Sensors Converge 2026: AI and Software Define What's Next

NEW YORK, NY – February 03, 2026 – Questex today announced the full conference agenda for Sensors Converge 2026, setting the stage for a pivotal industry gathering focused on the technologies shaping the future of intelligent systems. The event, scheduled for May 5–7, 2026, at the Santa Clara Convention Center, will operate under the theme “Design Smarter, Build Faster, Power What’s Next,” signaling a strong emphasis on moving cutting-edge sensor and AI technologies from the lab into reliable, real-world applications.

With a program featuring over 50 educational sessions and in-depth workshops led by more than 50 industry experts, the conference is poised to be a critical destination for engineers and system architects. The agenda dives deep into the trends driving the next wave of innovation, including next-generation sensors, Edge AI, IoT connectivity, and autonomous systems. The event’s organizers stress a focus on practical implementation over theoretical concepts.

“Every intelligent system starts with the sensor,” said David Drain, Show Director for Sensors Converge. “Sensors Converge 2026 is where engineers and system architects come to understand not just what’s next, but how to design systems that actually work in the real world—efficiently, reliably, and at scale.”

The New Intelligence: Software-Defined Sensors and Edge AI

A centerpiece of the 2026 agenda is a keynote address from Ganesh Kondapuram, an Edge AI Architect at Intel with over two decades of experience. His talk, titled “Software-Defined Sensor Fusion for Autonomous Systems,” addresses one of the most significant shifts in modern engineering: the decoupling of perception logic from fixed hardware. This software-centric approach allows for faster innovation cycles, easier integration of new sensor types, and more consistent performance across different platforms. It is the core principle enabling everything from humanoid robots to autonomous drones to combine data from cameras, Lidar, and radar into a single, coherent understanding of their environment.

This focus on software-defined systems reflects a powerful industry-wide migration toward Edge AI, where data processing and decision-making happen locally on a device rather than in a distant cloud server. This shift is driven by the urgent need for lower latency, enhanced data privacy, and greater operational resilience in critical applications. The Edge AI market is experiencing explosive growth, with some analyst projections estimating its value will exceed $66 billion by 2030. This expansion is fueled by the maturation of specialized hardware, such as the Neural Processing Units (NPUs) and AI-optimized chips that are becoming essential for efficiently running complex algorithms on devices with limited power budgets.

Recognizing this, Sensors Converge has introduced a new, dedicated conference track titled 'MCU & Sensor Architectures for AI/ML.' This track will provide a deep dive into the microcontrollers and system-on-chip designs that form the foundation of on-device intelligence, equipping engineers with the knowledge to select and implement the right hardware for a new generation of smart, responsive products.

Building for Reality: From Lab Concepts to Scalable Systems

While the promise of AI-driven sensors is immense, the journey from a proof-of-concept to a mass-market product is fraught with challenges. The conference’s theme, “Design Smarter, Build Faster, Power What’s Next,” directly confronts this reality. The agenda is structured to provide actionable insights for overcoming hurdles related to power consumption, system integration, connectivity, and reliability.

To address these complex needs, the 2026 event introduces several new and refined educational tracks. The 'Sensors + AI' track will explore the symbiotic relationship between data capture and artificial intelligence, while 'Connectivity & System-Level Design' will tackle the challenges of ensuring seamless data flow in complex IoT ecosystems. Other specialized tracks, including 'Automotive & Transportation Sensing' and 'Medical & Healthcare Sensing,' highlight the profound impact intelligent sensors are having on specific vertical markets.

The automotive industry, for example, is a primary driver of sensor innovation. Advanced driver-assist systems (ADAS) and the pursuit of full autonomy rely on a sophisticated array of sensors working in perfect harmony. The discussions in the automotive track will likely focus on enhancing the robustness of sensor fusion algorithms and developing next-generation sensors that can perform reliably in all weather and lighting conditions. Similarly, in healthcare, the rise of AI-powered wearables and remote patient monitoring devices is creating a demand for highly accurate, low-power sensors that can operate for months or years on a single battery, a key topic covered in the 'Power Management & Efficiency' track.

A Convergence of Industries and Innovation

With a history spanning over 40 years, Sensors Converge has evolved from a niche component-focused expo into North America's largest event dedicated to the entire intelligent systems design ecosystem. Its continued growth, including an 18% year-over-year increase in attendance for the 2025 event, underscores its central role in the industry. The event serves as a crucial nexus where engineers, product leaders, and innovators from vastly different markets—including industrial, consumer, medical, and automotive—can share knowledge and find common solutions.

The economic stakes are enormous. The global smart sensor market alone is projected to grow from just over $92 billion in 2025 to nearly $350 billion by 2033, representing a massive wave of economic activity and technological disruption. This growth is not confined to the tech sector; it is transforming legacy industries from the ground up. In manufacturing, Edge AI-powered sensors are enabling predictive maintenance that can prevent costly factory downtime. In agriculture, they optimize water and fertilizer usage to increase crop yields sustainably. In our cities, they manage traffic flow and monitor air quality to create safer, more efficient urban environments.

By bringing together the architects of these foundational technologies, Sensors Converge 2026 provides a unique forum for collaboration and problem-solving. It is a place where a breakthrough in low-power processing for a medical wearable might inspire a new solution for an industrial IoT device. As industries race to build smarter, more autonomous products, the discussions and collaborations at this event are set to define the practical roadmap for turning the promise of intelligent systems into a global reality.