Humanoid and collaborative robots are two growing robotics technologies explored by IDTechEx in their portfolio of Robotics & Autonomy Research Reports. Senior Technology Analyst, Yulin Wang, will be speaking at the 2025 Humanoids Summit, covering details explored in depth in the IDTechEx report, “Humanoid Robots 2025-2035: Technologies, Markets and Opportunities”.
The energy efficiency of humanoid robots
Humanoid robots could provide a novelty in replicating human physicality and are a growing technology within the robotics sector. Energy efficiency is a critical consideration for their development to ensure they can work for extended periods of time.
Low-power actuators and AI-driven power management could help increase energy efficiency, thereby increasing operation duration. The use of lightweight and durable materials could also be beneficial, as they could not only reduce power consumption but also increase mobility for agility and practicality.
Tactility, dexterity, and applications
Tactile sensing is essential for humanoid robots, as their vision only makes up for around 10-20% of their awareness of surroundings. They therefore require tactile sensors as an additional input sensory modality.
There are some limitations with the tactile sensing hardware and integration needed to achieve optimum success with humanoid robots, alongside a lack of standardized tactile data within the industry, according to IDTechEx. Current use cases are limited, with the robots mostly used currently for research and demonstration, with some having been deployed in factories for material handling and inspection. However, the industry consensus is that in 5-8 years, humanoid robots could be expected to be used for more general tasks, showcasing adaptability.
The automotive and logistics industries are likely to see the most uptake of humanoid robots within the next 5 years, including tasks such as badge labelling and inspection, material handling, and quality inspection for vehicles. The logistics industry also has massive potential in adopting humanoids, which can perform tasks such as intralogistics and intricate picking. Security and domestic applications such as patrolling and surveillance, and household chores and caretaking, could be seen in the future as more niche use cases. More details on the adoption roadmap can be found in the IDTechEx report “Humanoid Robots 2025-2035: Technologies, Markets and Opportunities”.
Collaborative robots
Collaborative robots (cobots) are a more mature example of robotics, with the potential for integration into many sectors, but particularly within automotive manufacturing. IDTechEx’s report, “Collaborative Robots 2025-2045: Technologies, Players, and Markets” explores a wide array of their benefits and the applications best-suited to collaborative robots.
Assembling dashboard components, polishing surfaces, palletizing, welding, and screwing, are currently a few main applications for cobots for the automotive industry. The accelerating adoption of cobots is also partially driven by government and OEMs’ commitments, for example, the EU’s Industry 5.0 proposing bringing workers back to factories. In addition to the automotive industry, cobots are also becoming prevalent within the food and beverage industry, semiconductor industry, and logistics industry.
The machine vision and voice recognition of cobots, along with the possibility for remote software updates, make them the perfect robot to work alongside humans. In traditional industrial robotics, since all robots operate sequentially on the same production line, a malfunction in any single unit can halt the entire production process, resulting in substantial downtime costs.
Sensor technologies are vital in allowing cobots to perform optimally. Torque sensors are typically found in cobots, which are essential for safety in allowing an emergency stop if a collision occurs. Other sensors are also being explored, including tactile and capacitive proximity sensors, though are not yet widely deployed within the market as of yet.
Soft gripper technology could allow robots to be gentle with their grip when handling delicate objects. Such technologies can be expected to develop further in line with an increase in adoption of cobots. IDTechEx’s report highlights the innovations behind cobot technologies, outlining their market readiness in multiple industries, and their level of maturity across a wide variety of tasks.
For more information on collaborative and humanoid robots, including downloadable sample pages, please see:
For the full portfolio of robotics & autonomy market research available from IDTechEx, please visit IDTechEx.com/Research/Robotics.
