Robot End-Effector Market Size (2024 - 2029)

Robot End Effector Market Analysis

The Robot End-Effector Market size is estimated at USD 4.87 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 9.29 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 13.80% during the forecast period (2024-2029).

• The integration of various technologies, including artificial intelligence, automation, the Internet of Things, computing power, and robotics, facilitates the building of a new generation of smart factories. Robotics and automation have changed significantly over the past few years. In the continuously growing range of industries such as electronics, automotive, food and metalworking, and material handling, increasing investment in advanced automation creates ample opportunities for robots, thus driving end-effector demand.
• Robots work even more closely with humans, so they must respond to the users and adapt their behaviors. Over the next few years, researchers are expected to recognize basic human behaviors and adapt these robots’ actions to respond to them. Over the next few years, this will develop into much more advanced programs adapting to complex tasks’ needs. From the intelligent lift assist devices built to lift weight safely without motion power of their own to the emergence of the first cobots that came with vision-integrated systems for obstacle avoidance, the market is expected to grow even further.
• Collaborative robots are becoming increasingly affordable, less complex, and more accessible to use. This will provide multiple options to the organizations, augmenting the demand for collaborative robots in the market. Collaborative robots enable enterprises of all scales and sizes to stay competitive as these robots utilize plug-and-play technologies, advanced sensors, and automatic robot programming from CAD data. Players in the market are also expanding their operations through strategic mergers & acquisitions. Thus, the rapid adoption of collaborative robots results in the rapid growth of end-effectors.
• The main limitations of robot end-effectors have been observed in terms of their slow speed relative to human pickers, the inability of the vision system and gripper to deal with unusual items, and the reliability of being fully autonomous. The companies in the market studied have demonstrated some degree of success in picking individual items out of totes. However, the remaining half of the companies face various challenges when it comes to implementing these systems on a larger scale.
• The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the robot end-effector market due to the workforce shortage, the shutdown of manufacturing facilities to restrict the spread of the virus, and nationwide lockdowns, leading to a downturn in robot manufacturing. According to IFR, Around 283,000 industrial robots were shipped worldwide in 2018 and it decreased to 250,000 in 20219 . Asia/Australia had the highest number of units installed, with an estimated 266,000 units fitted in 2020 alone. By 2024, industrial robot installations in Asia/Australia are projected to reach 370,000 units. 

Robot End Effector Industry Segmentation

End-effectors are peripherals connected to robot arms. These are specifically designed to perform tasks such as picking, moving, and placing dry or prepreg reinforcements, as well as perform industrial process requirements such as painting and welding, to name a few. The robot end-effector market is defined in terms of the revenue accrued by the vendors' products offered in the market.

The robot end-effector market is segmented by type (grippers, processing tools, suction cups, and other types), by end-user industry (automotive, food and beverage, e-commerce, pharmaceutical, and other end-user industries), by geography (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the rest of the World). The report offers market forecasts and size in value (USD) for all the above segments.