The Robotics Summit & Expo, produced by The Robotic Report, has unveiled the primary have a look at its convention agenda for the April 30-Might 1 occasion on the Boston Conference and Exhibition Middle. The Robotics Summit & Expo brings collectively 5,000+ builders centered on constructing robots for a wide range of industrial industries.
Attendees will acquire insights into the newest enabling applied sciences, engineering finest practices, and rising tendencies. There can be 70-plus audio system on stage, 10+ hours of devoted networking time, a Girls in Robotics Breakfast, a MassRobotics startup showcase, and extra. Returning to the present is the RBR50 Pavilion and RBR50 Awards Dinner that may honor the winners of the annual RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards.
Past the keynotes and convention periods, there can be 200-plus reveals and demos on the expo present flooring, a profession truthful, a robotics growth problem, networking alternatives and extra.
The entire agenda for the Robotics Summit & Expo is beneath. You may as well view the agenda right here to plan your journey and register right here. Early chook registration for the Robotics Summit ends Feb. 28. Be aware that audio system are nonetheless being added.
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
Opening Keynote: Welcome to the Period of Bodily Intelligence
Speaker: Daniela Rus, Director, MIT CSAIL
9-9:45 AM
Bodily Intelligence is achieved when AI’s energy to grasp textual content, photos, indicators, and different info is used to make bodily machines similar to robots clever. To realize efficient bodily intelligence, we want energy-efficient AI methods that may run reliably on robots, sensors, and different edge units. On this keynote, MIT CSAIL Director Daniela Rus will focus on the challenges of transformer-based basis AI fashions. She will even introduce various physics-based fashions and clarify how they obtain efficiency effectively.
The Way forward for Logistics Automation
Speaker: TBD
10-10:45 AM
The way forward for logistics automation is evolving quickly, pushed by developments in robotics, AI, and autonomous methods. This keynote will discover rising applied sciences shaping warehouse and provide chain automation, from cellular robots to robotic selecting and every part in between.
Case Research: How Automation is Altering the Warehouse
Speaker: Kait Peterson, VP of Product Advertising, Locus Robotics
11:30 AM – 12:15 PM
This session explores the transformative influence of data-driven warehouse automation, that includes case research from numerous industries like retail, 3PL, healthcare, and industrial sectors. Acquire useful insights into the journey of implementing robotic applied sciences, together with autonomous cellular robots (AMRs), from system integration and alter administration to ongoing optimization and efficiency measurement. The session additionally highlights how distribution operations have efficiently scaled their automation methods and gives steering on subsequent steps for evolving automation efforts.
Commercializing Robotics: The Energy of Manufacturing Partnerships
Audio system: Jennifer Apicella, Government Director at Pittsburgh Robotics Community; Larry Jasinski, Chief Government Officer at Lifeward (extra audio system to return)
11:30 AM – 12:15 PM
Be a part of our panel of consultants as they discover the important position of outsourcing in robotics commercialization. Discover how leveraging strategic manufacturing partnerships can speed up time to market, improve product high quality, and optimize prices. Our seasoned panelists will share real-world methods, insights, and finest practices for turning progressive concepts into profitable merchandise. Uncover firsthand how you can navigate widespread challenges and scale operations successfully from leaders who’ve achieved all of it.
Register in the present day to avoid wasting 40% on convention passes!
Growing a Low Profile, Energy Dense Actuator to Meet the Calls for of Present Robotic Designs
Speaker: Adam Farley, NE Regional Gross sales Engineer, Harmonic Drive
11:30 AM – 12:15 PM
This session will focus on the necessity for movement management options that supply vanguard efficiency and reliability, whereas navigating round tight design constraints. Energy density continues to be a cornerstone in robotic actuator design, however that is typically compromised by extra performance required of actuators and their cabling. We are going to look at a brand new answer to those issues by way of the event of Harmonic Drive’s expertise.
Navigating Constraints When Designing Movement Management for Medical Robotic Joints
Speaker: Jordan Schaeffer, Novanta
11:30 AM – 12:15 PM
Designing a robotic arm for medical purposes presents technical challenges and buyer wants. The main focus is on creating an environment friendly robotic system that performs particular medical duties whereas making certain affected person security, includes cautious joint design and part choice. Prospects goal to design, assemble, combine, and certify these methods, all whereas looking for innovation to keep up a aggressive edge. Nevertheless, they face challenges similar to house constraints, warmth era, complexity, and excessive prices. To beat these obstacles, clients search for positive aspects similar to counting on trade consultants, lowering time to market, outsourcing non-core actions, and reaching a aggressive benefit. Understanding these elements permits us to higher help engineers when designing for Medical Robots.
