automate 2026 exhibition was held from June 22 to 25 at McCormick Place in Chicago, with over 50,000 registered attendees and 1,230 exhibitors, setting a new record in the show's history.
Organized by the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), this year's event featured 425,000 square feet of exhibition space, showcasing the latest technologies in robotics, artificial intelligence, machine vision, motion control, and industrial automation. The expansion of the exhibition reflects the continued penetration of automation across industries, as companies adopt automation technologies to boost productivity, address labor shortages, strengthen supply chain resilience, and maintain competitiveness.
Jeff Burnstein, President of the Association for Advancing Automation, stated that this year's show set records not only in scale but also in the quality of technology and the caliber of interactions within the exhibition area. Attendees gained firsthand insights into the industry's pace of development and future opportunities through displays of humanoid robots, industrial AI, machine vision, motion control, autonomous mobile robots, and industrial automation systems.
During the event, keynote sessions were packed to capacity, with dense product launches and live demonstrations on the exhibition floor. Activities targeting women, students, educators, and emerging professionals saw enthusiastic participation. A Latin American networking event and a women's empowerment forum attracted hundreds of attendees, reflecting the industry's focus on leadership, inclusivity, and cultivating the next generation of talent. The conference program registered over 1,600 participants, featuring more than 140 sessions covering key topics such as industrial AI, robotics applications, workforce transformation, U.S. competitiveness, supply chain resilience, and the expansion of automation beyond traditional manufacturing.
Several highlights drew significant attention at this year's show. The Humanoid Robot Pavilion, sponsored by NVIDIA, allowed attendees to closely observe humanoid robots and their enabling technologies. The Humanoid Robot Forum, held for the first time during Automate, attracted over 1,100 registered participants. Early-stage robotics and automation startups competed in the Automate Startup Challenge, with Mbodi winning the 2026 championship and a $10,000 prize for its platform that enables users to teach industrial robots new tasks through natural language and simple demonstrations. The Automate Innovation Awards recognized new products and technologies brought to market in 2025, with winners including CeiliX InfinityCrane and SkyRunner (Automation Systems category), Standard Bots' Flux AI (Vision, AI, and Software category), and Synapticon ACTILINK-JD equipped with POSITRON Safety AI (Components, Hardware, and Enabling Technologies category). The Joseph F. Engelberger Robotics Award was presented to Hiroshi Fujiwara, Executive Director of the Japan Robot Association (JARA), and Robert Little, co-founder of ATI Industrial Automation. The show also continued to expand its focus on the next generation of automation talent through activities such as the Education Pavilion, A3 NextGen Theater, and Student Challenge.
Those unable to attend this year's show can access the Automate Replay Digital Library to obtain recorded content from keynote sessions, theater lectures, Automate LIVE interviews, and exhibitor spotlights.
Automate 2027 is scheduled to take place from May 10 to 13, 2027, at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
