- Domain
- Critical Technology · Hard Power
- Identifier
- factbase.org/cpg/B7536QDB08
- Capabilities
- 4
Bounds. Holds robotics and autonomy as technology capacity; military employment of uncrewed systems belongs to National Security, where they register as a cross-cutting means under the capabilities they serve, industrial deployment reads at this group's deploy layer with production in the economic domains, and the models that animate autonomy sit with Artificial Intelligence.
The 4 capabilities
The capabilities compared
Papers and patent families, 2020–2024, with growth on the five years before and the leading nation in each.
| Capability | Papers | Growth | Research leader | Families | Growth | Patent leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced Robotics | 86.8k | +47% | China 28% | 100.6k | +47% | China 63% |
| Autonomous Systems & Trusted Autonomy | 80k | +85% | China 28% | 101.6k | +67% | China 57% |
| Uncrewed & Collaborative Systems | 16.1k | +107% | China 34% | 37.6k | +38% | China 57% |
| Human-Machine Interfaces | – | – | – | 68.7k | +22% | China 45% |
Who publishes it
Papers by year for each capability, and the nations' shares of the group's papers, 2020–2024. A capability that shares a v0.0 topic with another counts it in both.
- 1China24.1%44,027 papers
- 2United States10.5%19,203 papers
- 3India4.2%7,642 papers
- 4Japan4.1%7,487 papers
- 5Germany3.8%6,945 papers
- 6United Kingdom3.3%6,040 papers
- 7Italy2.6%4,724 papers
- 8South Korea2.4%4,361 papers
- 9Canada1.9%3,487 papers
- 10France1.6%2,939 papers
Who patents it
Patent families by priority year for each capability, and the origin nations' shares of the group's families, 2020–2024. A family in two capabilities' classes counts in both.
- 1China56.3%173,800 families
- 2South Korea12.0%36,894 families
- 3United States11.3%34,874 families
- 4Japan9.4%28,954 families
- 5Germany3.6%11,147 families
- 6France1.0%3,088 families
- 7Taiwan1.0%2,949 families
- 8United Kingdom0.6%1,935 families
- 9Switzerland0.5%1,655 families
- 10Israel0.4%1,304 families
Who makes it
The companies across the group's capabilities, the global leaders and the leading firms of every region.
174 companies in Robotics & Autonomous Systems, from 37 nations across 8 regions; the leading 25 below. Sorted by how experts see each company's global relevance in its strongest capability of the group, from very high to very low.
- Very high21 companies
- 1Very highHardware & devicesShenzhenChina2006–Private
World's dominant drone maker, holding a large majority of the global civil and commercial drone market (Mavic, Matrice, Agras) and the top international patent applicant in this capability.
In Uncrewed & Collaborative Systems
Very high relevance · Hardware & devices · China, Shenzhen · founded 2006
- 2Very highEquipment & machineryOshino, YamanashiJapan1972–6954
World's largest industrial robot maker by installed base (over 1 million robots shipped) and the top international robotics patent applicant, also supplying CNC and servo systems.
In Advanced Robotics
Very high relevance · Equipment & machinery · Japan, Oshino, Yamanashi · founded 1972
- 3Very highSoftware & platformsMenlo ParkUnited States200474kMETA
Through Reality Labs it leads the consumer XR headset market with Quest, sells Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, and is developing the Orion AR glasses and an EMG neural wristband.
In Human-Machine Interfaces
Very high relevance · Software & platforms · United States, Menlo Park · founded 2004 · 74k staff
- 4Very highOperations & infrastructureMountain ViewUnited States2009–Private
Alphabet's self-driving unit, the world's largest fully driverless robotaxi service, running paid rides in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin and Atlanta.
In Autonomous Systems & Trusted Autonomy
Very high relevance · Operations & infrastructure · United States, Mountain View · founded 2009
- 5Very highEquipment & machineryZurichSwitzerland1988110kABBN
ABB Robotics is one of the big-four industrial robot makers (IRB arms, GoFa/YuMi cobots); in October 2025 ABB agreed to sell the robotics division to SoftBank Group for about USD 5.4bn.
In Advanced Robotics
Very high relevance · Equipment & machinery · Switzerland, Zurich · founded 1988 · 110k staff
- 6Very highHardware & devicesCupertinoUnited States1976164kAAPL
It makes the Vision Pro spatial computer with eye- and hand-tracking input, and is the second-largest international patent applicant in this capability.
In Human-Machine Interfaces
Very high relevance · Hardware & devices · United States, Cupertino · founded 1976 · 164k staff
- 7Very highHardware & devicesSan DiegoUnited States1955–Private
Through General Atomics Aeronautical Systems it builds the MQ-1 Predator, MQ-9 Reaper/SkyGuardian family and the YFQ-42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft prototype.
In Uncrewed & Collaborative Systems
Very high relevance · Hardware & devices · United States, San Diego · founded 1955
- 8Very highHardware & devicesAustin, TexasUnited States2003126kTSLA
Develops the vision-only Full Self-Driving stack across millions of vehicles and launched its Robotaxi service in Austin in 2025.
In Autonomous Systems & Trusted Autonomy
Very high relevance · Hardware & devices · United States, Austin, Texas · founded 2003 · 126k staff
- 9Very highSoftware & platformsBeijingChina200036kBIDU
Its Apollo platform and Apollo Go robotaxi service run driverless rides in Wuhan and other Chinese cities and are expanding abroad.
