Festo’s AI-based virtual assistant ‘thinks like an engineer’
1 May 2026 
Festo has announced an online AI-powered Virtual Assistant that gives engineers and maintenance workers immediate access to technical answers, helping them resolve issues faster and keep operations moving. The tool has been developed specifically for industrial automation applications. It delivers context-related answers to technical queries in seconds, enabling users to move more quickly from identifying problems to resolving them, without having to search multiple data sources.
Unlike general-purpose AI systems, the Virtual Assistant uses only verified Festo sources of data including datasheets, manuals, CAD files, technical documents and engineering tools. Its outputs are said to be based on reliable, application-relevant information. The tool is designed to interpret technical context, allowing it to respond accurately to engineering queries.
Festo says that while other chatbots understand language, its Virtual Assistant understands technical contexts and thinks like an engineer. It does not search the Internet and does not display any advertising or marketing content.
By consolidating information usually spread across multiple systems, manuals and data sources into a single interface, the Virtual Assistant simplifies access to engineering knowledge. It supports a broad range of applications, including fault diagnosis, component selection, access to technical standards and retrieving product data. Besides offering best practice solutions, it provides direct links to Festo engineering tools for sizing or simulation and helps to troubleshoot machines.
The tool is said to be ideal for continuous production environments, providing support across shifts, including nights and weekends.
Users can describe technical issues in their own words, as though they were talking to a colleague. The more precise the question, the more specific the answer will be. No additional training is needed, making it easy to adopt the tool in existing workflows.
User queries remain within Festo’s secure infrastructure. The Virtual Assistant complies with data privacy legislation and relevant regulatory requirements, including the EU AI Act.
“Engineers’ time is best used to solve problems, not to spend hours searching for information,” points out Javier Güell, from Festo Sales AI Solutions. “However, increasing system complexity and fragmented data sources often make that unavoidable. The Festo Virtual Assistant helps redress that balance by searching multiple sources in seconds, enabling engineers to focus on their core role of designing new solutions, keeping systems running and optimising performance.”
The Festo Virtual Assistant is available via Festo’s Web site and is free to use. It can be accessed using an existing Festo login or via a simple registration process.
