Soft Robotics Market Size & Growth Trends:

The Soft Robotics Market was valued at USD 1.30 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach USD 14.64 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 30.89% over the forecast period 2024-2032. SMEs are increasingly adopting Soft Robotics due to the cost-effective and flexibility in automation we offer. There is also a trend that as the materials and actuation systems of robots get better, robots can operate much more accurately and adaptively. The market is largely influenced by global manufacturing trends like the drive for automation and the demand for scalable and safe robotic solutions.

Soft robotics is adaptive, providing a wide variety of solutions for different business sectors by developing different functions of pick-and-place, packing, assembly, etc. US Soft Robotics Market 2024 Technological advancements, like AI and bio-inspired designs, are improving robot functions with enhanced precision and adaptability. The end market gain is primarily driven by global manufacturing trends, including a focus on automation and the demand for scalable and safe robotic solutions. In the upcoming years, soft robotics will advance in its scope of robot abilities for pick-and-place, packaging, and assembly processes, to provide multifunctional functions in versatile industries.

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The U.S. Soft Robotics Market is estimated to be USD 0.28 Billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 32.39%. The demand for automation across e-commerce, food processing, and automotive manufacturing industries is driving the soft robotics market in the U.S. Innovation is also being driven by the need for better precision, flexibility and safety for handling fragile and non-regular objects Moreover, labor shortages and increasing costs of running a business are compelling greater adoption of this technology.

Soft Robotics Market Dynamics

Key Drivers: 

• Growing Demand for Soft Robotics in Healthcare Food Processing and Manufacturing Driven by Technological Advancements

Industries focusing on automation where conventional rigid robots face restrictions are driving the growth of the soft robotics market. Areas, where soft robotics excels as the demand for gentle, soft, and adaptive robotic systems grows in industries such as healthcare, food processing, and manufacturing, continue to rise. Increasing analysis of soft robots in rehabilitation, surgical assistance, and wearable devices will elevate his/her adoption in the healthcare sector and act as a major factor for growth. Also, developments in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and sensor technologies are increasing the responsiveness and intelligence of soft robotics. Furthermore, the trend to Industry 4.0 and the need for human-robot cooperative tasks are providing significant traction for soft robotic solutions, which are excellent for applications that require safety and adaptability.

Restrain: 

• Challenges in Soft Robotics Industry Growth Due to Lack of Standards Talent and Regulatory Barriers

A prominent factor hindering the growth of the soft robotics industry is the lack of design, testing, and performance standards. Manufacturers, meanwhile, struggle to ensure their products meet with common, widely endorsed protocols, thus prolonging regulatory clearances, particularly in sensitive areas such as health care, commercial spaceflight, transportation, and national security, where the adoption of technology is still in the early stages. Also, moving these materials into products is slow due to the absence of specialized talent and interdisciplinary expertise required for the integration of biology-derived materials with artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms and complex control systems.

Opportunity:

• Emerging Economies and Technological Innovations Driving Soft Robotics Growth in Healthcare and Industrial Automation

 Increasing industrial automation initiatives and healthcare infrastructure in emerging economies in Asia-Pacific and Latin America offer significant growth opportunities for the players operating in this market. New Frontiers of Soft Robotics in Minimally Invasive Surgery and Elder Care Innovations in Bio-compatible Materials and Pneumatic Actuators In addition, AI-powered control systems have great potential to create soft robots that can learn and adapt on the fly. The low energy usage of soft robotics aligned with the growing focus on sustainability and energy conservation will be especially important across various industries, propelling further market growth through the years to come.

Challenges:

• Overcoming Durability and Reliability Challenges in Soft Robotics for High-Stress Environments and Applications

Considering applications of soft robotics in industries durability and reliability are also a big challenge to overcome because in high-stress or industrial environments soft robotics needs high reliability. Soft robots are different from rigid ones, they are more vulnerable to damage over time, especially under continuous load or harsh operating conditions. Moreover, environmental factors including humidity, temperature, and pressure fluctuation can impact their performance. The determination of complex control systems having very perfect, reproducible movements with soft, deformable actuators is more complicated than classical rigid systems, another major obstacle. This requires both advanced algorithms and sensing systems, both early on the evolutionary scale. The biggest challenge for companies striving to scale soft robotics to wider areas is to push past these technical limitations without compromising user safety and functional efficacy.

Soft Robotics Market Segmentation Analysis

By Component

The soft robotics market was dominated by the Hardware segment, which generated 71.3% of the total revenue in 2023. The authors attribute this dominance to the need for hardware components such as actuators, sensors, control units, and flexible materials to build soft robotic systems. These components are needed for mobility, traction, and responsiveness in healthcare, manufacturing, and food processing applications. Its existing market leadership has only been reinforced by an insatiable demand for bespoke or application-specific hardware.

