Robots are getting ready to take over Las Vegas during CES 2016. Here are six must-see robotics sights to add to your schedule.

The 2016 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is just around the corner, and robots will be taking over Las Vegas.

The Robotics Marketplace, presented by Robotics Trends, will alone see a 71 percent growth in exhibit space over 2015 CES. There’s a lot to see, and not too much time to see it. CES’ Personal Show Plan will help you map your show, but we also want to chip in by sharing the must-see robotics events/areas in Las Vegas.

What are you most excited to see at CES 2016? Here are our top 6 items:

1. Robotics Marketplace

Location: Sands Expo, Level 2 | Hours: Jan. 6 (10 AM-6 PM), Jan. 7 (9 AM-6 PM), Jan. 8 (9 AM-6 PM), Jan. 9 (9 AM-4 PM)

View Map of the Robotics Marketplace – Tech West

The Robotics Marketplace will showcase intelligent, autonomous machines that are changing the way we live. They are connected to the cloud, controllable by mobile device and capable of seeing, hearing and reacting to the environment in ways once thought impossible.

Twenty-three exhibitors will showcase the full range of robotic technologies that are transforming the way consumers learn, do business, monitor their health and maintain their households. Companies include Double Robotics, Ecovacs Robotics, Future Robot, Ozobot, and Ninebot.

“Robots can increasingly move, see, hear, sense and react to the environment,” says Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CEA. “Robots will change how we approach our daily lives. We expect to see this category expand on the CES show floor, improve lives and help transform the consumer technology industry.”

2. The half-day Robotics Conference Track

A half-day robotics conference, also presented by Robotics Trends, will offer a deep dive into personal robotics. Attendees will get a first look at the latest robots entering the market and learn from experts the specific ways that robots are redefining the consumer experience and pushing back the boundaries of innovation. Here’s a look at the three sessions:

Robots Come Home

Jan. 8, 9-10 AM, Venetian, Level 4, Marcello 4501

Wherever you happen to live, better make room for a robot. The first wave of personal robots just hit the open market. We premiere the best of these home companions and their makers, plus future insight on what’s next in their product pipelines.

Smart Robots: A.I., Learning and the Cloud

Jan. 8, 10:15-11:15 AM, Venetian, Level 4, Marcello 4501

The fusion of robotics, AI, and Cloud Computing forms the blueprint for a new breed of machine: the “learning” robot. Leading minds in cognitive systems and Cloud robotics unpack what happens when these powerful technologies are transplanted into robots.



Ekso Bionics demos its exoskeleton during the Robotics Conference Track at CES 2015.

See them Live! Robot Revue for 2016

Jan. 8, 11:30 AM-12:30 PM, Venetian, Level 4, Marcello 4501

Robotics Trends introduces the year’s hottest, most exciting robots and their makers. This session includes demos and Q&A with robotics’ most disruptive new entrepreneurs.

Editor’s Note: Registration is now open and Robotics Trends’ readers can save 15% by using promo code CESRT.

Share Your Thoughts What robots are you most excited to see at CES 2016 in Las Vegas? Create a free account with Robotics Trends today and share your thoughts below.

3. Unmanned Systems Marketplace (Drones)

Location: LVCC, South Hall 2 | Hours: Jan. 6 (10 AM-6 PM), Jan. 7 (9 AM-6 PM), Jan. 8 (9 AM-6 PM), Jan. 9 (9 AM-4 PM)

Drones dominated CES 2015, and we showed you the cream of the crop, but they’re looking to play just as big a role this year. The Unmanned Systems Marketplace features more than 20 companies that will show off the next wave of drones.

DJI will be one of those exhibitors, possibly discussing its new geofencing system, drone store, and drone delivery partnership with Walmart. Ehang will also be there, hopefully with its Ghost 2.0 drone that comes with virtual reality goggles that allow you to experience flight through the drone’s 4K camera.

