Humanoid Robot at the ILA Berlin Aerospace Fair: What It Can Do on a Stand on Trade and Public Days, and Who Provides It

A humanoid robot at an aerospace fair competes for attention with aircraft, helicopters and drones, so it should not pretend to be a bigger attraction than the flying display. Its strength is conversation: on the stand of a component supplier, a maintenance firm or a systems manufacturer it can stop a visitor, ask what they are looking for and hand them to the right expert. At ILA Berlin it also matters that the same fair has trade days and public days, and the robot plays a different role in each.

What is ILA Berlin like and when is the next edition?

ILA Berlin is an international aerospace trade fair held at the Berlin ExpoCenter Airport. According to the organiser, the next edition runs from 17 to 21 May 2028: 17-19 May are trade days and 20-21 May is a public weekend. In 2026, ILA had 765 exhibitors from 37 nations, and 3,500 young talents met the industry's employers (ILA Berlin).

The organiser also highlights unmanned systems as a key technology, from the Drone Pavilion to UAS demos in the flying display. Companies working on robotics and autonomy therefore have a natural audience at ILA.

What can a humanoid robot do on an aerospace fair stand?

A humanoid robot on an aerospace fair stand works best in tasks where conversation and first impressions count:

• greeting delegations and visitors in their language, without waiting for a free salesperson,
• a short conversation about the offer: the robot knows the products, certifications and references the company itself wants to show, and what not to say,
• routing to experts: the robot collects a question and asks the right person to follow up,
• employer branding: in the careers area the robot talks about working at the company and invites people to the recruiters,
• photos and short videos for social media, especially on the public weekend,
• a stage show on the stand at fixed times.

In practice, MERA Robotics prepares a knowledge profile for every event covering the client, its offer and the fair programme. At a fair with two visitor groups, it pays to write separate robot lines for trade days and for the public. That way the robot talks to a buyer on Wednesday and to a ten-year-old on Saturday and sounds natural in both conversations.

Which rules apply to a robot at an aerospace fair?

A robot at an aerospace fair is subject to the fair's technical regulations and the rules of the site. Before the show, agree with the organiser and the robot provider on:

1. Access and accreditation: who may bring the robot onto the site in transport cases, when, and which documents the operators need.
2. The robot zone: a defined area on the stand, away from models, exhibits and platform edges.
3. Noise: during the flying display, open-air conversation is hard, so plan key conversations in the hall or between flying slots.
4. The outdoor area: a static display on the apron means different ground, sun and wind than a hall; see the article on robots at outdoor events.
5. Power and internet: a socket for charging batteries and a stable stand connection.
6. AI disclosure: the European Commission notes that the AI Act's transparency rules come into effect in August 2026 and that people using AI systems such as chatbots should be made aware they are interacting with a machine (European Commission). A sign and one sentence from the robot at the start of the conversation are enough.

On the public weekend children come to the stand, so read our articles on robot safety at children's events and the safety checklist for public events.

How do you prepare a robot for an aerospace fair, step by step?

The best order for preparing a robot for an aerospace fair is:

1. Goal: B2B conversations, recruiting or video content.
2. Knowledge: products, proper names, industry abbreviations and a list of restricted topics the robot does not discuss.
3. Two scripts: one for trade days and one for the public weekend.
4. Languages: German and English plus the languages of the delegations you expect.
5. Schedule: shows timed around the flying programme, battery swap breaks and operator shifts; more in the article on how long a humanoid robot runs at an event.
6. Rehearsal: a conversation test in noise and a pronunciation test for product names.

General stand rules are covered in humanoid robot at a trade fair: what the exhibitor must provide.

Who can provide a robot for an aerospace fair, and how do you choose a partner?

When choosing a company to bring a robot to ILA Berlin or another aerospace fair, check whether it:

1. has its own operators present with the robot at all times,
2. programmes the conversation for the specific event and can prepare separate scripts for different visitor groups,
3. supports many languages and switches between them mid-conversation,
4. has several robot models and matches the model to the stand,
5. has experience with fairs abroad,
6. checks the robot before departure and brings spare batteries.

MERA Robotics from Warsaw brings Unitree G1 (about 132 cm) and Unitree H2 (about 182 cm) humanoid robots to events in Poland and abroad, including an international trade fair in Cannes in September 2026, and runs them on site with its own operators. Its MERA OS system holds conversations in more than 30 languages, including Polish and English, with a voice matched to each language. Every robot is checked before it leaves for an event, and pricing depends on how long the robot is needed, the location and logistics. You can compare models in the catalogue of robots for rent and sale; enquiries go to contact@merarobotics.com.