Top 10 Robots and Automation Seen at ProMat 2023

CHICAGO – ProMat 2023 was a big hit, according to MHI, which organized the biennial event. With 1,054 exhibitors, about 300 of which were robotics suppliers, even Robotics 24/7 was hard-pressed to see it all.

Companies at booths and in sessions reported strong attendance, especially on Tuesday and Wednesday of the four-day event. MHI tallied a total of about 50,000 visitors to McCormick Place.

There may have been fewer ground-breaking innovations at this year’s ProMat, and the mood was subdued in comparison to MODEX 2022, the first big trade show after the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was likely the result of recent layoffs and the meltdown of Silicon Valley Bank earlier in March.

However, there were still many booths worth seeing, and we saw prospects from major consumer packaged goods, third-party logistics providers (3PLs), and the world’s largest e-commerce retailers on the show floor.

Robots could be seen throughout the 562,000-sq.-ft. exhibition space, from autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS) to truck-unloading robots and automated lift trucks.

Customers in warehousing are increasingly turning to automation, and the companies that showcased at ProMat this year demonstrated they are aiming to capitalize on that demand.

Whether you were part of the crowd or are catching up from afar, see to the right (below on mobile) for our top 10 examples of robotics, software, and related technologies at ProMat. (We also cite some related examples since there was so much to see.)

Were there any systems not on this list that you thought were exciting? Let us know on LinkedIn!

Editor's note: Eugene Demaitre and Cesareo Contreras make up the editorial staff of Robotics 24/7. Visit our special coverage page for more from ProMat 2023.