Key ROS 2 Options to Study as ROS 1 Sunsets
Speaker: Geoffrey Biggs, CTO, Open Supply Robotics Basis
1:45 – 2:30 PM
The primary public launch of ROS 2 was made by the Open Supply Robotics Basis greater than 10 years in the past. Since then, ROS 2 use in industrial services and products has grown enormously. On this discuss, we’ll have a look at just some of the unbelievable successes that ROS 2 has enabled world wide, in a variety of fields. ROS 2 has enabled profitable ventures in fields as various as warehouse robotics, in-factory transportation, long-term ocean analysis, supply drones, lodge supply, hospital automation, and even on the Worldwide House Station. Via these examples, attendees will be taught why constructing on ROS 2 permits them to obtain the work of a whole lot of engineers for a lot decrease funding than constructing from scratch, and why utilizing ROS 2 is the easiest way to realize success of their product growth and scale as much as full deployment sooner than by constructing every part themselves. We will even focus on perceived obstacles to adoption, and what’s on the horizon for ROS 2. ROS 1 reaches finish of life on Might 31, 2025.
Nuts & Bolts of Robotic Navigation
Audio system: Sonali Deshpande, Workers Robotics Software program Engineer at Relay Robotics; Andrea Okerholm Huttlin, Senior Workers Software program Engineer at Collaborative Robotics; Garrett Place, Enterprise Growth Supervisor of Robotic Notion Applied sciences at ifm USA; William Sitch, Chief Enterprise Officer at Principal Road Autonomy
1:45 – 2:30 PM
This panel will discover the necessities of robotic navigation, providing sensible insights into finest practices, sensing modalities, and approaches that guarantee secure and dependable navigation in real-world environments. We’ll discover key subjects similar to sensor fusion, SLAM methods, path planning, and impediment avoidance, emphasizing the significance of strong methods for dynamic, unstructured settings, and extra.
Surgical Robotic Haptics & Pressure Interplay
Speaker: Robert Brooks, Founder & CEO at ForceN
1:45 – 2:30 PM
This discuss presents a sensible information to implementing pressure/torque sensing in surgical & medical robotics. It is going to cowl use instances normally surgical procedure, ophthalmic, catheter, & orthopedic robotics. It is going to focus on finest practices for designing pressure reflecting haptics, affected person contact & localization, & surgeon collaboration. Attendees will even be taught concerning the newest advances in pressure/torque sensing expertise, together with advances in overload safety, speedy prototyping, and edge intelligence.
Advancing Distant Surgical procedure: Tackling Latency, Precision, and Safety Points
Speaker: Darren Porras, Market Growth Supervisor, Healthcare at RTI
2:45 – 3:30 PM
Distant surgical robotics require a fancy interaction of robots, communication infrastructure and real-time management methods. Technical hurdles stay which can be impacting the reliability, precision and adoption of distant surgical procedure. These challenges embrace latency and community reliability; AI-powered haptic suggestions and precision; knowledge safety and privateness; system integration and scalability; and fail-safe system environments. Attendees will be taught concerning the cutting-edge applied sciences, similar to AI and machine studying, that allow distant surgical procedure. The discuss will even discover new options to the technical challenges which can be slowing down progress. The discuss will embrace an illustration of an built-in multi-vendor system that makes use of industrial off-the-shelf software program to course of knowledge from a distant controller consumer to a robotic arm. It is going to additionally illustrate how the system makes use of a data-centric structure to guard itself towards unauthorized entry.
Constructing Robots that Scale for Giant Corporations
Speaker: Mikell Taylor, Principal Technical Product Supervisor at Amazon Robotics
2:45 PM – 3:30 PM
Giant firms like Amazon are working at large scale with excessive calls for on security, reliability, effectivity, and value. Efficiently promoting expertise to them could be a main win however with out the best strategy, there may be many ache factors. Be a part of this session to listen to instantly from design and growth groups inside Amazon Robotics to be taught extra and get your questions answered about how you can construct and accomplice with massive firms and efficiently deploy methods with the best deal with security, price, knowledge privateness, community safety, IP possession, and extra.
