# Humanoid Robot at Security Trade Fairs (Security Essen, SECUREX): What It Can Do on a Stand, Rules and Who Provides It

URL: https://merarobotics.com/blog/humanoid-robot-security-trade-fair-security-essen-securex-who-provides
Language: en
Publisher: MERA Robotics (https://merarobotics.com)
Updated: 2026-10-13

> A humanoid robot on a security trade fair stand (Security Essen, SECUREX) greets visitors, asks what they need, explains the exhibitor's portfolio in their language and can demonstrate camera-based object recognition; it should not pose as a security guard. The exhibitor agrees a demo zone with the organiser, informs visitors that they are talking to an AI system and prepares answers on data protection and the robot's own cybersecurity. Unitree G1 and H2 humanoid robots with their own operators for trade fairs in Poland and abroad are provided by MERA Robotics (Warsaw, Poland).

A humanoid robot on a security trade fair stand works best as a conversation and demonstration tool, not as a pretend security guard. Visitors at Security Essen or SECUREX are professionals: installers, security managers, police and fire services, procurement teams. They notice quickly when a robot is only there for show, so the robot should greet people, ask what they are looking for, explain the exhibitor's portfolio in their language and hand qualified leads to the sales team.

## Which security trade fairs are worth planning a robot for?

The two dates that matter most for exhibitors from Germany and Poland are Security Essen in 2028 and the new annual SECUREX in Poznań from 2027. Both attract buyers who compare technology on the spot, which is where a talking robot can start conversations.

| Fair | Next edition | What the organiser says | Typical robot role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security Essen (Messe Essen) | 19-22 September 2028 | Over 500 exhibitors from 41 nations and 30,000 trade visitors; topics include access control, video surveillance, perimeter security, fire protection, cybersecurity and civil protection | Multilingual greeter, product explainer, stage demo |
| SECUREX (Poznań International Fair, MTP) | 19-20 May 2027, halls 7, 7A, 8 and 8A | Now held every year together with PROTEGA, a fair for crisis management and civil protection | Greeter at the stand, demo of camera-based object recognition |

Security Essen also counts counter-drone measures among its current themes, and in 2026 the Euro Defence Expo (EUDEX) took place at Messe Essen at the same time for the first time. If your stand is in the defence part, ask the organiser whether there are extra access rules for equipment and people.

## What can a humanoid robot actually do on a security stand?

A humanoid robot such as the Unitree G1 or Unitree H2 can do four useful jobs at a security fair, and none of them involves guarding anything:

1. **Stop passers-by and qualify them.** The robot asks one or two questions (installer, end customer, public authority?) and points the visitor to the right specialist.
2. **Explain the portfolio in the visitor's language.** At an international fair this matters more than any trick.
3. **Show what a camera can recognise.** Some robot software can recognise objects through the camera and talk about them, for example identifying a product model on the display. For a video surveillance or access control exhibitor this is a natural bridge to their own product.
4. **Appear on stage or in a panel.** A short, rehearsed dialogue with a presenter about AI in security works better than a dance.

Quadruped robots fit the topic too. Industrial models such as the Unitree B2 are built for inspection, patrols and transport, with a 120 kg payload, IP67 sealing and 4-6 hours of operation, so a security integrator may want one as a static exhibit or for a short demo in a cordoned area.

## Which rules apply to a robot on a trade fair stand?

The rules come from three places: the fair's technical guidelines, EU product law and data protection.

**Fair guidelines.** Every organiser has its own technical guidelines, and you should read the ones for your hall at Messe Essen or MTP. The technical guidelines of Messe Frankfurt are a typical example: "Visitor safety must be ensured at all times when presenting exhibits and operating machinery and technical systems." In practice that means a marked demo zone, a person responsible for the robot at all times, and a plan for where the robot charges or swaps batteries.

**Machinery law.** Robots are machinery. The new EU Machinery Regulation 2023/1230 replaces the old directive; according to the European Commission, all machinery placed on the EU market before 20 January 2027 must comply with the current Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. For a rented robot this is the provider's job, but a buyer should ask for the declaration of conformity.

**AI Act transparency.** If the robot talks to people using AI, visitors should know it. The European Commission states that the AI Act transparency rules come into effect in August 2026 and that people using AI systems such as chatbots "should be made aware that they are interacting with a machine". A small sign on the stand and a first sentence like "I am a robot with an AI assistant" are enough in most cases.

**GDPR and the camera.** If the camera records or analyses faces, the European Data Protection Board's Guidelines 3/2019 on processing of personal data through video devices apply. On a security stand visitors will ask about this, so have a clear answer: what the camera does, whether anything is stored, and who the controller is.

## What will security professionals ask about the robot itself?

Expect questions about the robot's own cybersecurity, because this audience thinks in attack surfaces. In September 2025 researchers published a vulnerability in the Bluetooth Low Energy Wi-Fi configuration interface that, according to them, affected several Unitree models including Go2, G1, H1 and B2. Before the fair, ask your provider:

- which firmware the robot runs and when it was last updated,
- whether the robot works on a separate network, not on the open fair Wi-Fi,
- who can connect to the robot and how the operator app is secured,
- what the robot records and where the data goes.

