Soft Robotics Market Size, Share, Industry Analysis, Trends, Growth, 2032

Soft Robotics Industry Prospective:

The global soft robotics market size was worth around USD 1.08 billion in 2023 and is predicted to grow to around USD 16.03 billion by 2032 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of roughly 35.00% between 2024 and 2032.

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Soft Robotics Market: Overview

Soft robotics is an emerging sub-segment of the larger robotics industry. It deals with the design and production of robots made using flexible materials, unlike robots with rigid links. Conventionally used highly stiff robots are made with hard plastics, ceramics, and metals and these properties are absent from soft robots as they are more flexible. Soft robotics promotes safer contact between humans and robots. The two main parameters of designing and fabricating soft robots are the use of flexible electronics and bodies. In some cases, soft robotics can be associated with a specific part of an otherwise stiff robot. For instance, a rigid-bodies robot can display an arm or other body part made of soft robotics.

One of the primary advantages of soft robots is their ability to fit into any place or area. This cannot be achieved using a rigid-bodied robot. The design of soft robots, in most cases, is highly influenced by nature and hence most products available in the market will resemble some form of natural creature. Soft robots cannot be produced using traditional manufacturing techniques and hence specialized methods are developed to achieve the desired shape and composition in soft robots. These techniques include the Smart Composite Microstructure (SCM) process, Shape Deposition Manufacturing (SDM), and 3D multi-material printing. The industry for soft robotics has several applications that could pave the way for futuristic developments across critical industries.

Key Insights:

• As per the analysis shared by our research analyst, the global soft robotics market is estimated to grow annually at a CAGR of around 35.00% over the forecast period (2024-2032)
• In terms of revenue, the global soft robotics market size was valued at around USD 1.08 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 16.03 billion, by 2032.
• The market is projected to grow at a significant rate due to the potential application in the healthcare sector
• Based on the application, the healthcare segment is growing at a high rate and will continue to dominate the global market as per industry projection
• Based on the type, the exoskeletons segment is anticipated to command the largest market share
• Based on region, Asia-Pacific is projected to dominate the global market during the forecast period

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Soft Robotics Market: Growth Drivers

Potential applications in the healthcare sector will drive the market growth rate

The global soft robotics market is expected to grow since the technology has a high scope in the healthcare sector. The global healthcare industry is under tremendous pressure to keep up with the drastically rising medical care demand. The rise in the global population, increasing number of patients, growing need for quality medical care across patient groups, and other factors have resulted in an urgent need for the healthcare community to incorporate smart systems and technologies for delivering superior medical care. Recent research initiatives in the global healthcare sector try to explore the application of soft robotics in the development of smart medical wearables along with implants for patients suffering from various medical conditions.

One of the important considerations in such development projects is the fabrication of implants made of materials that have mechanical properties mimicking biological tissues to deliver safer and more comfortable solutions to patients. The prominent application of soft robotics in the healthcare sector is in the form of wearables that provide real-time information to patients about essential health parameters including heart rate, blood pressure, and other variables. The growing health-consciousness among people may encourage the adoption of wearables made using soft robotics since they are more efficient than other electronic smart systems. Additionally, soft robotics can be leveraged to develop tools that can help with mobility issues. Some of the common reasons for mobility-related concerns are paralysis, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, amputation, muscular dystrophy, and spinal cord injury.

Growing focus on developing robotic solutions with higher safety features will promote market expansion

In recent times, the idea of developing safer robotic solutions has gained extensive momentum. This is especially witnessed in areas where robotic systems and humans work in close proximity. Robots developed using the technologies available in the global soft robotics market are considered safe since they are not made using rigid materials and hence cannot lead to serious damage when they come in contact with humans. Additionally, they have higher flexibility, unlike rigid robots.

Soft Robotics Market: Restraints

Limited durability of soft robots to restrict the market expansion rate

The global industry for soft robotics is projected to be restricted due to the limited durability of soft robots as compared to rigid-bodies versions. The main reason for lesser durability is the type of material used for producing soft robots. Furthermore, the complex structure of soft robotics makes it highly vulnerable to wear and tear after frequent use. Additionally, soft robots also have limited applications since they cannot hold extremely heavy loads that rigid counterparts can efficiently manage.

