A new survey of more than 200 robotics product developers and industrial designers suggests the industry is at a turning point, with advances in autonomy, digital twins and humanoid robots balanced against persistent challenges around cost, safety and ethics.
The study, published by design firm StudioRed, found that robotics development is currently most concentrated in consumer electronics (55.7 percent), manufacturing (52.7 percent) and biotech (51.7 percent).
Respondents said robotics is moving beyond the assembly line, with applications in smart homes, logistics and life sciences.
A majority (53.7 percent) believe high-level adaptive autonomy will be achievable within five years, enabling robots to adjust to new tasks and environments without constant human control.
Digital twins are also becoming standard: 39.4 percent of organizations already use them extensively, while 51.7 percent are in pilot stages.
The report found strong expectations for humanoid robots. More than half (55.2 percent) of engineers believe humanoids will become “extremely significant” within the next decade, with logistics, warehousing and manufacturing identified as the first major use cases.
Goldman Sachs has forecast a potential $38 billion humanoid robotics market by 2035.
However, challenges remain. High implementation cost (73.4 percent) was cited as the greatest barrier to adoption, while safety and reliability were the second most common concerns.
Ethical issues are also prominent: nearly 60% of respondents pointed to job displacement and accountability for errors as major worries.
Public acceptance, the study found, will depend on showing clear benefits. “Demonstrating how robots can actually improve everyday life” was chosen by 39.4 percent of participants as the single most important factor for wider trust.
StudioRed said the findings underscore both the opportunities and obstacles facing robotics as it moves further into mainstream industries and consumer markets.
