ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s growing ambitions in robotics and autonomous systems took center stage on Thursday as the second and final day of the Indus RAS Expo 2026 drew large crowds to a national showcase of locally developed technologies, ranging from autonomous drones and defense robotics to intelligent prosthetics and combat robots.
Organized by the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, the two-day event brought together universities, research institutions, startups, and public-sector organizations to showcase innovations in defense robotics, industrial automation, maritime autonomous systems, agritech, and physical artificial intelligence.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated the exhibition alongside Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, highlighting Pakistan’s progress in indigenous technology development. Addressing participants, the prime minister said all simulators on display at the expo had been developed in Pakistan, and that more than 60% of the country’s drones are now manufactured locally, describing the figures as evidence of the nation’s expanding technological capabilities.
Among the featured innovations were Fire Fighting Robots developed by ConnectTech engineers to support emergency responders in hazardous environments.
Designed to operate in radioactive, high-temperature, dusty and low-humidity conditions, the robots can deploy water, foam and other extinguishing agents remotely, reducing risks to firefighters during operations at strategic sites.
The expo also showcased intelligent prosthetic limbs developed by Bioniks, a Pakistani startup that has expanded its services to users in 11 countries over the past decade.
A company that started with a spam email to an engineering student, now a decade later has delivered over 2000 limbs across the world including conflict affected areas like Jordan and Gaza.
The prosthetics, suitable for children as young as 3 as well as adults and seniors, use sensor-based technology to detect muscle signals and can be configured through a companion mobile application. The devices require no surgical intervention, are sweat-resistant and can lift weights of up to 30 kilograms.
One of the biggest attractions remained the RoboWars arena, where student teams, engineers and startups competed with self-built combat robots before a panel of judges. With two categories taking center stage: heavyweight bots and lightweight bots. Organizers expected the competition to attract the largest crowds on the expo’s second day as teams competed for a prize of PKR 2 million.
Visitors also explored the RAS Innovation Challenge, an immersive 360-degree experience dome and a dedicated drone show demonstrating the latest advances in autonomous aerial technologies.
The exhibition underscored Pakistan’s efforts to strengthen its domestic robotics ecosystem by encouraging collaboration between academia, industry and government while promoting locally developed technologies with commercial and strategic applications.
