Agenda

May 27 - 28, 2026 · Boston, MA

Boston Convention and Exhibition Center

All-Access Pass Holders can attend all agenda sessions and will have access to speaker presentations after the event. Agenda sessions are subject to change. Check back often for updates and additions.

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  • May 27, 2026

    Wednesday

  • May 28, 2026

    Thursday

  • As robotics shifts from task automation to intelligent autonomy, the real challenge isn’t just building robots that move, it’s designing systems that learn, adapt, and earn trust at scale. Kavitha Velusamy, senior vice president of software and AI at Brain Corp, will unpack what it takes to build and deploy robot fleets that combine reliability with intelligence. Drawing from Brain Corp’s experience powering over 40,000 robots worldwide, Kavitha will explore how new approaches in perception, data integration, and continuous learning are redefining autonomy in real-world environments like retail, logistics, and public spaces. She’ll share how teams can bridge the gap between simulation and deployment, optimize for safety and privacy by design, and architect systems that evolve responsibly over time. Attendees will gain a behind-the-scenes view of how to turn complex, dynamic environments into structured intelligence, and practical lessons on scaling robot software, managing edge-to-cloud data flows, and maintaining trust with users and regulators alike.
    Ai
    Where
    Room 254 A

  • Most conversations about warehouse automation focus on the technology, but not enough attention is paid to what it takes to make automation actually work in real-world environments. That means dealing with unpredictable environments, legacy systems, and shifting human workflows. In this session, Anthony Jules, CEO of Robust.AI, draws on decades of experience in robotics to explore what it really takes to bring automation into complex warehouse environments. He’ll share practical insights from the field on what makes or breaks successful implementations, ranging from design decisions that support collaborative robots to the organizational changes required for adoption. Additionally, Anthony will discuss the real barriers to automation, the importance of making systems intuitive, and how to think about automation not as a replacement, but as a partner for human workers.
    Logistics
    Where
    Room 254 B

  • Soft wearable robots are transforming how people move, work, and recover. This talk will explore the engineering innovations behind next-generation soft robots—from new functional apparel innovations and actuation strategies to intelligent control and human–machine co-adaptation—and how these advances have translated into real-world impact. Drawing on examples such as Verve Motion’s exosuits for industrial injury prevention, ReWalk’s ReStore for stroke rehabilitation, and Imago Rehab’s digital therapy platform, the talk will cover how academic research can move rapidly toward commercialization through user-centered design, clinical validation, and strategic partnerships. The talk will highlight both the engineering breakthroughs that enable these systems and their use cases spanning the factory floor, the clinic, and the home.
    Healthcare Robotics
    Where
    Room 255

  • AI‑ and RL‑driven control has enabled increasingly capable autonomous robots, yet real‑world deployment remains limited by the persistent sim‑to‑real gap. While most mitigation efforts focus on improving simulation or high-level control, this talk presents maxon’s complementary hardware‑first strategy. By integrating specialized firmware features and applying maxon’s deep understanding of drive‑system dynamics, key actuation and sensing nonlinearities are removed at their source. This approach delivers more predictable, simulation‑aligned behavior. Case studies from robotics partners illustrate how this approach boosts robustness, accelerates deployment, and enhances performance in real‑world autonomous systems.
    Technologies
    Where
    Room 251

  • For more than a decade, Ghost Robotics has operated legged robots in mission-critical applications across defense, security, and industrial environments. Join Gavin Kenneally, CEO and co-founder of Ghost Robotics, as he shares lessons from 10 years of deploying quadruped robots in the field. The talk will cover real-world case studies, how advances in software are unlocking new capabilities, and what the next five years may hold for legged robotics in both the public and private sectors.
    Development
    Where
    Room 253 ABC

  • Robots don’t get smarter by accident; they improve through a deliberate data flywheel. This panel explores how real-world robot data is captured, curated, and fed back into perception, autonomy, and system performance. Drawing on lessons from field-deployed robots, we’ll explore how to design the data flywheel from day one, turning pilots into scalable, field-ready platforms that continuously learn and improve in production.
    Ai
    Where
    Room 254 A

