In an era defined by rapid technological advancements, the robotics industry is racing to keep up. One key player, Mikell Taylor, the Director of Robotics Strategy at General Motors Co. (GM), believes that for the industry to continue its upward trajectory, it needs to go beyond just the thrill of novel technologies. Instead, it must strive to earn market trust. Taylor will elaborate on this in her forthcoming speech titled “What Makes a Robot Worthy?” at the Robotics Summit & Expo 2026, scheduled to take place in Boston on May 27-28. You can read more about this here.
Mikell Taylor: A Stalwart in the Robotics Industry
Having spent a quarter of a century in creating purposeful robots, Mikell Taylor has had a versatile career, from creating robotic proms to unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), and building advanced industrial systems. Her current role sees her spearheading the robotics strategy for General Motors’ Autonomous Robotics Center. Previously, she was at the helm of the Amazon Robotics team that developed Proteus, Amazon’s inaugural autonomous mobile robot (AMR).
Taylor’s professional credo is centered around creating robots that are practical, reliable and can seamlessly partner with the people who work with and around them. This approach has earned her recognition as a leader in Boston’s tech community, and she was honored as one of the Boston Globe Tech Power Players in 2023.
Apart from her professional commitments, Taylor serves on the board of Mbadika, a STEM-focused nonprofit dedicated to nurturing ideas and their creators. She also coaches her eldest’s LEGO robotics team, a role she humorously notes garners her less respect than her day job. Taylor is an alumna of Olin College, where she was part of the first graduating class, earning a bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer engineering.
Robots in the Real World: The Need for Trust
As robots are designed to operate in the physical world, Taylor emphasizes the need for these robots to prove their worthiness for adoption in environments where safety, performance, availability, and return on investment are paramount. Drawing from her wealth of experience working in startups developing technology for clients of all sizes, as well as in leadership roles at corporate giants like Amazon and GM, Taylor will provide tangible examples to illustrate her points.
At the summit, Taylor will also discuss the importance of avoiding stagnation in what she aptly terms “pilot purgatory”. Her keynote address is scheduled for 10 a.m. ET on May 28 in the ABC Keynote Room at the Thomas M. Menino Convention & Exhibition Center.
Robotics Summit & Expo 2026: A Must-Attend Event
Registration is now open for the Robotics Summit & Expo, the world’s premier technical event for commercial robotics developers. The event is hosted by The Robot Report and its parent company, WTWH Media.
The conference will feature over 50 sessions covering a range of topics including artificial intelligence, design and development, enabling technologies, healthcare, and logistics. The Engineering Theater located in the exhibition space will also feature presentations from industry experts.
With more than 70 confirmed speakers from leading companies such as Amazon Robotics, AWS, Brain Corp, Fictiv, Harmonic Drive, maxon, PickNik Robotics, QNX, RealSense, the Robotics and AI Institute, Robust AI, Tesla, Toyota Research Institute, and Universal Robots, this is an event not to be missed.
The Robotics Summit will also feature numerous networking opportunities. Taylor will be speaking at the Women in Robotics breakfast on the second day. Additional networking events include a Mix & Mingle reception following the first day of the show and the ticketed RBR50 Awards Dinner.
The Robotics Summit & Expo will be co-located with DeviceTalks Boston, an event focusing on medical devices.
