MODEX 2026 Recap

Editors Gene Demaitre from The Robot Report and Sarah Wynn from Packaging OEM spent the week walking the aisles of MODEX 2026. In this episode, we learn about all of the interesting new products and automation solutions for packaging and warehouse logistics that they discovered this week at the show in Atlanta. MODEX Show Highlights - The Rise of Multi-Agent Orchestration: Discussion on the shift from isolated robotic pods to integrated systems where diverse robot types (AMRs, arms, and sorters) communicate seamlessly. - Humanoid Robots in Logistics: A recap of the buzz surrounding humanoid deployments in warehouses, moving beyond prototypes to real-world pilot tests for trailer unloading and case picking. - Heavy-Duty Automation: Analysis of new autonomous forklifts and reach trucks designed to handle pallet-scale movements in high-traffic distribution centers. - Software Over Hardware: A key takeaway from the show floor was the industry's focus on "orchestration software"—the "brain" that manages fleet interoperability across different manufacturers. Industry News & Strategic Shifts - Skild AI & Fetch Robotics: Analysis of Skild AI's strategic acquisition of Fetch Robotics' assets from Zebra, signaling a move to put advanced AI "brains" into proven industrial "bodies." - Gemini-Powered Spot: Insights into the Boston Dynamics and Google DeepMind partnership, which uses multimodal AI to give the Spot robot advanced semantic understanding and natural language control. ### Listen for a special discount code to save money on your registration to the 2026 Robotics Summit and Expo: https://www.roboticssummit.com/ – SPONSOR – Download the 2026 State of the Robotics Industry Report: https://www.therobotreport.com/state-of-robotics-industry-report-2026/