  • AI is becoming a core enabler of modern material handling systems, allowing OEMs and integrators to move beyond fixed automation toward more adaptive, scalable solutions. Across picking, mobility, and system operations, AI is improving precision, throughput, and flexibility in real-world deployments. In robotic picking, AI-driven perception and adaptive grasping—paired with intelligent end-of-arm tooling—enable reliable handling of diverse items while reducing mis-picks and damage. For autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), AI-based navigation and planning support safe operation in dynamic, human-populated environments, with real-time route optimization and 24/7 scalability. At the system level, AI-powered predictive analytics help reduce downtime by identifying potential failures before they disrupt operations. This session will examine how OEMs and integrators are applying AI in production material handling systems, with practical insights into robotic picking and grasping, AMR navigation and fleet behavior, and predictive maintenance. Attendees will gain a clearer understanding of where AI delivers real value today, how these capabilities are engineered and integrated, and what it takes to deploy them at scale.
    Logistics
    Where
    Room 254 B

  • Touch is a key enabling modality in many surgical procedures. Recreating and augmenting the surgeon’s sense of touch in surgical robotics relies on innovations in compact, high reliability, scalable force-torque sensing technologies. This session will give an overview of the roles of force and torque sensing in surgical robotics; including tip of instrument sensing, trocar remote center of motion/tissue contact, surgeon collaboration/leading/tool insertion, and surgeon-consol interfaces. We’ll dive in core specifications and the state-of-the-art of what’s possible with force-torque sensing technologies, along with best practices for implementing the force-torque modality into surgical robots.
    Healthcare Robotics
    Where
    Room 255

  • Description: AI‑ and RL‑driven control has enabled increasingly capable autonomous robots, yet real‑world deployment remains limited by the persistent sim‑to‑real gap. While most mitigation efforts focus on improving simulation or high-level control, this talk presents maxon’s complementary hardware‑first strategy. By integrating specialized firmware features and applying maxon’s deep understanding of drive‑system dynamics, key actuation and sensing nonlinearities are removed at their source. This approach delivers more predictable, simulation‑aligned behavior. Case studies from robotics partners illustrate how this approach boosts robustness, accelerates deployment, and enhances performance in real‑world autonomous systems.
    Technologies
    Where
    Room 251

  • In a world where software dominates the headlines, robotics remains one of the few industries where hardware still truly matters. Drawing on over two decades of experience helping companies from startups to Fortune 500s bring their ideas to life, Ted will share what makes a great robotics company and what separates successful robots from those that never make it past the prototype stage. This session explores how the best robotics companies think about design, collaboration, and manufacturability from day one. Attendees will learn why hardware and software must evolve together, how to avoid common design mistakes that can derail even the most promising projects, and what qualities to look for in a reliable robotics development partner. Packed with real-world examples and practical lessons, this talk offers a clear roadmap for building robots that don’t just work in the lab, but thrive in the real world.
    Development
    Where
    Room 253 ABC

  • Robots are evolving from programmed ROS applications to embodied AI (LLMs running on physical robotics hardware) solving missions. New robotics AI tools are evolving such as VLMs (Vision Language Models also called multimodal LLMs), VLAs (Vision Language Action models), and MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers. Robots now stream sensors like RealSense depth cameras into these AI tools allowing the AI to figure out on its own how to move its wheels or legs to achieve a goal such as following a person. During this session, we will build an embodied AI experience together live on stage! What could go wrong?!
    Ai
    Where
    Room 254 A

  • For decades, fully automated “lights-out” warehouses have captured our imagination, but the reality remained out of reach. Recent advances in robotics and AI are changing that, making lights-out execution viable in specific workflows and environments. Progress will be incremental. Today, the most effective approach is hybrid: robots handle the bulk of repetitive work, while humans step in only when needed. This model already supports partial lights-out operations—such as running an unsupervised night shift while managing peak volumes and exceptions during the day. The challenge is not just technical, but economic. Automating the final 10–20% of workflows, where edge cases and judgment calls live, is disproportionately complex and costly. Smart operators focus automation where ROI is strongest, preserve human flexibility where it adds the most value, and steadily reduce the exception set as technology and economics improve. In this session, Brightpick CEO Jan Zizka outlines a practical roadmap to lights-out warehouse operations: where it works today, how to expand it safely and profitably, and what it takes to go fully lights-out.
    Logistics
    Where
    Room 254 B

  • Moving robots from controlled lab settings into live customer environments exposes challenges and stress that no one can predict. This session breaks down the lessons learned in making warehouse robots not only reliable, but also commercially viable. From hardware durability to autonomy edge cases and customer integration, we’ll share the learnings from what it really takes to deploy robots that perform during shifts, day after day.
    Logistics
    Where
    Room 254 B