In Autonomous Systems & Trusted Autonomy
Very high relevance · Software & platforms · China, Beijing · founded 2000 · 36k staff
- 10Very highSystems integrationFalls ChurchUnited States193997kNOC
Prime contractor for the RQ-4 Global Hawk, MQ-4C Triton and MQ-8 Fire Scout high-end uncrewed aircraft.
In Uncrewed & Collaborative Systems
Very high relevance · Systems integration · United States, Falls Church · founded 1939 · 97k staff
- 11Very highEquipment & machineryKitakyushuJapan1915–6506
Its Motoman robots make it one of the big-four industrial robot makers, with more than 600,000 units installed, and it is a leading maker of the servo motors and drives used in them.
In Advanced Robotics
Very high relevance · Equipment & machinery · Japan, Kitakyushu · founded 1915
- 12Very highHardware & devicesCosta MesaUnited States2017–Private
Builds the YFQ-44A Fury CCA, Ghost and Altius drones, Dive-LD/Ghost Shark XL-AUVs and the Lattice software that coordinates autonomous swarms, with the Arsenal-1 mass-production plant in Ohio.
In Uncrewed & Collaborative Systems
Very high relevance · Hardware & devices · United States, Costa Mesa · founded 2017
- 13Very highEquipment & machineryAugsburgGermany1898–Private
A big-four industrial robot maker and leading automotive robot supplier, fully owned by China's Midea Group (SZSE 000333) and delisted in 2022.
In Advanced Robotics
Very high relevance · Equipment & machinery · Germany, Augsburg · founded 1898
- 14Very highDesignJerusalemIsrael1999–MBLY
Leading supplier of EyeQ vision chips and driver-assist and autonomy software (SuperVision, Chauffeur, Drive), majority-owned by Intel.
In Autonomous Systems & Trusted Autonomy
Very high relevance · Design · Israel, Jerusalem · founded 1999
- 15Very highHardware & devicesIstanbulTürkiye1984–Private
Maker of the TB2, Akinci and Kizilelma uncrewed combat aircraft and among the world's largest exporters of armed drones, sold to more than 30 countries.
In Uncrewed & Collaborative Systems
Very high relevance · Hardware & devices · Türkiye, Istanbul · founded 1984
- 16Very highHardware & devicesSunnyvale, CaliforniaUnited States199516kISRG
Dominant surgical robotics firm whose da Vinci systems (over 9,000 installed) and Ion platform lead minimally invasive robotic surgery; a top-10 international robotics patent applicant.
In Advanced Robotics
Very high relevance · Hardware & devices · United States, Sunnyvale, California · founded 1995 · 16k staff
- 17Very highDesignSanta ClaraUnited States199336kNVDA
Its DRIVE Orin and Thor computers, DriveOS software and Isaac/Omniverse simulation are the leading compute and validation platform for autonomous vehicles and robots.
In Autonomous Systems & Trusted Autonomy
Very high relevance · Design · United States, Santa Clara · founded 1993 · 36k staff
- 18Very highDesignSan DiegoUnited States198549kQCOM
Its Snapdragon XR and AR1 chipsets power most standalone headsets and smart glasses outside Apple, including Quest, Ray-Ban Meta and Galaxy XR.
In Human-Machine Interfaces
Very high relevance · Design · United States, San Diego · founded 1985 · 49k staff
- 19Very highHardware & devicesWaltham, MassachusettsUnited States1992–Private
Pioneer of dynamic legged locomotion, maker of the Spot quadruped, the Stretch warehouse robot and the electric Atlas humanoid; majority-owned by Hyundai Motor Group.
In Advanced Robotics
Very high relevance · Hardware & devices · United States, Waltham, Massachusetts · founded 1992
- 20Very highHardware & devicesFremontUnited States2016––
It develops the N1 implanted brain-computer interface and its robotic implantation system, and has implanted human participants in FDA-approved PRIME trials since 2024.
In Human-Machine Interfaces
Very high relevance · Hardware & devices · United States, Fremont · founded 2016
- 21Very highEquipment & machineryNorth Reading, MassachusettsUnited States1960–TER
Owns Universal Robots, the global collaborative-robot market leader, and Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR), which together form Teradyne Robotics.
In Advanced Robotics
Very high relevance · Equipment & machinery · United States, North Reading, Massachusetts · founded 1960
- High4 companies
- 22HighComponents & subsystemsSuwonSouth Korea1969268k005930
It is the largest international patent applicant in this capability, makes the Galaxy XR headset on Android XR, and through Samsung Display supplies OLED and OLEDoS panels for headsets.
In Human-Machine Interfaces
High relevance · Components & subsystems · South Korea, Suwon · founded 1969 · 268k staff
- 23HighHardware & devicesTokyoJapan1946113k6758
It makes the PlayStation VR2 and is a leading supplier of micro-OLED displays, including those in Apple Vision Pro, and it is a top-five patent applicant here.
In Human-Machine Interfaces
High relevance · Hardware & devices · Japan, Tokyo · founded 1946 · 113k staff
- 24HighSoftware & platformsMountain ViewUnited States1998183kGOOGL
It develops the Android XR platform for headsets and smart glasses with Samsung and Qualcomm, and is a major patent applicant in AR interaction.
In Human-Machine Interfaces
High relevance · Software & platforms · United States, Mountain View · founded 1998 · 183k staff
- 25HighSystems integrationBeijingChina2008–State-owned
Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC)State aerospace group behind the Wing Loong MALE drone family and the GJ-11 stealth uncrewed combat aircraft, widely exported to the Middle East and Africa.
In Uncrewed & Collaborative Systems
High relevance · Systems integration · China, Beijing · founded 2008
