RoboBusiness 2026 Kicks Off at Santa Clara Convention Center
The 20th anniversary edition of RoboBusiness opens at the Santa Clara Convention Center, featuring more than 40 sessions, expert speakers, and keynotes on the future of robotics.
Radwan AbdulhadiEditor and technology writer
RoboBusiness 2026 Celebrates 20 Years
RoboBusiness 2026 kicks off tomorrow at the Santa Clara Convention Center, bringing together over 1,600 attendees for discussions on cutting-edge research, industry trends, and innovative applications across sectors like manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture, and logistics. According to coverage from The Robot Report, this year marks 20 years of RoboBusiness, celebrating the community that made the milestone possible while looking ahead to the next 20 years of collaboration and growth.
The event features more than 40 sessions across five distinct tracks: AI, Business & Development, Field Robotics, Humanoids, and Enabling Technologies. Additionally, the Engineering Theater on the show floor will host presentations by various industry experts. For those planning to attend, registration is still open.
Day 1 Agenda and Keynote Highlights
The conference program begins at 9:15 a.m. PT with the opening keynote titled 'The Next 20 Years of Robotics.' Rodney Brooks, co-founder and CTO of Robust AI; Jonathan Hurst, co-founder and chief robot officer of Agility Robotics; and Ken Goldberg, the William S. Floyd Jr. Distinguished Chair in Engineering at UC Berkeley, will discuss the future of the field. The opening session will conclude with a special RoboBusiness announcement.
Following the keynote, the exhibit hall opens at 10:00 a.m. and will remain open until 6:30 p.m. Attendees can explore the exhibit hall to find interesting robotics demonstrations, the Engineering Theater, and Startup Alley. Breakout sessions are scheduled to start at 10:30 a.m. across designated rooms, while the Engineering Theater sessions begin at 11:00 a.m.
At 12:15 p.m., Bhavana Chandrashekhar, senior manager of applied science at Amazon Robotics, and Joyce Sidopoulos, co-founder and chief of operations at MassRobotics, will host the Women in Robotics Luncheon. The ticketed event features a fireside chat designed to help women in the industry form connections and champion increased female representation in robotics leadership.
AI in Production and Day 1 Evening Events
Day 1 concludes with an afternoon keynote titled 'Beyond the Demo: AI in Production Robotics' at 4:30 p.m. in the theater. Speakers include Bhavana Chandrashekhar of Amazon Robotics, James Davidson of Teradyne Robotics, Ali Raja of ABB Robotics, Ram Devarajulu of Cambridge Consultants, and Jon Battles of Cobot.
Following the late afternoon keynote, the first day will finish with a networking reception presented by Harmonic Drive in Hall A/B. The evening event offers drinks, light appetizers, and opportunities for attendees and speakers to connect.
Day 2 Schedule and Humanoids Panel
Day 2 of RoboBusiness 2026 starts at 9:30 a.m. with the 'State of Humanoids' panel. The discussion features Pras Velagapudi, CTO of Agility Robotics; Parker Conroy, head of product management at Apptronik; Michael Patrick Perry, head of commercial strategy at Persona AI; and Aadeel Akhtar, founder and CEO of PSYONIC.
The panel will examine the current capabilities of humanoid robots, remaining technical and operational hurdles, and lessons learned from early industrial deployments. Breakout sessions for Day 2 begin at 10:45 a.m., and the exhibit hall will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Closing Keynote and Event Conclusion
RoboBusiness 2026 will officially close with a final keynote presentation at 3:00 p.m. Morgan Pope, director of companionship at Familiar Machines & Magic, will lead the session, detailing how the startup builds robotic characters.
Sources
- The Robot ReportA guide to everything happening at RoboBusiness 2026
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