Automate 2026 sets records with 50,000 registrants as humanoid robots and industrial AI take center stage

More than 50,000 people registered for Automate 2026, making the June 22-25 event at McCormick Place in Chicago the largest edition in the show's history. Organized by the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), the show filled 425,000 square feet with 1,230 exhibitors spanning robotics, industrial AI, machine vision, motion control and autonomous mobile robots, according to Metrology News.

The scale reflects a broader shift in how manufacturers and supply chain operators are approaching automation investment. Attendance at Automate has grown steadily as companies move from pilot programs to full-scale deployment, and the 2026 edition showed that pressure is intensifying across sectors that have traditionally lagged in automation adoption.

Humanoid robots command the floor

NVIDIA sponsored the show's new Humanoid Robot Pavilion, a dedicated zone giving operations and engineering teams direct access to humanoid platforms and the compute infrastructure behind them. A co-located Humanoid Robot Forum, running June 23-24, attracted more than 1,100 registrants in its first appearance as part of Automate, per Metrology News.

For procurement and operations leaders still mapping their humanoid roadmap, the pavilion format offered something trade shows rarely provide: direct, side-by-side comparison of platforms at various stages of commercial readiness. That kind of hands-on evaluation is increasingly critical as vendors move from demo units to production-volume commitments.

Startup Challenge winner: teaching robots with plain language

Mbodi took the 2026 Automate Startup Challenge, earning $10,000 and the champion title. The company's platform lets operators teach industrial robots new tasks using natural language instructions and simple physical demonstrations, without writing code. For facilities running mixed SKUs or frequent line changeovers, that kind of flexibility directly cuts the time and cost of reprogramming.

Innovation Award winners signal where the market is heading

The Automate Innovation Awards, which recognize products introduced to the market in 2025, produced three winners across distinct categories. CeiliX claimed the Automation Systems award for its InfinityCrane and SkyRunner platforms. Standard Bots' Flux AI won in Vision, AI and Software. Synapticon's ACTILINK-JD, featuring POSITRON Safety AI, took the Components, Hardware and Enabling Technologies award.

The Synapticon win is notable for operations teams working through functional safety compliance. POSITRON Safety AI is designed to embed safety logic at the component level, which can simplify certification workflows and reduce engineering overhead when deploying collaborative robots in human-occupied spaces.

Conference program hits new high

The Automate 2026 conference drew more than 1,600 registrants across 140-plus sessions. Topics ranged from industrial AI and robotics adoption to U.S. competitiveness, workforce transformation and supply chain resilience, according to Metrology News. Sessions also covered automation deployment outside traditional manufacturing, a signal that distribution, healthcare logistics and food production are active evaluation areas.

A3 President Jeff Burnstein noted that the quality of technology conversations across the show floor matched the record attendance, pointing to rapid industry movement in humanoid robots, industrial AI and autonomous mobile robots, per Metrology News.

What this means for your team

• Review the Automate Rewind digital library, now available at automateshow.com, which includes keynote recordings, theater sessions and exhibitor spotlights from the June event.
• Evaluate natural-language robot-teaching platforms like Mbodi's if your facility runs frequent product changeovers or mixed-task lines where reprogramming costs erode automation ROI.
• Assess component-level safety AI solutions, such as Synapticon's POSITRON, when scoping collaborative robot deployments that require functional safety certification in human-shared workspaces.
• Flag Standard Bots' Flux AI for upcoming vision system or AI software evaluations, given its recognition among products launched in 2025.