How Cellular Manipulators are Re-defining Logistics
Speaker: Jan Zizka, CEO & Co-founder at Brightpick
2:45 PM – 3:30 PM
Cellular manipulation is quickly rising as the subsequent frontier in robotics. Cellular manipulators are available many alternative kinds, every providing distinctive benefits and a few already reaching widespread adoption. Early deployments have confirmed that cellular manipulators have the potential to remodel the automation panorama, providing better flexibility, superior efficiency, and extra labor financial savings than present applied sciences. This discuss will discover the present state of cellular manipulation, showcase profitable deployments, and focus on how companies can leverage these methods to boost their operations.
Planetary Pivot – Scaling Cellular Robotics with Trendy Actuator Ideas
Speaker: Alessandro Forino, Head of Robotic Drive Methods at maxon
2:45-3:30 PM
The discuss will discover the evolution of actuator designs in trendy cellular robotics, emphasizing the shift in direction of lower-cost and fewer advanced methods whereas sustaining excessive efficiency. Conventional robotics purposes, similar to industrial manipulators, have relied on exact movement management with low-backlash gears and high-stiffness parts. Nevertheless, rising tendencies in autonomous cellular robots, which function in unstructured environments and work together carefully with people, necessitate new actuator paradigms.
Danger is Totally different with AI: Methods for Resilient Robots
Speaker: SK Gupta, Co-Founder & Chief Scientist at GrayMatter Robotics
2:45 – 3:30 PM
AI is reworking numerous industries, however its deployment introduces distinctive dangers that have to be rigorously managed. As AI turns into integral to manufacturing, healthcare, and different sectors, understanding and mitigating these dangers is essential for fulfillment. This discuss will discover key dangers related to AI in robotics, together with vulnerabilities in coaching knowledge, potential algorithmic errors, privateness and safety considerations, and the influence on workforce abilities. It is going to introduce sensible frameworks for auditing coaching knowledge, verifying AI fashions, and customizing instruments for particular danger administration wants. Moreover, the discuss will focus on methods for making certain compliance with rising laws and stopping unintended penalties that might hurt each companies and the surroundings. Attendees will acquire insights into finest practices for assessing system efficiency, implementing failsafes, and adapting to altering situations—making certain that AI instruments are deployed safely, successfully, and ethically.
Advancing Robotic Studying with Pressure Sensing & Bodily Intelligence
Speaker: Klajd Lika, CEO & Founder at Bota Methods
4:15 – 5 PM
Robots have historically excelled in industrial settings with exact, repetitive duties, however their adaptability in dynamic, unstructured environments has been restricted as a consequence of advanced programming necessities. AI and Machine Studying (ML) promise to make robots extra adaptable and simpler to program, but challenges stay, notably in knowledge acquisition. Whereas present robotic sensors seize movement knowledge like joint positions and visuals, they typically lack pressure measurements essential for predicting actions and dealing with deformable or movable objects. Pressure and torque sensing play an important position in enhancing robotic management and enabling “”bodily intelligence”” by way of AI-driven studying, permitting robots to carry out duties like stopping slippage, greedy delicate objects, and working in dynamic environments. These developments pave the best way for purposes in warehouse automation, healthcare, and underwater robotics. This session will discover efficient strategies for equipping robots with pressure sensing and capturing high-quality knowledge to advance robotic studying and adaptableness.
The best way to Get Your First Robotic into the Manufacturing facility
Speaker: Jan Hennecke, Low-Price Automation Product Supervisor at igus
4:15 – 5 PM
In in the present day’s fast-paced manufacturing panorama, automation is not a luxurious—it’s a necessity. However how do you’re taking step one in integrating robotics into your manufacturing facility flooring with out breaking the financial institution or disrupting operations? This discuss will information you thru the method of introducing your first robotic into manufacturing. Designed for engineers and undertaking managers, this presentation will demystify the world of robotics integration, specializing in sensible, cost-effective methods that ship most ROI. You’ll discover ways to establish processes ripe for automation, select the best low-cost robotic options, and navigate widespread pitfalls in implementation. The discuss will share real-world examples and success tales as an instance how small investments in robotics can yield important positive aspects in effectivity, consistency, and scalability. Additionally, you will learn the way igus’ progressive, low-cost automation options might help your manufacturing facility keep aggressive in an ever-evolving market.
