The world’s largest global conference for robotics and autonomous systems, co-hosted by the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) and Messe Düsseldorf North America (MDNA), is coming to Detroit for the first time.
Taking place May 11–14 at Huntington Place in downtown Detroit, XPONENTIAL 2026 will convene industry, government, and end users as robotics and autonomous systems move beyond experimentation and into widespread use.
“The future of robotics and autonomous systems will be shaped by public trust, safety, and the ability to scale responsibly,” says Michael Robbins, president and CEO of AUVSI.
“XPONENTIAL 2026 brings the global autonomy ecosystem to Detroit at a pivotal moment. With its leadership in building, testing, and deploying complex systems at scale, Detroit is the ideal place for the industry to tackle adoption and integration challenges together.”
Detroit’s leadership in mobility, advanced manufacturing, defense, and applied testing, along with its growing autonomy ecosystem, makes it an ideal host city, according to event organizers.
The region sits at the intersection of advanced manufacturing, mobility, and defense, with close proximity to OEMs, suppliers, research institutions, government partners, and end users.
Detroit’s location along a major freshwater trade corridor and an active international border further mirrors the complex, real-world environments autonomous systems increasingly must navigate, from logistics and port operations to infrastructure monitoring and security.
“XPONENTIAL has always reflected where the autonomy industry actually stands,” says Tom Mitchell, CEO of MDNA. “In 2026, that picture is clear: the industry is moving beyond pilots and promises and into deployment. Bringing XPONENTIAL to Detroit underscores that autonomy is now about performance in real conditions, not just innovation.”
XPONENTIAL 2026 programming will focus on how robotics and autonomous systems move from development to operational use. Attendees such as innovators, technologists, operators, engineers, startups, and end users from more than 20 industries and 60 countries, will have the opportunity to connect, learn, and experience autonomous technologies in action from more than 550 exhibitors.
The conference will feature keynote sessions from senior industry, defense, and government leaders examining the direction of the autonomy ecosystem, the tradeoffs shaping deployment, and the policy and operational decisions influencing adoption.
More than 100 sessions spanning technology, enterprise operations, workforce development, policy and governance, and autonomy in action will provide practical insight into how robotics and autonomous systems are being implemented across sectors.
Hands-on demonstrations, workshops, and government- and end-user-led sessions will showcase deployed technologies and operational lessons across mobility, defense, infrastructure, energy, and public safety.
New and expanded in 2026, XPONENTIAL introduces a Monday evening keynote to open the event, expanded government-led roundtables, and interactive problem-solving sessions focused on deployment challenges.
The event also will feature a strengthened defense focus through the co-location of AUVSI Defense and the Michigan Defense Expo (MDEX), bringing autonomy innovators together with more than 3,000 defense, government, and industry professionals and directly connecting emerging technologies with acquisition, manufacturing, and deployment priorities.
In addition to on-site receptions and meetups, attendees can expand their networking opportunities through the official XPONENTIAL 2026 App, which allows participants to discover relevant contacts and request 1:1 meetings during the event.
Registration is now open. Explore the full conference program and more information about XPONTENTIAL 2026 at xponential.org.
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