Bergur Thormundsson
Research expert covering technology in the Nordics, AI and smart cities
Industrial robots worldwide - statistics & facts
Despite the frightening, almost Terminator-esque, way the phrase “there are robots everywhere” might sound, the increased use of robotics has been a boon to both consumers and enterprises worldwide. The industrial robot market has seen steady growth across the globe and is expected to continue growing as automation becomes ever more vital to businesses. This stems largely from mechanical automation, reducing production costs and improving efficiency. This increased demand due to greater automation, especially in the United States and Europe, is likely to mean that the price increase per robot unit will remain modest.
Robots of all shapes and sizes
The most commonly deployed types of robots in manufacturing include gantry robots, systems that move along a single axis, and SCARA robots, machines that are capable of moving along three axes. Among the newest robots, both autonomous mobile robots and collaborative robots are designed to work close to humans. While autonomous mobile robots often require demarcated avenues of mobility, collaborative robots share a workspace with human workers and help them with tasks that are better suited for robots, such as assembly or quality inspection.Robots take on a more futuristic look
This is not as ominous as it might sound, simply because it is expected that robots will begin to look more like the exotic and futuristic-looking bipedal robots popularized in science fiction. This has become particularly relevant in 2025 with newer developments in AI fueling the evolution of bipedal assistance robots. Figure.AI is a prominent startup making bipedal service robots and now has to contend with tech giant NVIDIA, which in March 2025 released a modular AI software for multiple robot developments, both industrial and others. In addition, the development of bipedal robots by Boston Dynamics in cooperation with the United States military continues in 2025.Robot evolution a question of when, not if
For the most part, with the significant developments in the field, robots appear to be here to stay. At nearly all levels of society, enterprises are investigating how they might utilize this technology to improve their business. Industrial sectors are looking to robots to replace workers, while in healthcare, specialist care robots are being explored for the same reason. In general, filling positions of specialist skills, accounting for labor shortages, and improving efficiency will demand robotic solutions for various problems.Bergur Thormundsson
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Mar 27, 2025
Bergur Thormundsson
Research expert covering technology in the Nordics, AI and smart cities