  • Robots have been supporting hospital operations for years, from surgery and rehabilitation to logistics. Many people are familiar with how robotic systems have reshaped surgery and improved patient outcomes. Less visible, but equally important, are the robots that keep hospitals running efficiently behind the scenes. Over the past decade, SKA Robotics has supported the healthcare industry across a range of applications, including hospital logistics robots, surgical systems, prosthetics, and handheld medical devices. Aethon’s equipment transport robots, for example, have been delivering meals, medications, and clean linens to patients for more than 20 years. Rovex is tackling in-hospital patient transport, a physically demanding task with high injury rates. This panel will explore the challenges of deploying robots in hospital logistics, including patient privacy, liability, system integration, and entering a conservative market dominated by incumbent vendors. We will also discuss the strategies used to overcome these barriers.
    Healthcare Robotics
    Where
    Room 255

  • Sponsored By
    Where
    Exhibit Hall

  • Join industry experts for a panel exploring the technical requirements of developing and deploying humanoid robots. The discussion will cover locomotion, dexterous manipulation, AI and autonomy, safety, and key lessons learned from early pilots and real-world deployments.
    Development
    Where
    253 ABC

  • The integration of AI into robotics has transformed how robots and autonomous systems perceive, learn, and act across industries: from intelligent bin-picking to collaborative tasks in modern factories. Now, with the rise of Generative AI, we're witnessing a fundamental shift in how robotics systems are built, trained, and deployed. This talk will discuss how to develop intelligent robotic systems using both traditional AI approaches and the latest advancements in robotics foundation models. Learn how to design end-to-end workflows that incorporate deep learning, reinforcement learning, transformer-based vision-language-action (VLA) models all within a single, simulation-driven platform. Highlights: • Design and deploy AI-powered bin-picking and motion planning systems with reduced human supervision. • Automate data labeling and training for object detection and pose estimation. • Object detection with zero-shot text-conditioned models. • Segmenting objects across images and videos using vision foundation models
    Ai
    Where
    254 A

  • Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) are becoming invaluable tools for warehouse leaders looking to increase efficiency, accuracy and safety in their facilities. A successful implementation involves more than just the robots themselves; it requires a holistic approach that integrates hardware, software, and human elements seamlessly into existing operations. When choosing an integrator for your deployment, it’s crucial to find one that brings a comprehensive scope to the table, ensuring that AMRs are not only implemented efficiently but also optimized for peak performance. Integrators provide customized solutions that align with unique operational goals, enhance workflow efficiency and drive overall productivity. By leveraging their expertise in system design, process integration and change management, integrators help organizations unlock the full potential of AMR technology, fostering innovation and maintaining a competitive edge in an ever-evolving market. With the right partner, businesses can transform their operations, creating a resilient and adaptive infrastructure ready for future challenges.
    Logistics
    Where
    254 B

  • Telesurgery represents the next frontier for delivering medical procedures with unmatched quality and consistency to remote and under-served areas. These telesurgery systems represent a complex interplay of robotic systems, communication infrastructure and real-time control systems. Yet technical challenges are impacting the reliability, precision and adoption of remote surgery. In particular, system latency must be addressed in order to achieve the necessary clinical precision with high-fidelity haptic feedback and real-time movement replication. The ability to capture, process, and rapidly analyze vast amounts of data (real-time visual feeds, instrument kinematics, patient physiological data, etc) is crucial for providing surgeons with comprehensive situational awareness. Traditional communication architectures are bottlenecked by communication uncertainty, introducing latency and jitter that affect haptic realism and system stability. System latency can be addressed by a new architectural approach: data centricity. Using the Data Distribution Service (DDS) standard, this shifts the architectural focus from traditional message-passing models to a conceptual Global Data Space. DDS allows multiple subsystems (surgeon console, patient-side robot, imaging sensors, monitoring devices) to asynchronously publish and subscribe to specific data (e.g., control commands, haptic feedback, 4K video feeds) in real-time. It also uses robust Quality of Service (QoS) policies to enforce the predictability and ultra-low latency required for human-safe surgical operations. Attendees will learn how data-centricity works to meet the rapid, reliable communication requirements for the next generation of clinically-viable telesurgery systems.
    Healthcare Robotics
    Where
    255

