Automate 2026 show recap

The Automate 2026 trade show highlighted the robotics industry's shift from humanoid hype to practical deployment of physical AI and edge computing, with companies like ABB, FANUC, and Siemens showcasing AI-powered palletizing, real-time motion tracking, and hybrid edge/cloud systems. The event emphasized software orchestration, digital twins, and advanced kinematics as solutions to labor shortages and manufacturing knowledge preservation.

In Episode 251 of The Robot Report Podcast, hosts Steve Crowe and Mike Oitzman are joined by special guest Sarah Wynn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarwynn/ , senior editor at sibling site Packaging OEM , to chat about their experiences on the show floor at Automate last month. They describe the robotics industry’s shift away from early-stage humanoid https://www.therobotreport.com/category/robots-platforms/humanoids/ hype toward the practical, real-world deployment of physical AI https://www.therobotreport.com/category/design-development/ai-cognition/ and edge computing. The editors also discuss how software orchestration, digital twins, and advanced kinematics are solving labor shortages and preserving vital manufacturing knowledge. Featured companies and individuals from Automate 2026 The following innovators, executives, and organizations are highlighted or featured via interview vignettes from Automate https://www.therobotreport.com/tag/automate/ 2026: Boston Dynamics https://www.therobotreport.com/tag/boston-dynamics/ and Agility https://www.therobotreport.com/tag/agility-robotics/ : Discussed regarding the static floor displays of their respective industrial humanoids, Atlas and Digit. ABB Robotics https://www.therobotreport.com/tag/abb-robotics : Craig McDonald, general manager of robotic industries, talked about physical AI, AI-powered palletizing, and collaborations with NVIDIA. FANUC https://www.therobotreport.com/tag/fanuc/ : Highlighted real-time motion tracking in assembly, protein processing automation, and natural language robot programming. Sereact https://www.therobotreport.com/tag/sereact/ : In an interview clip, Mason Coleman, director of sales for North America, addressed zero-shot picking, e-grocery trends, and workforce reallocation. Schneider Electric https://www.therobotreport.com/tag/schneider-electric/ : Shared its views on cloud latency limitations and their push for hardware-agnostic, open automation systems. Siemens https://www.therobotreport.com/tag/siemens/ : Explained its hybrid edge/cloud approach, use of NVIDIA Omniverse for synthetic data training, and Eigen Engineering Agent platform. Rockwell Automation https://www.therobotreport.com/tag/rockwell-automation/ : An audio clip with Ara Surenian, business manager for production logistics, introduced FactoryTalk Orchestration following the acquisition https://www.therobotreport.com/rbr50-spotlight-rockwell-automations-acquisition-otto-motors-all-around-win/ of OTTO Motors. SEW-EURODRIVE: https://www.therobotreport.com/tag/SEW-EURODRIVE/ Attendees noted their gantry solutions. Raymond https://www.automatedwarehouseonline.com/tag/raymond/ : The company cited its focus on moving workers into higher-value roles. Mech-Mind https://www.therobotreport.com/tag/mech-mind/ : Offered a CAD-free, real-time bin-picking demonstration of clear, varied bottles. Vention https://www.therobotreport.com/tag/mech-mind/ : Its automation demonstrations were recognized for their accessibility. Kassow Robots https://www.therobotreport.com/tag/kassow-robots/ : In an interview clip, founder Christian Kassow explained the strategic advantages of 7-axis cobots over traditional 6-axis configurations for mobile manipulators and confined spaces. Show timeline - 24:00 – Ara Surenian , business manager, production logistics, Rockwell Automation - 31:48 – Mason Cole , director of sales, North America, Sereact - 34:50 – Kristian Kassow, founder, Kassow Robots - 41:27 – Craig McDonnell , general manager of robotic industries, ABB Sponsors Thanks to our sponsors who make this content possible. Every growing Postgres database eventually hits a wall. Queries slow down, dashboards lag, and teams consider adding a second database. Tiger Data, creators of TimescaleDB, extends Postgres with time-series primitives, columnar storage, and automatic partitioning so your queries stay fast on live data. No pipelines, no migration, no second system. Just Postgres, built for the workload you actually have. Learn more at: tigerdata.com/go/trial To learn how you can sponsor a future episode of The Robot Report Podcast, contact: Jami Brownlee at email protected /cdn-cgi/l/email-protection 741e16061b031a181111340300031c1911101d155a171b19 Would you like to be a guest on a future episode? Contact Mike Oitzman at email protected /cdn-cgi/l/email-protection c9a4a6a0bdb3a4a8a789bebdbea1a4acada0a8e7aaa6a4