XPONENTIAL 2026 Arrives in Detroit Next Week: 5 Things to Know About the World’s Largest Autonomy Event 

May 4, 2026

10,000+ attendees, 550+ exhibitors, and 100+ sessions to explore how robotics, drones and autonomous systems are moving to real-world deployment 

DETROIT (May 4, 2026) — The global robotics and autonomous systems industry will convene in Detroit next week as XPONENTIAL 2026 takes over Huntington Place from May 11–14. The event brings together industry, government, defense and end users at a pivotal moment for the sector, as autonomy moves from demonstration to deployment. The focus is rapidly shifting to where we’re headed next and what policies, infrastructure and supply chain capabilities are required to enable safe and scalable adoption. 

Five key things to know: 

1. The Real Challenge Now Is Scale, Not Just Innovation 

Robotics and autonomous systems are no longer experimental; they are operational. The defining challenge now is scaling it safely and consistently across sectors and environments. 

Conversations will focus on what it takes to move from deployment to sustained adoption, including BVLOS rulemaking, counter-UAS strategy, UTM integration, robotics and AI-enabled systems, and the regulatory and procurement frameworks required to enable scale. 

Attendees will engage directly with operators, regulators and developers through government roundtables, end-user workshops and live demonstrations across the show floor —from a demo of the U.S. Army’s new UAS Marketplace to a real-world Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) jamming scenario, where a next-generation solution demonstrates how navigation can be maintained even under active interference. 

2. Detroit Is Where Deployment Meets Reality 

XPONENTIAL comes to Detroit for the first time at a pivotal moment for the industry, when autonomy is moving from deployment into sustained, real-world deployment. 

The region sits at the intersection of advanced manufacturing, mobility, defense and applied testing—sectors where autonomous systems are already being deployed at scale under real operational constraints. Its location along major freight corridors, port infrastructure and the U.S.–Canada border reflects the complexity of environments these systems must operate within. 

Michigan’s industrial base positions Detroit as a real-world proving ground for systems transitioning from pilots to production, where questions of reliability, integration and scale are being worked out in real time. 

3. From Components to Capability: Autonomy Across the Full Stack 

XPONENTIAL 2026 will highlight the full ecosystem behind robotics and autonomous systems—from software and systems architecture to components, manufacturing and the critical supply chains shaping the next generation of capability. 

More than 550 exhibitors and 100+ sessions will connect deployed systems, across air, ground and maritime domains with the technologies and infrastructure required to scale deployment across sectors. 

Exhibitors span the full stack, from platform developers and operators to the technologies that enable autonomy at scale. Companies such as AeroVironment, Near Earth Autonomy, and Trillium Engineering illustrate how integrated systems are moving from prototype to deployment, while exhibitors like Ghost Robotics and Saronic Technologies highlight the next generation of autonomous ground and maritime systems shaping defense and commercial operations. Supporting technologies across communications, navigation, and sensing—including uAvionix—underscore the infrastructure required to scale these capabilities in real-world environments. 

Key application areas include: 

• Infrastructure inspection for bridges, energy systems, and transportation networks 

• Autonomous search-and-rescue, medical delivery and disaster response operations 

• Open forum to engage directly with the U.S. Department of War Drone Dominance team 

• AI-enabled drone operations and supply chain resilience 

• Environmental monitoring, wildfire detection and coastal mapping 

Attendees from more than 60 countries will participate, including key allied and partner nations. A U.S.–Taiwan Autonomous Systems Cooperation Forum will also convene during the event. 

4. Defense Integration Is Expanding Across the Ecosystem 

Defense programming is a central focus at XPONENTIAL 2026, reflecting the accelerating role of robotics and autonomy in national security and the urgency to scale trusted systems.  

This year, the Department of Defense’s Drone Dominance Team will host its second ever Industry Day at the event—expected to be the largest convening of its kind across the program’s two-year term. The session will bring together government and industry to align on priorities for rapidly advancing U.S. drone capabilities, strengthening the industrial base and delivering operational impact. 

Additionally for the first time, XPONENTIAL integrates defense programming with the Michigan Defense Expo (MDEX), hosted in partnership with the National Defense Industrial Association Michigan Chapter. 

More than 3,000 defense stakeholders will directly engage with autonomy developers, strengthening alignment between emerging technologies, acquisition priorities and operational deployment needs. 

Government participation includes senior leaders from the White House National Security Council, Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy, Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), U.S. Army and Navy, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) advanced aviation offices. 

5. Scaling Autonomy Isn’t just a Tech Problem 

This year’s keynote program emphasizes that successful deployment depends on more than technical advancement, it requires aligned supply chains, resilient infrastructure and clear policy pathways. 

Highlights include: 

• Arthur Herman, New York Times bestselling author of Freedom’s Forge, in conversation with Michael Cadenazzi, Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy, on Detroit’s arc from World War II industrial mobilization to today’s autonomy movement. 

• Dr. Chris Miller, author of Chip War, with Sarah Stewart of Silverado Policy Accelerator and John Maslin of Vulcan Elements, on securing and strengthening the supply chains that power autonomous systems in an era of strategic competition. 

• Travis Metz, Deputy Director and COO of the Defense Innovation Unit and Drone Dominance Program lead, with Evan Smith of Altana and Lorenz Meier of Auterion, on moving from breakthrough to deployment at speed and scale. 

• Dr. Kate Darling, MIT Media Lab researcher and author of The New Breed, on human-robot collaboration, labor, and intentional automation in manufacturing. 

Additional programming includes government roundtables, interactive workshops, and networking through the XPONENTIAL 2026 app powered by Brella. 

Registration remains open 

XPONENTIAL 2026 opens in days, and registration remains open. For professionals working in autonomy, robotics, drones, advanced aviation, or defense, this is the room where the industry’s most consequential conversations will happen, where policy frameworks will be debated, where supply chain and procurement relationships will be forged, and where the collaborations driving the next phase of autonomous systems will begin. 

Credentialed media are also encouraged to register for access to live demonstrations, hands-on showcases, and interviews with technology developers, operators, and policymakers shaping the future of autonomy. 

Explore the full conference program.  
 

About XPONENTIAL 

About AUVSI 

The Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) is the world’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the uncrewed systems, autonomy, and robotics industry. AUVSI advocates for policy, education, and innovation that support safe and productive use of uncrewed systems. 

About MDNA 

Messe Düsseldorf North America (MDNA), located in Chicago, Illinois, is the U.S. subsidiary of Messe Düsseldorf GmbH in Germany – one of the world’s largest organizers of international trade shows for the machinery, medical, retail, lifestyle and leisure industries. Messe Düsseldorf became the first German trade show organizer to establish a permanent, fully staffed office in the U.S. when it opened MDNA in 1986.