The Software segment is estimated to grow at the highest CAGR from 2024 to 2032, due to the increasing incorporation of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and sophisticated control algorithms in soft robotics. Software is needed for improving motion planning, real-time decision-making, and adaptive learning in the case of soft robotic systems. With an increasing focus on an automated industry and smarter systems, the requirement for advanced software platforms will rise, which can provide more autonomous and efficient robotic functions in the different sectors.

By Type

Soft Grippers emerged as the largest segment in the soft robotics domain with a significant market share of 37.4% in 2023 as these are extensively used in food & beverage, electronics, packaging,  and many other applications. Due to their high precision and flexibility in the secure handling of delicate, irregularly shaped, or fragile items, soft grippers are widely replacing rigid grippers in automated assembly lines and quality inspection systems.

The cobot segment is projected to register the highest CAGR during 2024-2032, attributable to the rising requirement for human-robot collaboration in various environments, such as manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare. Soft robotic component co-robots facilitate easy and safe collaboration by providing human-like properties such as comfort, softness, and flexibility. Cobots make the future of smart manufacturing flexible and more productive without the overhead of human injury to work pathways, thus they are anticipated for decent adoption across global markets as industries are moving towards flexible automation.

By End User

The healthcare segment held the largest market share of 35.4% of the total soft robotics market in 2023, owing to the rising adoption of soft robotics in rehabilitation, surgical assistance, and wearable robotic devices. Soft robots are more suitable for interacting with the human body as they provide better safety, flexibility,  and adaptability. The usage of those in physical therapy, assistive mobility solutions, and minimally invasive procedures is increasing collectively with the rise of healthcare investments, & development within the devices.

The segment of Advanced Manufacturing will record the highest CAGR from 2024–2032, as industries adopt smart automation and collaborative robotics. This adaptability makes soft robotics increasingly popular in precision assembly, electronics, and automotive production processes as these require the need to handle fragile components and accomplish complete tasks. Rapid penetration of soft robotics in manufacturing settings as an adoption path with a high rate will pave the transition towards Industry 4.0 and the rising need for flexible, safe, and intelligent automation solutions.

Soft Robotics Market Regional Outlook

The soft robotics market in the Asia Pacific region was valued at 35.2% in 2023, owing to rapid industrialization, expanding electronics manufacturing, and growing healthcare infrastructure in the countries of China, Japan, and South Korea. With programs like Japan's "Society 5.0" and China's "Made in China 2025" promoting sophisticated automation, the region has rapidly emerged as a global center of robotics innovation. Tokyo-based Soft Robotics Co., Ltd., is developing soft actuators for rehabilitation and assistive devices, while SIASUN Robot & Automation Co of China is investigating the use of soft robotics in manufacturing. In addition, the Asia Pacific region has a good supply of engineers, as well as a strong electronics supply chain, and is expected to gain further traction.

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The fastest CAGR will be experienced in North America, owing to the extremely high technology adoption rates as well as investments associated with healthcare and industrial automation. The presence of key players, such as Soft Robotics Inc. (USA), which has food-grade soft grippers for the automated packaging of food, is boosting the region's growth. On top of that the alliances between the research institutions and corporations such as MIT and Harvard in the breeding studies of growing soft robots, hold the successful future in the surgical robots development and commercial robotics wearable systems and collaborative systems, thereby fuelling growth during the forecast period.

Key Players Listed in the Soft Robotics Market are:

• Soft Robotics Inc. (mGrip Modular Gripper)

• Festo (BionicSoftHand)

• ABB (YuMi with Soft Gripper)

• Shadow Robot Company (Shadow Dexterous Hand)

• RightHand Robotics (RightPick)

• Grabit Inc. (Electroadhesion Gripper)

• ROBOTIQ (Adaptive Gripper)

• Empire Robotics (Versaball Gripper)

• ReWalk Robotics (ReStore Soft Exo-Suit)

• XACT Robotics (XACT ACE Robot)

• Vicarious Surgical (Soft Robotic Arm System)

• Ekso Bionics (EksoNR with Soft Actuation)

• Smart Robotics (Smart Palletizer with Soft Gripper)

• Pliant Energy Systems (Velox Amphibious Robot)

• Kawasaki Robotics (duAro with Soft Gripper)

Recent Trends

• In March 2025, ABB expanded its robotic Item Picking Family with new AI-powered modules Robotic Fashion Inductor and Robotic Parcel Inductor boosting automation in fashion and logistics.

• In May 2024, Kawasaki Robotics unveiled its new CL Series collaborative robots, designed for industrial tasks like welding and palletizing. The company also showcased AI-enabled R and BX Series robots, highlighting new partnerships and applications in manufacturing automation.