  • ROS 2 has become a foundational framework for modern robotics development, offering modularity, real-time capabilities, and broad community support. However, integrating ROS-based systems into rigorous validation workflows - such as Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL), Software-in-the-Loop (SIL), and Model-in-the-Loop (MIL) - presents unique challenges in timing, determinism, and interoperability. This talk provides a technical overview of methodologies for embedding ROS nodes within closed-loop testing environments. Topics include synchronization of ROS communication with real-time systems, deterministic execution of control and perception algorithms, and interfacing with simulation platforms such as Gazebo, RViz, and FMI-compliant models. We will also examine the use of MCAP for scalable data logging and analysis, and discuss challenges and insights into high-fidelity data replay testing. Through practical examples and architectural patterns, the session aims to equip robotics engineers and system integrators with strategies to validate ROS-based systems under realistic and reproducible conditions, bridging the gap between open-source development and industrial-grade testing.
    Technologies
    Where
    Room 251

  • Most U.S. factories were built long before automation was feasible, yet they produce the majority of American manufacturing output — creating both a challenge and an opportunity for Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs). These legacy facilities rely heavily on manual material transport, fragmented control systems, and labor-intensive routing, resulting in inefficiencies that limit throughput, safety, and operational flexibility. This session presents a practical, data-driven roadmap for deploying AMRs in legacy manufacturing environments, grounded in pilot programs and scaled deployments at Tesla’s high-volume electric vehicle operations. Rather than treating AMRs as standalone tools, the talk reframes them as infrastructure — a connective layer linking production, logistics, and workforce execution. Attendees will learn how Tesla engineers identified high-friction material flows, defined measurable performance indicators, and integrated robots with existing factory systems such as fleet management software, warehouse systems, PLC-controlled equipment, and real-time analytics dashboards. Thoughtful system integration and human-robot collaboration enabled reliable material delivery with minimal manual intervention — even in environments never designed for autonomy. Beyond technical implementation, the session emphasizes why this matters for U.S. manufacturing: scalable AMR adoption improves productivity, workforce safety, and operational resilience, strengthening American factories’ competitiveness in a global market. Common pitfalls that stall pilots are highlighted, along with strategies for operational ROI modeling, interoperability, workforce adoption, and scaling across multiple production areas. These lessons extend beyond Tesla, providing a replicable framework for any U.S. factory seeking to modernize operations and maintain global competitiveness.
    Development
    Where
    Room 253 ABC

  • As your robotics software development organization scales, the developer experience grows both more important and harder to get right–and an inefficient build system can cost you in slow iteration cycles, developer frustration, and wasted resources. We will share insights from the Robotics and AI Institute’s DevExp and build system overhaul: a project with a scope spanning from repository organization (mono-repo or multi-repo?) to polyglot build systems with caching and remote build execution, ROS integration, management of (conflicting!) dependencies, all the way to runtime tools, deployment, and migration–for an organization consisting of many different robotics research and engineering teams with diverse needs. We’ll discuss our process, the choices we made and why, as well as other options we considered, bespoke tools we had to build, and retrospective lessons and future plans. Come to learn how we’re saving 164 CPU-hours per day, how we make Bazel and ROS work together, or how close we came to total failure before delighting users.
    Ai
    Where
    Room 254 A

  • MassRobotics is hosting its 5th annual Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst. The goal is to advance healthcare robotics companies by providing the connections, guidance and resources they need to grow and succeed. Attend this talk to hear pitches from healthcare robotics startups currently in the program. Each of the startups embodies the innovative spirit and potential to transform the healthcare industry with their unique robotic solutions.
    Healthcare Robotics
    Where
    Room 255

  • As humanoids transition from research labs to real-world environments, achieving intelligence, agility, and energy efficiency requires system-level innovation across sensing, processing, power and connectivity. This session will provide a technical roadmap for building smarter, safer, and more efficient humanoids. It will explore how integrated semiconductor technologies and optimized system design can enable the next generation of humanoids that perceive, think and move more like humans - safely and efficiently. Drawing from real-world design examples and reference architectures, we’ll examine key design challenges including high-bandwidth sensor fusion, real-time edge AI processing, precision motor control and reliable communication between distributed subsystems. Attendees will gain insights into how advancements in embedded processing, analog signal chains and power management can reduce system latency, improve energy efficiency and increase reliability, all critical to humanoid performance and safety.
    Technologies
    Where
    Room 251



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