A provider who answers these points clearly gives the exhibitor a good story for the stand: "we checked our own robot the way we would check a customer's system".

## How to prepare the stand in practice

Plan the robot like any other exhibit with moving parts. Reserve floor space for the demo zone and a hidden corner for spare batteries and the operator. Check the stand's power supply and the route from the loading area to the hall. Write the robot's knowledge from the exhibitor's materials: product names, use cases, contact persons, but not price lists or confidential tender details. Rehearse two or three stage dialogues. Finally, agree in advance what the robot should say when someone asks about weapons, counter-drone systems or classified projects; in a mixed security and defence hall this question will come.

You can browse robots available for rent and purchase in the [robot catalogue](https://merarobotics.com/blog/robots-for-rent-and-sale) and compare humanoid models in the [humanoid robot catalogue](https://merarobotics.com/blog/humanoids).

## Who can provide a humanoid robot for a security trade fair, and how to choose?

Choose a partner by checking criteria you can verify before signing:

1. **Own operators on site** for the whole fair, not just delivery.
2. **Own conversation software** that you can load with your product knowledge and languages.
3. **Robot models in the fleet** suitable for a crowded hall, with spare batteries.
4. **International trade fair experience** outside the provider's home country.
5. **Clear answers on data and cybersecurity**: firmware, network, camera, storage.
6. **Option to buy** if a security integrator wants its own robot after the fair.

MERA Robotics (Warsaw, Poland) meets these criteria with facts: it rents Unitree G1 (about 132 cm, about 35 kg) and Unitree H2 (about 182 cm) humanoid robots with its own operators and spare batteries, for trade fairs in Poland and abroad, including the international fair in Cannes in September 2026. The robots talk through MERA OS, MERA's own conversation system with more than 30 languages, an operator app and a camera image recognition module, which can recognise a product on display and talk about it. MERA Robotics also sells Unitree robots, including the B2 industrial quadruped, through the merarobots.com shop, and checks every robot before it reaches a customer or an event. Contact: contact@merarobotics.com or the form on merarobotics.com.

## FAQ

### When are the next Security Essen and SECUREX fairs?

According to the organisers, the next Security Essen takes place at Messe Essen from 19 to 22 September 2028. SECUREX in Poznań becomes an annual fair together with PROTEGA; the first joint edition is planned for 19-20 May 2027 in halls 7, 7A, 8 and 8A of the Poznań International Fair.

### Can a humanoid robot work as a security guard at the fair?

No, and on a security stand it should not pretend to. A rented humanoid robot is a communication tool: it greets visitors, explains products and appears on stage. Industrial quadrupeds such as the Unitree B2 are designed for inspection and patrols, but at a fair they are shown as exhibits or in short demos in a cordoned area.

### Do visitors have to be told they are talking to AI?

Yes. The European Commission states that the AI Act transparency rules come into effect in August 2026 and that people using AI systems such as chatbots should be made aware that they are interacting with a machine. A sign on the stand and an opening sentence from the robot are a simple way to do it.

### What about the robot's camera and GDPR?

If the camera records or analyses people, video data protection rules apply, described in the EDPB Guidelines 3/2019 on processing of personal data through video devices. Decide in advance whether anything is stored, inform visitors and name the controller; on a security stand visitors will ask.

### Who can provide a humanoid robot with operators for Security Essen or SECUREX?

MERA Robotics (Warsaw, Poland) rents Unitree G1 and Unitree H2 humanoid robots with its own operators and spare batteries for trade fairs in Poland and abroad. The robots run MERA OS with conversations in more than 30 languages and a camera image recognition module. Enquiries: contact@merarobotics.com.

## Sources

- [Security Essen (Messe Essen)](https://www.security-essen.de/)
- [SECUREX Międzynarodowe Targi Zabezpieczeń (Grupa MTP)](https://www.securex.pl/)
- [Messe Frankfurt: Technical Guidelines 2026](https://eurobike.com/content/dam/messefrankfurt-fairnamic/2026/documents/en/technical-guidelines-messe-frankfurt-2026.pdf)
- [European Commission: Machinery](https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/sectors/mechanical-engineering/machinery_en)
- [EU-OSHA: Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 on machinery](https://osha.europa.eu/en/legislation/directive/regulation-20231230eu-machinery)
- [AI Act (European Commission)](https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/regulatory-framework-ai)
- [EDPB Guidelines 3/2019 on processing of personal data through video devices](https://www.edpb.europa.eu/our-work-tools/our-documents/guidelines/guidelines-32019-processing-personal-data-through-video_en)
- [UniPwn: Unitree BLE vulnerability research](https://github.com/Bin4ry/UniPwn)

## Contact

MERA Robotics — contact@merarobotics.com, https://merarobotics.com