A humanoid robot at CPHI Milan 2026: LeoBot on the show floor at Fiera Milano

A humanoid robot at the heart of CPHI Milan

CPHI, the international pharmaceutical trade show, brings together the whole supply chain: active ingredients, contract manufacturing, formulation, packaging and equipment. Its 2026 edition, CPHI Milan, ran from 6 to 8 October at Fiera Milano, the exhibition centre in Rho, north-west of Milan. It is a busy business show, where meetings follow one another and every stand competes for attention in crowded aisles.

Libella Robotics was there at the request of Axplora, one of the exhibitors. Our role was that of a service provider: supplying the robot, operating it and adapting it to the client's visual identity. Libella Robotics did not exhibit at CPHI Milan and was neither an official partner nor a sponsor of the show. The robot on duty was LeoBot, a humanoid robot of the Unitree G1 type that we operate from Colombes, in the Île-de-France region near Paris.

On 5 October, the day before the show opened, Axplora held an internal evening in Milan. LeoBot stood in the room, next to the area where the speakers took turns, already wearing the suit it would wear at the show.

A crowd-puller in the aisles of the show

At a show of this size, the stand is only part of the playing field. Effective stand entertainment often starts further away, where visitors who do not yet know the exhibitor are walking past. LeoBot therefore alternated between two modes: sequences on the stand, and walkabouts through the aisles and the covered gallery leading to the halls.

On a walkabout, the robot works as a moving signal. It crosses the flow of visitors, stops when a group gathers, then walks on. In the aisles it also performed short dance sequences, which give passers-by a reason to slow down without blocking traffic for more than a few moments.

The custom outfit played a practical role. LeoBot wore a silver suit in Axplora's colours, with the logo visible on the chest and the back. Wherever it was in the hall, the robot stayed linked to the exhibitor: a visitor who met it in an aisle could tell which stand it came from, without anyone from the team having to explain. This is one of the most useful things a robot can do at a trade show: carry the stand's identity beyond its physical boundaries.

Visitors who stop, take photos and film LeoBot

The reactions we observed were similar from one sequence to the next. A visitor slows down, then stops; others join, and a circle forms around the robot. Phones quickly go up to take photos or film. On the stand, visitors reached out to the robot, shook hands with it or laughed at its dance moves.

We publish no footfall or engagement figures for this assignment: we did not measure these behaviours systematically, and an estimate made by eye would have no place here. What the images do show, however, leaves no doubt about the kind of reactions involved:

• visitors breaking off their route along the aisle to watch the robot;
• circles of people forming quickly around LeoBot;
• many phones held up to photograph or film the scene;
• hands held out and handshakes exchanged with the robot;
• laughter and smiles, especially during the dance sequences.

These images, shot by the visitors themselves, are user-generated content. They extend the exhibitor's presence beyond the show, into settings it does not control. For exhibitors who want to go further than a general impression, our article on measuring the ROI of stand entertainment sets out the indicators to plan before the show.

Why humanoid robots change the trade show experience

In a hall where stands compete with screens, lighting and signage, visitors' attention is saturated. A humanoid robot stands out through its silhouette: two legs, two arms, a head that turns towards people. Visitors immediately understand what they are looking at, even from a distance, and react as they would to a person. That explains the spontaneous handshakes, which you do not see in front of a screen or a static object.

This behaviour is not autonomous. LeoBot is teleoperated by an operator from the Libella Robotics team, who chooses its movements, adapts each sequence to the density of the crowd and stops a movement if the situation calls for it. At a trade show this is a safety requirement as much as a quality one: the operator reads the crowd and adjusts the robot's behaviour accordingly. The robot's technical characteristics are detailed in our Unitree G1 technical specifications.

A robot is not always the right answer. On a very small stand with no clear space to move, or when the team has not planned to take over once a visitor has stopped, the effect fades quickly. The format works when it serves a precise goal: drawing people to a demonstration, opening a conversation, making the stand memorable. Our page on humanoid robot hire for a trade show booth sets out the formats we offer.

Hiring a humanoid robot in Milan, in Italy or internationally

In France, LeoBot hire starts from €1,500 excl. VAT for a half day; the packages are detailed on our humanoid robot hire pricing page. Outside France there is no published price: each request is quoted individually, after a feasibility study. Transport costs, the length of the assignment, venue constraints and show regulations vary too much from one project to another for a listed price to make sense.

The CPHI Milan assignment shows that working abroad is possible, but it is not a promise for another project. We guarantee neither availability in Italy on a given date, nor a team on site, nor a standard response time: each request is assessed case by case. The destinations we already cover are listed on our humanoid robot hire in Europe page.

• the dates, times and format required (evening event, stand, walkabout);
• the venue, its delivery access and the technical regulations of the show or organiser;
• transport of the robot and travel for the operating team;
• the space available on the stand and the planned circulation areas;
• any custom outfit for the robot in the exhibitor's colours.

These are the points we examine before replying. To submit a project in Italy or elsewhere, the simplest route is our contact page, stating the show, the dates and the city.

LeoBot at CPHI Milan on video

The aftermovie below brings together footage shot at the show on 6 and 7 October 2026: dancing on the exhibitor's stand, walkabouts through the aisles and the entrance gallery, and circles of visitors filming the robot.

This footage sums up the value of a humanoid robot at an international trade show: a recognisable character, linked to an exhibitor, who creates moments of contact in a setting where attention is scarce. It is also a reminder of what it does not show: the venue preparation, the custom outfit and the operator who controls every movement.