Merging artificial intelligence and classic machine control as the basis for physical AI is a key topic for Beckhoff at Hannover Messe 2026. At Stand G56 in Hall 27, the automation specialist will be demonstrating how large language models (LLMs) directly influence real motion sequences via standardized interfaces. The accompanying exhibit will showcase this technology’s potential in a fun, entertaining way. Get a sneak preview of the program at the Hannover Messe Press Preview on February 25.
The integration of physical AI marks a paradigm shift in the manufacturing industry. Establishing a direct link between AI models and deterministic control technology allows machines to do more than just process static commands – it helps them create context-specific, autonomous responses to sophisticated requirements.
At the Hannover Messe Press Preview, Beckhoff will be presenting an initial tangible insight into this technology using a compact demo cell, which will combine the XPlanar planar motor system with the TwinCAT CoAgent AI tool and an audio interface for voice commands. Visitors will experience a physical AI application in which floating movers can be controlled using natural language and initiate the next motion sequence on command. This fun demonstration is designed to illustrate how simple and intuitive collaboration between humans and machines will be in the future, allowing users who are not programming specialists to perform complex automation tasks.
Beckhoff will be scaling this scenario to a fully integrated industrial application at Hannover Messe 2026, taking place from April 20 to 24. The ATRO modular industrial robot system, which is programmed and controlled using TwinCAT CoAgent for Operations using voice commands, will take center stage here. Based on the Model Context Protocol (MCP), the control system acts as an intelligent agent that translates human speech into machine commands, orchestrates path planning, and performs diagnostic tasks. The physical AI application will be showcased using a fun approach: the exhibit will play chess against visitors.
With tools such as TwinCAT CoAgent and TwinCAT Machine Learning Creator, Beckhoff already offers an ecosystem that facilitates this new era of automation. The tools support machine builders throughout the entire life cycle – from code generation in engineering through to error analysis during operation.
“We are moving AI away from chat windows and directly into machines and enabling language models to access the real world of controls through new standards such as MCP,” says Hans Beckhoff, Managing Director and owner of Beckhoff, describing this new development. “Technical inventions have always influenced the way that society as a whole evolves. Artificial intelligence and physical AI have significant implications, on the same level as the steam engine and electricity.”
Visitors to the HMI Preview and Hannover Messe are invited to the Beckhoff stand to see how physical AI is pushing the boundaries of classic automation and securing new competitive advantages.