MassRobotics Healthcare Catalyst Showcase
Audio system: TBD
4:15 – 5 PM
MassRobotics is internet hosting its 4th annual Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst. The aim is to advance healthcare robotics firms by offering the connections, steering and assets they should develop and succeed. Attend this discuss to listen to pitches from healthcare robotics startups at the moment in this system. Every of the startups embodies the progressive spirit and potential to remodel the healthcare trade with their distinctive robotic options.
The State of Humanoids
Audio system: Aaron Prather, Director of Robotics and Autonomous Methods at ASTM Worldwide; Al Makke, Director – Engineering at Schaeffler; Pras Velagapudi, Chief Expertise Officer at Agility Robotics
4:15 – 5 PM
Be a part of trade consultants for a panel that explores the technical and enterprise challenges shaping the event of humanoids. Hear insights from early deployments, what’s on the horizon, and the continued efforts to determine security requirements.
Combine & Mingle Networking Reception
5 – 7 PM
Join with robotics colleagues from world wide to recap Day 1 of the present, meet up with outdated buddies and create new connections.
RBR50 Awards Dinner
6 – 8 PM
The RBR50 Awards honor the trade’s high developments every year. The 2025 RBR50 winners can be celebrated throughout a reception and dinner that returns to the Robotics Summit. Come be taught from and community with robotics innovators world wide.
Thursday, Might 1, 2025
Girls in Robotics Breakfast
Audio system: Laura Main, Interim CEO & CTO at Motional; Joyce Sidopoulos, Co-Founder & Chief of Operations at MassRobotics
8-9 AM
Be a part of robotics trade friends for an hour of networking, engagement, and mentorship (and food and drinks, in fact). Discover a mentor, attain out to a brand new contact, reconnect, and assist foster a motion that wants extra feminine management in any respect ranges. Attendees will even hear from Laura Main and Joyce Sidopoulos about their journeys within the robotics trade.
Opening Keynote: Boston Dynamics on Redesigning Atlas & the Way forward for Humanoids
Speaker: Aaron Saunders, CTO at Boston Dynamics
9 – 9:45 AM
Boston Dynamics CTO Aaron Saunders will unpack the brand new, electrical Atlas humanoid and share insights from being on the forefront of humanoid growth for years. This keynote will discover the challenges and alternatives of constructing humanoids for real-world purposes, providing a behind-the-scenes have a look at how Boston Dynamics continues to innovate and push the restrict of robotics.
Keynote: Constructing Robotic Manipulation at Amazon Robotics
Audio system: Steve Crowe, Government Editor at The Robotic Report & Chair of Robotics Summit & Expo; Aaron Parness, Director of Utilized Science in Robotics and Synthetic Intelligence at Amazon Robotics
10 – 10:45 AM
Aaron Parness and Steve Crowe will focus on among the newest developments and breakthroughs from Amazon Robotics. The hearth chat will discover how these developments are enhancing Amazon’s success operations world wide.
Bridging Robotics and Methods Programming: Why Rust is a Sport Changer
Speaker: Guillaume Binet, Founder at Copper Robotics
11:30 AM – 12:15 PM
As robotics methods develop extra advanced, integrating specialists like algorithm builders, machine studying engineers, and management consultants may be difficult—particularly when counting on conventional languages like C++. On this discuss, I’ll share my journey of constructing Copper, a robotic runtime designed to handle these integration hurdles. Rust gives each systems-level efficiency and security, overcoming points like concurrency and undefined conduct whereas remaining accessible to builders much less skilled in low-level programming. Via real-world examples and Rust code snippets, we’ll discover how Rust excels in managing concurrency, writing error-free algorithms, and bridging the hole between low-level management and high-level design underneath the Copper framework. By the tip, you’ll see how Rust can streamline robotics growth, making it extra built-in, environment friendly, and dependable.
Designing Our Subsequent-Technology Surgical Robotic
Speaker: Barry Greene, Co-Founder & Chief Medical Officer at Vicarious Surgical
11:30 AM – 12:15 PM
This discuss will dive into technical and medical features about Vicarious Surgical’s next-generation surgical robotic, which is designed for distinctive outcomes by way of pure movement, supernatural attain, and streamlined workflows. Utilizing a novel structure with all transferring joints contained in the stomach by way of a single 18 mm port, the system presents optimum orientation, improved security, and diminished incision measurement by 30%. With 9 levels of freedom, 28 sensors per arm, 3D visualization, and multispectral imaging, the robotic enhances decision-making and AI-driven developments in surgical procedure.
