What robotic technology/technologies do you expect will make the most impact in 2026?
The intralogistics smart robotics space will evolve from a hardware-centric model to a software-centric model. Hardware (i.e., the physical bot) has and will continue to be commoditized while simultaneously customers are seeking business solutions not hardware which means the market is and will continue to place more importance on what a robotic solution does than the elegance of the hardware that does it. Due to a lack of standards and the nascent nature of the market and while this evolution is well underway there are many unanswered questions about where this is headed over the next few years. Some of this will be software embedded within robots but equally important is the evolution of a new category of software (I coined this term) called multi-agent orchestration platforms that allow heterogeneous fleets of robots to work together.
What is your boldest robotics prediction for 2026?
While humanoid robots are getting all the hype and press market growth will continue to come from more mundane operation robots doing basic things like transporting goods within a warehouse. My prediction however is something like this: By 2028, half of companies adopting intralogistics smart robotics will deploy solutions that combine two or more different types of flexible robot platforms working as a holistic system.
What industry/industries do you expect will invest more in robotics and automation in 2026 and why?
Manufacturing and logistics will continue to be the dominant growth markets (why I use the term intralogistics smart robots.) Many of these processes in these industries are labor-intensive, labor is constrained and labor costs are rising, and the use of automation is proven but was historically limited to companies with big budgets. This is a perfect storm for robotics.
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