Sabine Hauert, professor of swarm engineering at University of Bristol, will explore how out-of-the-box robot swarms can be implemented within everyday use cases.
Robotics & Automation Exhibition returns to the NEC Birmingham (Halls 6 & 7) on 18–19 March 2026 and is expected to attract more than 11,000 visitors from manufacturing, logistics and engineering-led sectors, with more than 250 exhibitors and 60+ conference sessions across the show.
The exhibition is co-located with IntraLogisteX and the Sustainable Supply Chain Exhibition, alongside the new Fulfilment & Last Mile Expo, bringing multiple parts of the end-to-end operations and supply chain technology landscape together under one roof.
Hauert’s session, titled, “Out-of-the-box robot swarms for everyday applications”, will take place Robotics & Automation Theatre on Wednesday 18 March (13:00–13:20).
In her talk, Hauert will discuss how robotics can be utilised via swarms to scale operations, improving efficiency in a variety of sectors.
The talk will consist of:
- Swarm technology enables robots to be used out-of-the-box at scale
- Advances in robotics, AI and collaborative awareness are powering swarm deployments
- Applications range from manufacturing, construction, and farming to logistics
For businesses that have a strong automation ambition but feel stuck at the “where do we start?” stage, this is exactly the kind of session that can de-mystify the route to action.
The most valuable programmes are rarely just about grant money. The real unlock is using structured challenges and ecosystem connections to sharpen a use case, reduce technical risk and build credible pathways to deployment.
Hauert is professor of swarm engineering at University of Bristol. She leads a team of 20 researchers working on making swarms for people, and across scales, from nanorobots for cancer treatment, to larger robots for environmental monitoring, or logistics.
Before joining the University of Bristol, Hauert engineered swarms of nanoparticles for cancer treatment at MIT, and deployed swarms of flying robots at EPFL.
She’s PI or Co-I on more than 40M GBP in grant funding and has served on national and international committees, including the UK Robotics Growth Partnership, the Royal Society Working Group on Machine Learning, and several IEEE boards.
She is on the board of directors of the Open Source Robotics Foundation and is executive trustee of non-profits robohub.org and aihub.org, which connect the robotics and AI communities to the public.
Hauert’s presentation forms part of a two-day Robotics & Automation Theatre agenda spanning AI for robotics, flexible automation, robot manipulation, RPA delivery lessons and sustainability-focused robotics, alongside panels on UK adoption challenges and case study-led sessions from industry and research speakers.
Day one includes sessions on reconfigurable robot cell design using ROS 2, robotic manipulation and digital twins and a panel discussion exploring why the UK trails in robotics and what a practical adoption roadmap looks like.
Day two continues with talks focused on AI-driven perception in uncertain environments, smarter warehouse decision-making and the competitive consequences of delaying automation.
Join more than 11,000+ industry professionals at Robotics & Automation Exhibition on 18–19 March 2026 at the NEC Birmingham to explore cutting-edge technologies, connect with peers and discover the latest innovations shaping manufacturing, engineering and logistics. Register for free to secure your place.
