Organizers of the Montreal and Toronto auto shows have scrapped their plans to transition to virtual platforms from traditional in-person events for 2021 due to a lack of manufacturer participation. Live shows have been in doubt since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March.

Organizers of the Canadian International AutoShow (CIAS) have until early fall to decide whether the country’s largest consumer trade show will proceed as a live event during the pandemic. Mazda has pulled out of the live Toronto show while Hyundai is planning alternative product reveals.

Auto shows aren’t going away, but the digital era demands more than cars to look at on the floor.

The robotic arm display, in which camera-controlled mechanical arms dip and whirl alongside human employees working on partially finished Civics, is bound to attract attention at the Canadian International AutoShow. The automaker wants to understand the benefits of machine-human partnerships in manufacturing.