From Chaos to Readability: Utilizing AI to Discover Vital Occasions in Robotic Logs
Speaker: Benji Barash, Co-Founder & CEO at Roboto AI
11:30 AM – 12:15 PM
Robots generate large logs of multimodal knowledge, making it difficult to search out key insights with out sifting by way of every part manually. This session explores cutting-edge methods like sign search and vision-language fashions that shortly extract significant knowledge, important for debugging, validation, and coaching robotic basis fashions. Learn to remodel robotic logs into a robust device for growth and next-gen robotics.
Maximizing the Worth of a Warehouse Via Lights Out Order Success
Audio system: Yaro Tenzer, CEO & Co-Founder at RightHand Robotics (extra audio system to return)
11:30 – 12:15 PM
Lights-out order success has been a big aim in recent times, although some argue that the applied sciences wanted for absolutely automated amenities should not but mature. Nevertheless, a number of firms are already working “lights-out” amenities. This discuss will delve into the perceived hole between expectations and the fact of warehouse operations.
Fundamentals of Robotics {Hardware} & Software program Design
Speaker: Marcin Panek, Robotics Software program Lead at Bosch
1:30 – 2:15 PM
Each robotics system requires a correct and secure software program and {hardware} platform, very similar to a constructing depends on a strong basis. Expertise from robotics product growth initiatives reveals that groups typically neglect the important phases of platform requirement assortment, design, and implementation, as a substitute speeding into creating autonomy options. Some basic questions to think about embrace: – What compute unit needs to be used? – What are the system’s compute energy necessities, and the way can they be assessed? – What working system is best suited? Is tough RealTime required? Is secure OS required? – What are the core functionalities and providers of the software program platform? E.g., logging, diagnostics, configuration, and runtime administration. – Is ROS the best alternative for each case? What middleware needs to be adopted? – How can AI/ML workloads be effectively executed on the platform? – What are the {hardware} necessities by way of reminiscence, connectivity, {hardware} interfaces, and environmental situations? On this discuss, we’ll emphasize the significance of well-designed robotics software program and {hardware} platforms, spotlight widespread points that groups typically encounter late within the undertaking lifecycle, and suggest frameworks to information the platform design course of successfully.
Generative AI’s Influence on Robotics
Audio system: Xavier Chi, Co-Founder at mbodi AI; Ted Larson, CEO at OLogic; Rajat Bhageria, Founder & CEO at Chef Robotics; Karthee Madasamy, Founder & Managing Companion at MFV Companions
1:30 – 2:15 PM
Generative AI is revolutionizing the software program trade, however how can this breakthrough be utilized to robotics? This panel will focus on the purposes of enormous language fashions (LLMs) and textual content era purposes to robotics. It is going to additionally discover basic methods generative AI may be utilized to robotics design, mannequin coaching, simulation, management, human-machine interplay and extra.
ToF vs. Energetic Sterero Imaginative and prescient: Which 3D Imaging Method is Proper for You?
Speaker: Philip Freidin, Gross sales Engineer at IDS
1:30 – 2:15 PM
Dive into the science of depth sensing on this seminar on 3D imaging for robotics, specializing in active-stereo imaginative and prescient and time-of-flight (TOF) methods. Study the basics, discover the strengths and limitations of every methodology, and uncover real-world purposes and developments shaping the way forward for automation. Acquire the data to confidently select the very best 3D imaging expertise on your robotics initiatives.
Closing Keynote: Superior Bionics for People & Robots
Speaker: Aadeel Akhtar, CEO & Founder at PSYONIC
3:30 – 4:15 PM
This discuss and dwell demo explores the synergy between robotics and medical units, highlighting groundbreaking developments in bionic expertise. From the event of prosthetics that restore contact and dexterity to the mixing of robotics for improved human-machine interplay, learn the way cutting-edge analysis and innovation are pushing the boundaries of what’s doable. Uncover the shared challenges and options in creating life-changing units for people and constructing higher robots impressed by biology.
MassRobotics Profession Truthful
3:30 – 5:30 PM
The MassRobotics Profession Truthful is designed for technical trade job seekers, together with each latest graduates and seasoned engineers, laptop scientists, imaginative and prescient specialists, mechatronics consultants, AI professionals, and extra. Corporations from start-ups to trade leaders can be internet hosting info tables the place candidates can be taught extra concerning the firm, discover out what positions are open, and schedule interviews.
