Soft Robotics Market to Reach $25.17 Billion by 2035, Growing at 31.12% CAGR | ABB, FANUC, KUKA AG, Universal Robots

The global soft robotics market, valued at USD 1.68 billion in 2025, will grow to USD 25.17 billion by 2035, advancing at a compound annual growth rate of 31.12% over the forecast period. This growth trajectory reflects a fundamental shift in how industries from food processing to surgical medicine are rethinking human-machine collaboration, moving away from rigid, force-intensive systems toward compliant, flexible robotic solutions that can safely handle irregular materials and work alongside people. The numbers make a clear business case: companies that delay integrating soft robotics into their automation strategies risk falling behind competitors already capturing efficiency gains in warehousing, manufacturing, and clinical care.

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Market Overview
Soft robotics is a subfield of robotics focused on designing and controlling machines built from highly flexible, deformable materials such as silicone elastomers, hydrogels, and rubber. Unlike conventional industrial robots, which require controlled environments and physical barriers to protect nearby workers, soft robots can deform, stretch, and adapt to unstructured conditions. Drawing inspiration from biological systems, including octopus arms, elephant trunks, and human musculature, these machines bring a degree of compliance to automation that rigid systems simply cannot match.

The timing of the market's expansion aligns with several converging forces. Across manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare, companies are accelerating automation investment to offset rising labor costs and address chronic workforce shortages. Soft robots are filling specific niches where traditional robots fail: sorting fragile produce without bruising it, assisting surgical teams with precision gripping, and supporting elderly patients in rehabilitation without the injury risk that hard-frame systems carry. The growing integration of artificial intelligence with soft robotic platforms is adding another layer of capability, giving machines the ability to interpret sensor data and adjust grip strength, movement, and path in real time.

Two recent developments illustrate the market's commercial momentum. In August 2024, Schmalz acquired the mGrip product line from US-based Soft Robotics, including all associated soft finger gripper patents. In February 2024, RightHand Robotics signed a multi-year agreement with Staples to deploy its RightPick system for order fulfillment automation, targeting next-day delivery coverage for over 98% of the United States. These deals signal that the soft robotics market is moving from research curiosity to operational core infrastructure.

Key Growth Drivers
Rising Demand for Industrial and Logistics Automation Manufacturing and warehousing operations across every major economy are increasing their automation budgets, and soft robotic systems are central to that spending. Their ability to handle delicate, irregularly shaped items without damage makes them particularly well suited for food processing lines, e-commerce fulfillment centers, and electronics assembly. As order volumes grow and SKU diversity expands, the demand for adaptive gripping technology is accelerating.

Expansion into Medical and Rehabilitation Applications Healthcare is the fastest-growing end-user segment, projected to grow at a CAGR of 33.2% through 2035. Soft exosuits and assistive robotic devices are gaining adoption in rehabilitation wards and surgical suites, where patient safety and body-conforming precision are non-negotiable. The lightweight, flexible nature of these systems allows them to mirror natural body movements, making them effective tools for mobility recovery in elderly patients and individuals with disabilities.

Advances in Materials Science Continuous innovation in flexible materials is unlocking new performance thresholds for soft robots. Newer silicone compounds, hydrogel formulations, and composite elastomers give these machines greater tensile strength, thermal tolerance, and operational lifespan. As material limitations, one of the sector's primary historic constraints, recede through R&D investment, more industrial applications are becoming commercially viable.

AI and Machine Learning Integration Artificial intelligence is making soft robots meaningfully smarter. Machine learning models now allow these systems to process complex sensor inputs and execute high-precision tasks with minimal human oversight. This autonomy is particularly valuable in food handling, inspection, and surgical assistance, where micro-adjustments in real time are the difference between a successful operation and a costly error.

Growing Consumer and Enterprise Preference for Safe Human-Robot Collaboration Regulatory pressure and workplace safety standards across North America and Europe are creating structural demand for robots that can operate alongside people without cages or barriers. Soft robotic systems satisfy this requirement by design. As occupational safety standards tighten, manufacturers adopting hard-frame automation are facing incremental compliance costs that soft robotic systems avoid by default.

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Market Segmentation
The soft robotics market segments by product type, application, end user, and geography. Soft grippers hold the dominant product position, accounting for approximately 47% of market share through the forecast period. Their widespread use across food handling, electronics assembly, and medical packaging drives this lead. Soft exoskeletons represent the fastest-growing product category, projected to expand at a 32.4% CAGR through 2035, fueled by rising demand in rehabilitation medicine and military-grade physical assistance programs.

By application, the medical segment currently holds the largest share at approximately 44%, reflecting sustained investment in surgical robotics and assistive mobility devices. The handling and gripping application segment is set to grow at 32.74% annually, driven by food processing automation and industrial picking systems. On the end-user side, the food and beverage industry is expected to occupy roughly 43% of the market by 2035, while healthcare is the fastest-growing vertical at 33.2% CAGR.

Regional Insights
North America currently leads the global soft robotics market and will retain approximately 49% of the total market share through 2035. The region's strength rests on several structural advantages: a mature industrial base with high automation adoption rates, significant R&D activity from universities and federal research programs, and a concentrated cluster of market-leading companies spanning medical devices, logistics technology, and advanced manufacturing. These factors sustain a self-reinforcing cycle of innovation and commercial deployment that other regions have not yet replicated at scale.

Asia is the fastest-growing regional market, on track to expand at a CAGR of 35.04% through the forecast period. China, South Korea, and Japan are leading this charge, each bringing a distinct advantage. China contributes the scale of the world's largest manufacturing sector. Japan and South Korea supply deep R&D investment in robotics and AI, with both governments actively funding programs that accelerate the adoption of flexible automation. The region's dominant electronics, automotive, and medical manufacturing sectors are creating sustained pull demand for soft gripping and inspection technologies. Europe, anchored by Germany and supported by the engineering capabilities of Festo AG and KUKA AG, remains a significant market with particular strength in industrial automation and medical robotics applications.

Competitive Landscape
The soft robotics market features a mix of global automation giants and specialized innovators. Key players identified in the Roots Analysis report include ABB (Switzerland), Accuray (US), BionicHIVE (Israel), Doosan Robotics (South Korea), FANUC (Japan), Festo AG (Germany), Harvard Biodesign (US), KUKA AG (Germany), Pneubotics (US), Qobotic (US), RightHand Robotics (US), Shadow Robot (UK), Soft Robotics (US), SynTouch (US), Universal Robots (Denmark), Vecna Robotics (US), and Yaskawa Electric (Japan).

The competitive dynamic reflects a market still in active formation. Large automation incumbents such as ABB, FANUC, and KUKA are acquiring or developing soft robotic capabilities to complement their existing portfolios, while specialized firms like RightHand Robotics and Shadow Robot are winning enterprise contracts on the strength of application-specific depth. The primary battlegrounds are materials IP, AI integration capability, and vertical-specific product customization, particularly in food processing and medical devices where generic solutions fall short.

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