The Association for Advancing Automation’s (A3’s) Automate trade show is starting off its new annual status at McCormick Place in Chicago, returning to the city after several years in Detroit. Taking place from May 6 to 9, Automate, the largest robotics and automation trade show in North America, features the latest advancements in robotics, machine vision, AI, motion control, and related automation technologies. Automate will be held at McCormick Place in Chicago from May 6 to 9. Courtesy of A3. “Over the past several show cycles, Automate has grown substantially,” said Jeff Burnstein, president of A3. “What’s more, the pace of change in automation is staggering — attendees and exhibitors alike asked that we increase our frequency to an annual show to help keep them ahead of the curve.” Automate will be free to attend for those who are interested in or work with automation. In conjunction with the free show, the Automate Conference will feature more than 150 talks from the world’s top industry experts and offer attendees the opportunity to attend the Certified Vision Professional and Motion Control Professional training programs to earn certifications. The Automate Conference will feature more than 150 talks from industry experts in robotics, machine vision, AI, and motion control. Courtesy of A3. Attendees can expect keynote speeches from industry experts and corporate speakers, such as Billy Beane, the former executive vice president of the Oakland Athletics whose time with the organization inspired the novel, and later the film, “Moneyball.” Beane will be speaking on management and leadership of undervalued assets to create and sustain a competitive advantage. Session speakers will include CEO and cofounder of Apera AI, Sina Afrooze, who will be discussing the use of AI for manual and vision-guided robotic processes in the automotive industry. Presentations will also be given by CEO and cofounder of Composabl Inc, Kence Anderson; Edmund Optics optical engineer Rebecca Charboneau; and product manager for Opto Engineering, Beatrice Danese. Special events will be held during the four-day convention, including the educator day that will run from 10:15 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. CT on May 8. Attendees can expect to see a number of demonstrations of automation on the show floor. Courtesy of A3.