Soft Robotics Market: Opportunities

Growing interest in exploring soft robotics exploration for deep-sea exploration activities will generate high-growth opportunities

The global soft robotics market is projected to witness high growth opportunities due to the growing interest in using the technology to undertake deep-sea exploration activities. For instance, in a 2021 science demonstration, scientists built a bioinspired soft robot with a self-powering feature that could withstand tremendous pressure under water and could be sustained in the deepest parts of the Mariana Trench. The novel soft robot could be used for environment monitoring and deep-sea expeditions. In recent times, more players have come forward to invest in deep sea-related initiatives. As per reports, such activities are essential to gain a full understanding of planetary activities. Furthermore, deep sea exploration will help the science community better understand the availability and correct ways of using resources available in the ocean. In March 2024, India was reported to be seeking more licenses for deep-sea mining to compete with China. In May 2023, oil giant, Shell, announced that it will invest in a new Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology for deep sea exploration.

Applications in surveillance-based processes will help the industry generate high revenue

Soft robotics have been heavily explored for applications in surveillance activities as soft robotics can deliver the appearance of biological beings and can be hard to distinguish from real organisms. The growing efforts toward deploying novel surveillance ways in the national security segment as political and social escalations continue to be reported globally could hold high growth opportunities for the global soft robotics market. In addition to this, they can also be used for the protection of critical infrastructure as soft robots in the form of inchworms are being used to inspect pipelines and other structures.

Soft Robotics Market: Challenges

Challenges associated with designing small but intrinsic parts of soft robots would pose growth threats

One of the key challenges faced by the global soft robotics market players is the development of compact, deformable, but high-performance parts for soft robots especially when designing sensors and actuators. The development of these parts required extensive research and skilled developers and they can be difficult to locate. Moreover, the research community has delivered mass production of soft robots as of current times which further affects the technology adoption rate.

Soft Robotics Market: Segmentation

The global soft robotics market is segmented based on application, type, and region.

Based on the application, the global market segments are logistics, food & beverages, healthcare, and others. In 2023, the highest demand was observed in the healthcare segment due to the extensive use of soft robotic concepts to develop health-related equipment and tools. The growing demand for soft robotics in the global medical industry will fuel the segment demand in the coming years.

Based on the type, the global market segments are inflatable robots, soft grippers, and exoskeletons. In 2023, the exoskeletons segments led the segmental demand as the use of soft robotics continued to surge in the medical industry. The rising number of patients with mobility issues and the urgent need to develop solutions that can improve patient’s quality of life encouraged higher demand in the segment. As per the National Institutes of Health (NIH), around 20 million people suffer from some form of mobility-related conditions.

Soft Robotics Market Report Scope

Soft Robotics Market: Regional Analysis

Asia-Pacific to lead the market growth rate during the projection period

The global soft robotics market will be led by Asia-Pacific during the projection period. Countries such as China, Japan, and India may contribute to regional dominance. In January 2024, a team of researchers from Germany and China developed a soft tiny robot displaying the structure of a spring. The new robot is extremely easy to grasp, sense, and move. As per reports, the machine is biocompatible and can transform into a single cell. It has been strategically developed to be used in precision medicine practices such as targeted drug delivery and microsurgery. In December 2023, another team of Chinese researchers created a soft robot arm in the form of an octopus.

The novel innovation will copy the natural agility displayed by Octopus in real life. Chain is a leading market displaying remarkable investments in making continuous improvements to its robot industry. It managed to develop a near-human-like robot with impressive precision and speed in April 2024. Growth in North America is projected to be influenced by the growing number of soft robot developers in the US. In November 2023, scientists at Princeton University developed an energy-efficient, lightweight, and flexible soft robot that does not require rotary parts of legs for movement. The tool has applications ranging from space exploration to healthcare as per the developers.

Soft Robotics Market: Competitive Analysis

The global soft robotics market is led by players like:

• RightHand Robotics
• iRobot Corporation
• Shadow Robot Company
• Harvard Biodesign Lab
• Empire Robotics
• Otherlab
• RE2 Robotics
• BioRobotics Institute (Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna)
• Pneubotics
• Octinion
• SoftBank Robotics
• SynTouch LLC
• Soft Robotics Inc.
• Festo AG & Co. KG
• TakkTile Inc.

The global soft robotics market is segmented as follows:

By Application

• Logistics
• Food & Beverages
• Healthcare

By Type

• Inflatable Robots
• Soft Grippers
• Exoskeletons

By Region

• North America
  • The U.S.
  • Canada
• Europe
  • France 
  • The UK
  • Spain
  • Germany
  • Italy
  • Rest of Europe
• Asia Pacific
  • China
  • Japan
  • India
  • South Korea
  • Southeast Asia
  • Rest of Asia Pacific
• Latin America
  • Brazil
  • Mexico
  • Rest of Latin America
• Middle East & Africa
  • GCC
  • South Africa
  • Rest of Middle East & Africa