RoboBusiness 2026, the leading commercial robotics conference, is marking two decades of industry innovation with a lineup featuring Agility Robotics executives and major players like Amazon, offering early bird discounts until August 31. The event will take place October 20 and 21 at the Santa Clara Convention Center, bringing together robotics developers, engineers, and business leaders to explore cutting-edge research and real-world applications across manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture, logistics, and beyond.

What Makes This Year's RoboBusiness Different?

This year marks a significant milestone for the conference. RoboBusiness is celebrating 20 years of connecting the robotics community, and the 2026 edition reflects the maturity of the field with a focus on practical deployment rather than theoretical breakthroughs. The event will feature four keynote sessions designed to address where robotics has been and where it's heading, with particular emphasis on humanoid robots and artificial intelligence in production environments.

The conference will showcase more than 100 exhibitors displaying the latest enabling technologies, products, and services to support robotics engineers throughout their development journeys. Additionally, the RoboBusiness Startup Alley will highlight innovative startups across various industries, providing a platform for emerging companies to showcase their work.

Who Are the Key Speakers and What Will They Discuss?

The keynote lineup reflects the current state of robotics innovation and deployment challenges. The opening session, titled "The Next 20 Years of Robotics," will feature Rodney Brooks from Robust AI, Jonathan Hurst from Agility Robotics, and Ken Goldberg from UC Berkeley. These experts will reflect on breakthroughs from the past two decades while exploring the technologies, markets, opportunities, and challenges that will shape the next 20 years.

On the first day's closing keynote, "Beyond the Demo: AI in Production Robotics," attendees will hear from Bhavana Chandrashekhar at Amazon, James Davidson at Teradyne, and Michael Vogelson at Cobot. This session will focus on how these organizations are applying artificial intelligence to robots operating in real customer environments, addressing the gap between laboratory demonstrations and actual deployment.

"The state of humanoids will be explored at the start of Day 2," with speakers including Pras Velagapudi from Agility Robotics, Parker Conroy from Apptronik, Michael Patrick Perry from Persona AI, and Aadeel Akhtar from PSYONIC discussing the capabilities that humanoids are delivering today, the technical and operational challenges that remain, and the lessons emerging from early industrial implementations.

RoboBusiness 2026 Conference Program

The conference will close with a unique perspective on robotics from Morgan Pope, formerly of Disney Imagineering and now director of companionship at Familiar Machines and Magic. This session, "Creating Robotic Characters," will explore how the company is bringing a new character to life at mass-market scale, highlighting the intersection of robotics and entertainment.

How to Make the Most of Your RoboBusiness 2026 Registration

• Early Bird Savings: Full conference passes save attendees $200 when purchased before August 31, 2026, while expo-only passes save $40, making this the optimal time to register before prices increase.
• Conference Access Includes: A full conference pass provides access to all keynote and breakout sessions, post-show access to speaker presentations, all networking breaks, engineering theater sessions, and the complete expo floor.
• Track Selection: RoboBusiness features five different conference tracks covering physical AI, enabling technologies, humanoids, field robotics, and business and deployment, allowing attendees to customize their experience based on their specific interests and professional focus.
• Networking Opportunities: The event includes dedicated networking breaks and the RoboBusiness Startup Alley, providing multiple opportunities to connect with industry peers, potential partners, and emerging companies reshaping the robotics landscape.

Why Should Robotics Professionals Attend?

For engineers, entrepreneurs, and business leaders in the robotics space, RoboBusiness 2026 represents a critical opportunity to understand where the industry is heading. The conference brings together voices from established companies like Amazon and Agility Robotics alongside academic researchers and startup founders, creating a comprehensive view of both current capabilities and future challenges.

The emphasis on "beyond the demo" and "early industrial implementations" signals that the robotics industry is moving past proof-of-concept phases into real-world deployment. This shift means attendees will gain practical insights into how to navigate the technical, operational, and business challenges of bringing robots into production environments. With humanoid robotics receiving dedicated attention and the engineering theater providing hands-on learning opportunities, the conference caters to professionals at all stages of robotics development and commercialization.

Early bird pricing ends August 31, 2026, giving interested attendees just days to secure discounted passes before standard pricing takes effect. Registration is now open through the RoboBusiness website, and sponsorship and exhibition opportunities are also available for companies looking to increase their visibility at this milestone event.