But perhaps the most popular (or unpopular) exhibitor will be the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in booth 25700. Many folks are unhappy with the lack of progress on the commercial drone regulation front, as well as the recently introduced drone registration system. Hopefully the booth attendees have thick skin.

The FAA will be holding its own press conference where it will detail the next phase of the Know Before You Fly safety campaign. The conference takes place Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2015 between 4-5 PM in the South Hall (S228) of the Las Vegas Convention Center. The FAA will be joined by the AMA and the Small UAV Coalition.

There are a couple other drone sessions, which the FAA may want to consider attending, that will discuss the necessity of rules regarding the safe operation of unmanned aircraft in the national airspace, and new systems for managing drones must account for security and privacy. Here’s a look at those sessions:

Rules for Drones – Best Policies and Practices

Jan. 7, 1-2 PM, LVCC, North Hall, Room N256)

Rules for drones are needed so that entrepreneurs, businesses and governments can realize the tremendous benefits of unmanned aircraft systems, but what rules are best? What policies and initiatives will support safety and innovation, with benefits to consumers and commerce? Lisa Ellman, a partner at Hogan Lovells, will moderate, while DJI’s VP of policy and legal affairs, Brendan Schulman, will be a speaker.

Managing Low-Altitude Airspace for Safety and Privacy

Jan. 7, 2:15-3:15 PM, LVCC, North Hall, Room N256

Innovators, companies, researchers and regulators have visions for how best to manage the airspace for drones. How are they accounting for safety, security and privacy? Learn how the public and private sectors are tackling the challenge of air space management. Jim Williams, principal, Dentons US will be the moderator, while Jennifer Richter, Partner, Akin Grump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, is the featured speaker.

4. Self-Driving Cars

Driverless cars and concept cars are must-sees annually at CES, and the Mercedes-Benz F 015 concept car and Audi A7 dominated the automotive headlines at the 2015 show. The F 015 is a self-driving concept car with a lounge-like cabin that has four seats that swivel 90 degrees to let passengers interact. Audi’s self-driving A7 completed a two-day, 550-mile trip from the San Francisco Bay Area to Las Vegas in time for the kickoff of last year’s event.

Rinspeed’s Etos self-driving car is dominating the early buzz about driverless vehicles at CES 2016. It appears to be a pretty standard self-driving car, until you notice the helipad on the back of the car. According to Rinspeed, a drone could take off from the Etos to “fetch a bouquet of flowers the driver ordered online and even deliver it directly to the lucky recipient.” Or the drone could tail the self-driving car and take aerial footage.



Rinspeed Etos concept car

Location: Sands Expo, Level 2 | Hours: Jan. 6 (10 AM-6 PM), Jan. 7 (9 AM-6 PM), Jan. 8 (9 AM-6 PM), Jan. 9 (9 AM-4 PM)

View Map of 3D Printing Marketplace

Most 3D printers are used for building prototypes for the medical, aerospace, engineering and automotive industries, but with the advancement of the digital technology supporting it, these machines are moving towards more compact units with affordable price-points for today’s consumer.

The 3D Printing Marketplace includes 58 exhibitors, including 3D Systems, Formlabs, MarkForged, Stratasys and many more. If CES 2016 is anything like the 2015 show, expect to see quite a few new models that range from souped-up versions of existing commercial models to stripped-down models for hobbyists.

Location: Sands Expo, Level 1 | Hours: Jan. 6 (10 AM-6 PM), Jan. 7 (9 AM-6 PM), Jan. 8 (9 AM-6 PM), Jan. 9 (9 AM-4 PM)

View Eureka Park Map

Eureka Park is the flagship startup destination at CES, giving attendees the opportunity to see the latest ideas and innovations from an international breadth of budding entrepreneurs. Home-grown innovation ranging from fledgling prototypes to progressing startups will span the entire consumer technology.

A quick scan of Eureka Park exhibitors includes a slew of robotics companies, including BlueFrog, CellRobot, Cleverpet, Empire Robotics, Extreme Fliers Micro Drone, Flypro, Keecker, and Reach Robotics.