AUTONOMOUS
AUTONOMOUS is the premier conference for robotics and physical AI, taking place July 16, 2026 in San Francisco.
Event at a glance
Dates: July 16, 2026
Duration: 1 Day
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
Event status: PAST
Main themes
Humanoid robotics
Robotics software and simulation
Intelligent robotics and research
Why this event matters
AUTONOMOUS is the premier conference for robotics and physical AI, held July 16, 2026 in San Francisco. It brings together 500+ senior practitioners including founders, investors, engineers, and enterprise operators across two stages and four content tracks. Physical AI is at an inflection point with billions invested in the space over the past 24 months as humanoid and mobile robotics companies transition from demos to real-world deployment. The conference addresses the critical commercial conversation in the field and serves as a practitioner-first gathering—not a trade show or academic symposium—for decision-makers and builders driving this transition from research projects to commercial reality.
Speakers and community
The conference features 50+ speakers across two stages including founders, engineers, investors, and operators at the frontier of physical AI. Attendees include founders and executives from leading robotics companies, technical leaders working at the frontier of autonomy and physical AI, active venture investors, and enterprise operators actively deploying autonomous systems at scale across various industries.
Venue and setting
AUTONOMOUS takes place at The Midway in San Francisco's Dogpatch neighborhood near Mission Bay and Chase Center, with convenient access to downtown, Moscone Center, and SFO airport. The venue is located in San Francisco, home to the deepest concentration of robotics startups and physical AI companies, along with the venture capital funding the sector. The event runs July 16, 2026 from 8:00 AM (doors open) with programming from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, followed by evening reception until 7:00 PM.
Previous editions
AUTONOMOUS is Frontier Media's inaugural flagship event, making the July 2026 conference the first edition. The conference was announced in April 2026 by Frontier Media, a media and events company founded by Rohan Savla. This marks the company's debut conference dedicated to bringing together the builders of frontier technologies in the robotics and physical AI sector.
