Records that are no coincidence

From June 22 to 25, 2026, Chicago hosted the tenth edition of the Automate trade show, organized by the Association for Advancing Automation (A3). This year's numbers speak for themselves: over 50,000 registered attendees, 1,230 exhibitors, and 425,000 square feet of exhibition space. For comparison — last year in Detroit, the event welcomed roughly 45,000 visitors and 900 exhibitors.

And this is not an isolated phenomenon. This year's ICRA 2026 (International Conference on Robotics and Automation) also saw a nearly 50 percent year-over-year increase in attendance. Interest in physical AI and robotics is growing across continents and sectors — from automotive to logistics to healthcare.

"Automate 2026 was the strongest event we've ever organized — not just in size, but also in the quality of technology, conversations, and connections that took place on the show floor," said Jeff Burnstein, president of A3. "The energy in Chicago was incredible. From humanoid robots and industrial AI to machine vision and autonomous mobile robots — attendees saw firsthand how fast this industry is moving and how many opportunities lie ahead."

Humanoid robots stole the show

The biggest draw of this year's event was the Humanoid Robot Pavilion, sponsored by NVIDIA. Visitors could get an up-close look at humanoid robots and the technologies that power them — from sensors to actuators to machine learning software. For the first time in Automate history, a Humanoid Robot Forum was also held, a paid conference program that attracted over 1,100 registrants.

That humanoids are no longer just a laboratory curiosity is further evidenced by the fact that companies like AgiBot, Tesla (with Optimus), and Figure are working intensively on their commercial deployment. Automate 2026 showed that the humanoid robotics sector is leaving science fiction behind and becoming a business into which billions of dollars are flowing.

Beyond humanoids, more established forms of robotics were also on display — autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), collaborative robotic arms, machine vision systems, and safety technologies for Industry 4.0. A major highlight was the live demonstration of multi-vendor fleets, where robots from different manufacturers coordinated and collaborated in real time.

Startups, innovation, and the next generation of talent

Automate is not just a showcase of technology — it is also a place where the future of the industry is decided. This year's Automate Startup Challenge, with a $10,000 prize, was won by startup Mbodi with its platform that enables teaching industrial robots new tasks using natural language and simple demonstrations. In other words: an operator tells a robot what to do, and the robot learns it.

The Automate Innovation Awards honored three new products launched in 2025: the CeiliX InfinityCrane and SkyRunner crane systems, the Flux AI platform from Standard Bots for machine vision, and the POSITRON Safety AI from Synapticon safety technology. The prestigious Engelberger Award, considered the "Nobel Prize of robotics," went to Hiroshi Fujiwara of the Japan Robot Association (JARA) and Robert Little of ATI Industrial Automation.

Another new addition was the A3 NextGen Theater — a space focused on students, educators, and employers, where topics such as curriculum changes, career paths in automation, and young talent recruitment were discussed. High school and university robotics teams also competed daily right on the show floor.

What this means for Czechia and Europe

The Czech Republic ranks among the countries with the highest density of industrial robots per number of employees in Europe. According to data from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), Czechia is at the forefront of manufacturing robotization — particularly thanks to its strong automotive industry (Škoda Auto, TPCA, supply chains).

The growing interest in automation, as documented by Automate 2026, directly affects Czech companies as well. They face the same challenges as their American counterparts: a shortage of skilled labor, pressure on productivity, and the need to shorten lead times. Investment in robots and AI is no longer a choice but a necessity for staying competitive.

For European manufacturers, the EU AI Act is also a pressing topic, as it enters its next phase of enforcement from August 2026. The regulation will also affect industrial AI — especially systems classified as high-risk, which may include autonomous robots operating alongside humans. At Automate 2026, regulation was not discussed directly, but among exhibitors there was a palpable sense that companies are looking for ways to innovate while meeting growing regulatory requirements.

Automate heads to Vegas: What to expect in 2027

The next edition of Automate will move to Las Vegas for the first time and will take place from May 10 to 13, 2027 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Organizers promise an even larger exhibition space and expansion into new sectors. Registration is already open — and as with this year, it is free for attendees.

For those who missed this year's event, a digital library called Automate Rewind is available, featuring recordings of key talks, show-floor interviews, and technology demonstrations from exhibitors.

One thing is certain: if you are interested in where industry, robotics, and artificial intelligence are headed — Automate 2027 will be an event you should mark on your calendar. And who knows, next time you might even run into Czech companies there, which are certainly not lagging behind on the automation wave.