Automate 2026 is likely to serve as a useful barometer for the next phase of automation investment in North America. After a more cautious tone in 2025, driven by tariff uncertainty and broader manufacturing volatility, this year’s event is expected to reflect a market that is still cautious but increasingly prepared to invest. As we prepare to attend the conference, here are five themes we are expecting from Automate 2026.

1. A renewed investment cycle

The theme of Automate 2025 could have been summarized in one word: uncertainty. Tariffs had just been announced and the state of US manufacturing was in flux. A lot has happened since then and, while uncertainty in the US macroeconomy is certainly present, data is suggesting it has become the new norm.

Machinery orders in the US have risen above shipments, a leading indicator of future growth across the manufacturing industry. Source: FRED

We expect sentiment this year to be more positive, as the investment cycle appears to be ramping up once again. As shown in the graph above, new orders have begun to exceed shipments again, indicating growth in backlogs. It is notable however that this cycle will look different to the last one. Whereas in the past growth cycle, investment was centered around capacity expansion, we expect this cycle’s focus will be more targeted – aiming to enhance productivity and increase capacity utilization.

While automation suppliers still have an air of cautious optimism, we expect the atmosphere of Automate will be notably more positive compared with one year ago.

2. Continued proliferation of machine vision applications beyond inspection

Inspection continues to be the largest application for machine vision products. The market for machine vision products used in inspection applications sits at approximately $2.7 billion globally, according to our latest research.

However, AI is making machine vision easier to deploy and dramatically more capable. By simplifying training and reducing programming complexity, AI-powered systems are unlocking applications which were historically unfeasible, cost prohibitive, or required challenging integration.

Machine vision products in bin-picking applications, for example, are expected to nearly triple in market size by 2030. These applications – which involve variability, random orientation, or inconsistent positioning – are now far more viable due to AI’s ability to help machine vision adapt. Expect non-inspection and robot guidance machine vision applications to be on full display at Automate 2026.

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3. Growing prevalence of ultra-low voltage (<60 V) motion

Over the past several years, we have tracked the rising prominence of <60 V architectures, driven by the growth of battery-powered automation and the continued spread of motion control into smaller machine axes. As component costs have fallen and product capabilities have improved, these systems have become more practical for a wider range of applications. What was once a cost-prohibitive “wish list” feature – automating peripheral or secondary machine functions – is increasingly becoming a realistic design option.

This trend is reinforced by strong growth in applications such as cobots and mobile robots, where compact, lower-voltage motion systems are often well suited. Looking ahead, humanoids could add another high-profile use case when the market begins to scale. As a result, <60 V motion products are likely to remain highly visible at Automate 2026, as well as for years to come.

4. Continued integration of components within robotics

The US robotics market is continuing to show strong signs of imminent growth in the US. Over the past year, three of the largest robot manufacturers: Fanuc, Yaskawa, and Teradyne, each announced new robotic manufacturing plants in the US. According to our industrial robotics study, the US market is expected to grow at an average annual growth rate of 6.2% through 2030; above the global market average. From a mobile robot perspective, growth prospects are even higher.

As the number of robots deployed increases, so too does the market opportunity for integrated actuation. Many mobile robot and cobot manufacturers are already beginning to design their robots with integrated motor + drives to free up space and reduce the number of failure points. These integrated products are growing in adoption above the market average for standalone motor products.

At last year’s Automate event, Allient joined many of its competitors in displaying an integrated servo motor product at the show. The HeiTronX integrated servo product was launched and positioned as being intended for robotic and decentralized applications. We anticipate Automate 2026 will display more of these types of products, as their acceptance continues to grow.

5. Humanoids as a main point of conversation

Humanoids have received significant press recently and many automation suppliers are watching the market closely as a potential next wave of automation investment. Automate 2026 will offer a useful glimpse into whether the market has moved beyond the ‘talk’ phase and into the ‘walk’ phase, or whether humanoids remain largely caught in a hype cycle.

For suppliers of motion control, sensors, machine vision, and safety systems, the opportunity is clear: when humanoids scale, they could represent an unusually high-volume application for advanced automation components. However, the key question is whether the technology is approaching practical deployment in real-world industrial environments, or whether most activity is still centered on pilots, demonstrations, and investor-facing announcements. Automation suppliers at the show will be looking to assess how quickly this market could become commercially meaningful.

Find us at the show

Our analysts will be at Automate 2026, if you would like to meet with them to exchange views or explore opportunities to utilize our research, please reach out to info@interactanalysis.com to schedule a meeting.

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