Upcoming Events:28 May 2026 - 29 May 2026
Location:
About the Event
Brace yourselves: the robot revolution is finally getting its own keynote. The Humanoid Summit, the world’s pre-eminent gathering for machines that look (and increasingly act) like us, is heading East for its grand Asian debut. From 28–29 May 2026, the industry’s real heavyweights will descend upon the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, Japan. After sell-out runs in Silicon Valley and London, this expansion is a loud-and-clear signal: the race to build a functional humanoid is reaching fever pitch, and Japan is the ultimate proving ground.
Forget the usual trade show circuit where you’re just there for the free pens and corporate waffle. The Humanoid Summit is a high-octane meeting of the minds—the founders, CTOs, venture capitalists, and researchers who are actually soldering together our bipedal future. Following a Silicon Valley stint that pulled in 2,000 attendees from 450 companies, the Tokyo edition is set to be the definitive platform for embodied AI in the Eastern Hemisphere.
The summit is tailor-made for the engineers currently wrestling with high-torque actuation, the AI architects training foundation models for physical space, and the investors trying to decide where to park their next nine-figure cheque. If you’re serious about the business of getting robots to walk, talk, and eventually handle the household chores, this is the only room you need to be in.
Attendees will get a proper look under the bonnet of the entire humanoid ecosystem, from the nightmare of scaling a supply chain to the software stacks that serve as these machines’ “brains.” It’s a rare chance to rub shoulders with the people turning humanoid robotics from a sci-fi trope into a commercial certainty.
Program Highlights
We’re skipping the buzzword bingo—no “synergy” or “disruption” for the sake of it here. The Humanoid Summit Tokyo is designed to tackle the thorniest technical problems and the most lucrative opportunities in the field. The programme is built to cut through the hype and focus on what it actually takes to get these robots out of the lab and onto the factory floor. Key themes include:
- Mass Production & Commercialisation: A look at the manufacturing grit required to scale humanoid systems from bespoke prototypes to thousands of units in the field.
- The AI Software Stack: A deep dive into the foundation models, simulation environments, and reinforcement learning that allow robots to navigate and manipulate the physical world.
- Hardware and Embodiment: Sessions dedicated to the “bits and bobs” that matter—actuators, sensors, and power systems that make or break a humanoid platform’s efficiency.
- Investment & Deployment Economics: No-nonsense debates on capital strategies, market gaps, and the ROI metrics that will determine who survives the “trough of disillusionment.”
- Human-Robot Interaction: Exploring how we’ll actually live and work alongside these machines, featuring insights from the pioneers of lifelike robotics.
Featured Speakers
While the full line-up is still being finalised, the summit has a reputation for attracting the absolute titans of the scene. The opening keynote will be delivered by Professor Hiroshi Ishiguro of Osaka University, the world-renowned pioneer of android science, who will be demonstrating his eerie, hyper-realistic Geminoid robot live on stage.
Based on previous summits, you can expect to hear from the C-suite and chief engineers of the most influential names in robotics. Past speakers have included the brightest sparks from:
- Agility Robotics
- Sanctuary AI
- NVIDIA
- Google DeepMind
- Boston Dynamics
- Apptronik
- 1X Technologies
Schedule Overview
The two-day event will be a breakneck schedule of keynotes, technical deep dives, panel brawls, and, crucially, live demonstrations of humanoids in action. While the final agenda is still under wraps, expect a structure that mirrors our previous successes.
Day 1 - 28 May 2026
- Morning: Registration, Networking Breakfast, and the Opening Keynote by Professor Hiroshi Ishiguro.
- Mid-day: Panels on the hardware stack and the current investment thesis for humanoids.
- Afternoon: Technical sessions on AI models for robotics, followed by a series of high-stakes startup pitches.
- Evening: An exclusive VIP Reception for some proper networking with speakers and industry leaders.
Day 2 - 29 May 2026
- Morning: Keynotes on real-world deployment and warts-and-all case studies from early adopters.
- Mid-day: Breakout sessions for those who want to geek out on manipulation, locomotion, and simulation.
- Afternoon: Debates on the path to commercial scaling and the future of human-robot collaboration, followed by closing remarks.
Registration
A word of warning: you can’t just buy your way in. Attendance at the Humanoid Summit is strictly by invitation or application to ensure we have a room full of people who actually know their sensors from their elbows. This isn’t a jolly for tourists; it’s a summit for the builders.
To apply for an invitation, head over to the official summit website.
We recommend getting your application in early, as demand is expected to be through the roof. Sponsorship and exhibition slots are also available for companies looking to put their tech in front of this elite crowd.
