About this episode

This episode recaps the highlights from MODEX 2026, focusing on new automation solutions and industry trends in packaging and warehouse logistics.

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'…

People in this episode

Hosts: Gene Demaitre, Sarah Wynn

Topics covered

• automation solutions
• warehouse logistics
• multi-agent orchestration
• humanoid robots
• autonomous forklifts
• orchestration software

Keywords

• MODEX 2026
• automation
• robotics
• warehouse logistics
• humanoid robots
• orchestration software
• autonomous forklifts
• AI

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: MODEX, Skild AI, Fetch Robotics, Zebra, Boston Dynamics, Google DeepMind

Places: Atlanta

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