2026 Programming Schedule
Main Stage Programming
Robotics & AI Discovery Day brings together leaders from robotics, AI, advanced manufacturing, investment, workforce development, and industry for a full day of conversations on the technologies and people shaping the future.
9:15 AM – 9:30 AM
Welcome
Opening remarks and welcome to Robotics & AI Discovery Day.
9:30 AM – 10:00 AM
The Future of Employment in Deep Tech
The future of work is changing faster than ever. Will fractional careers become the norm? Are stackable credentials replacing traditional degrees? Join industry leaders for a conversation about what is working today, what is just hype, and how work, learning, and careers could evolve over the next decade.
Speakers
- Jenny Sharpe, Director of Workforce Development, Pittsburgh Robotics Network
- Nate Padgett, Founder, Informal
- Additional speaker to be announced
10:05 AM – 10:35 AM
Session Title TBA
Speaker
- Brian Heater
- Additional details coming soon.
10:40 AM – 11:10 AM
Partnerships as a GTM Strategy
Explore how strategic partnerships can help technology companies accelerate go-to-market efforts, reach new customers, strengthen product offerings, and scale more effectively.
Speakers
- Mick Shieh, Senior Account Executive, Uber AI
- Brett Phillips, Hellbender
- Representative, Fictiv
- Moderator
- Ben Wilson, Rivers Agile
11:15 AM – 11:55 AM
Hard Tech, Hard Lessons: Growing a Robotics Company
Building a robotics company means navigating long development cycles, hardware complexity, manufacturing, fundraising, customer adoption, and the realities of scaling a physical product. Leaders from robotics companies share lessons learned from building and growing hard-tech businesses.
Speakers
- Chris Baker, Seegrid
- Peter Seiff, ST Aethon
- Brian Beyer, Hellbender
- Stuart Lawrence, Titan Robotics
12:00 PM – 12:55 PM
Robotics Factory Startup Presentations
Meet emerging companies from the Robotics Factory and hear directly from founders building the next generation of robotics and automation technologies.
1:00 PM – 1:45 PM
Beyond the AI Hype: Where Robotics Capital Is Really Going
Where are investors placing their bets in robotics and physical AI? This panel looks beyond the headlines to explore what investors are funding, what they are avoiding, and what makes a robotics company attractive in today's capital environment.
Speaker
- Joe Biancaniello, Executive Director, J.P. Morgan
- Additional panelists to be announced.
1:50 PM – 2:30 PM
Building the Human Touch: Honda’s Humanoid Robotics Journey
Honda has spent decades advancing humanoid robotics, from locomotion and mobility to increasingly sophisticated manipulation. Hear how Honda is approaching one of the next major frontiers in humanoid robotics: developing multi-fingered hands and the intelligence required to use them.
Speakers
- Hyundo Kwon, Principal, Honda Innovations Silicon Valley
- Takahide Yoshiike, Executive Chief Engineer, Honda R&D Frontier Robotics
2:40 PM – 3:15 PM
Building the Intelligent Machine: The Technologies Powering Physical AI
Physical AI requires far more than an intelligent model. Computing, perception, sensors, edge infrastructure, connectivity, and hardware must work together to turn AI into machines that can understand and interact with the physical world.
Speakers
- Jason Osborne, Director of Robotics and Physical AI Market Development, Intel
- Chris Matthieu, VP, Developer Ecosystem, RealSense
- Eunice Chen, Product Manager of Autonomous Systems & Robotics and Arm Computing, Advantech
- Additional speakers and moderator to be announced.
3:20 PM – 3:40 PM
Session TBA
Additional programming will be announced soon.
3:45 PM – 4:00 PM
Awards
Join us as we recognize outstanding student achievement at Robotics & AI Discovery Day.
- FIRST Robotics Awards, presented by Stack AV
- Student Poster Session Awards, presented by Duquesne University