Robotics has had a successful year this 2024. Even towards the end, with The Royal Navy having tested an uncrewed Pacific 24 boat, running trials in UK waters for the first time. The boat, controlled from the experimental ship XV Patrick Blackett, operated in different conditions, such as rough seas and snow to bring more autonomous tech to The Navy.
During the trials, the boat carried out pre-programmed tasks and responded to commands from a marine onboard the ship. Equipped with cameras and sensors, it relayed real-time video and information to the control team. This lets it perform reconnaissance and surveillance while keeping personnel out of harm’s way.
Commander Michael Hutchinson described this as a major advancement for integrating crewed and uncrewed systems. The trials are shaping how such vessels could support operations in intelligence gathering and defence strategies.
What Can Robotic Dogs Do For Farming?
Meanwhile in agriculture… Farmers in Cornwall are working with robotic dogs to study soil health. These machines, designed with advanced mobility, carry detectors and sensors to measure organic matter and moisture. They provide farmers with immediate, detailed insights into soil conditions.
Robotic dogs are particularly effective in reaching difficult areas like hedgerows. They gather large amounts of data, giving farmers a complete picture of their land without relying on laboratory tests. This technology is helping farmers work better by addressing specific issues in their fields.
Professor Will Blake, leading the project at the University of Plymouth, said the trials are helping farmers better understand how to manage their soil. Participants in the trial reported improved practices and outcomes for their crops and the environment.
Next year should promise even more advancements with newer technologies developing so quickly. Exerts also have their own predictions, and have shared them below…
Our Experts:
- Shoeb Javed, Chief Product Officer, iGrafx
- Erik Nieves, CEO & Co-founder, Plus One Robotics
- Ryan Hannon, Director of Customer Excellence, Plus One Robotics
- Vaclav Vincalek, CTO and Founder, Hiswai.com
- Nathan Patton, Product Marketing Manager, Field Systems, Trimble
- Adrian Negoita, CTO, Dexory
- Dr Ingo Keller, Head of Robotics, The National Robotarium
- Richard Stone, Founder, Stone Junction
- Maria Torrent March, Warehousing & Logistics Strategy Director, Iron Mountain
Shoeb Javed, Chief Product Officer, iGrafx
“We are seeing more and more AI assistants pop up in the process improvement world. Historically, one of the biggest barriers to entry for process improvement teams has been diagramming processes as a foundation for excellence.
“Typically, building out these diagrams involves lengthy collaboration cycles between process professionals (who have the technical skills) and process owners (who have the domain expertise). But now, with tools like Pia, a process intelligence assistant, this makes people’s jobs more seamless, and ‘simpler’ than ever before. I envision more and more AI assistants aiding people’s jobs in 2025 than ever before, easing off some pressures, and mundane tasks.”
Erik Nieves, CEO & co-founder, Plus One Robotics
1. We’ll see more consolidation in the robotics and automation industries next year:
“Scaling an AI- robotics company is hard. As such, a focused approach to your product or application is critical for success. We’ll see companies with broad, horizontal business models — those attempting to serve multiple verticals — struggle to survive next year due to high burn rates and the financial burdens of robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) models.
“In contrast, robotics companies focusing on solving specific but ubiquitous problems for a sector are better positioned for profitability and market dominance. Their deep expertise in niche areas allows them to scale efficiently with enterprise customers, generating repeat business and minimising operational costs.
“This consolidation will reshape the landscape, with successful niche players eventually integrating into larger platforms. This will ultimately lead to fewer (but more powerful) robotics companies dominating the industry.”
2. Warehouse automation will soon tread the path of the automotive industry:
“The automotive industry is the prime example of how automation and organised labour can coexist rather than compete. Over the past 40 years, the use of industrial robots in automotive manufacturing has increased productivity, improved safety and enhanced product quality.
“Automation has allowed the automotive industry to stay competitive globally, even in the face of rising labor costs. This transformation has allowed companies to make gains in productivity and quality while providing a more secure opportunity for automotive workers. As other industries and supply chains adopt automation in the coming years, we should expect a similar transformation.
Another benefit to consider here is the consequence of increased warehouse productivity. Thanks largely to automation and its effect on efficiency, cars are much cheaper now than 30 years ago. Similarly, with automation in their back pockets, retailers will soon be able to offer goods at a cheaper price point — and they’ll arrive to the consumers faster, too.”
3. We’re approaching an inflection point in the automation labour debate:
“As labour shortages and high wage demands strain the logistics and supply chain industries, the conversation will shift from “automation vs. job security” to “automation for job security.” By 2025, major companies and unions will increasingly acknowledge that automation is not a threat to employment but a solution to sustainability and growth.
“Large organisations will continue preparing to justify automation’s role in their operations, presenting robots as key to maintaining productivity and ensuring that workers are not replaced but upskilled. The validity of this argument will increase as early automation adopters transition their warehouse workers away from dangerous gigs and toward higher-paying roles.”
Ryan Hannon, Director of Customer Excellence, Plus One Robotics
The logistics automation industry will consolidate next year.
“By 2026, mergers and acquisitions (M&As) and other consolidation activities will reshape the logistics automation industry. The number of independent, mid-sized players will shrink, leaving the market dominated by a few large, vertically integrated providers. Larger integrators and tech giants will continue to absorb smaller, innovative companies that have promising technologies but lack the scale or resources to deploy their solutions widely.
“We’re already seeing this trend today with Amazon’s AI partnership with Covariant, and other major players are likely to follow suit, gradually streamlining the sector. However, this consolidation won’t just reduce the number of available options. It will also lead to the development of more sophisticated, accessible, end-to-end robotics solutions, ultimately benefiting businesses looking for comprehensive automation tools.
Humanoids will continue to receive coverage — less so results.
“Humanoid robots have captured massive attention this year, but their adoption in warehouses remains practically non-existent. In 2025, the use cases — and real-world traction — for humanoids are unlikely to increase, though we’ll probably continue hearing about them for the foreseeable future.
“We may see the rollout of one or two high-profile pilot programmes in automotive manufacturing led by companies like Tesla, but widespread warehouse adoption isn’t expected until 2030 at the earliest. Perhaps a small percentage of warehouses will experiment with humanoids before then. That said, the hype around humanoids is most likely to shift as their development moves toward more specialised applications that require human-like dexterity and adaptability rather than general warehouse tasks. This shift in focus may pave the way for more targeted and realistic use cases in the future.”
Vaclav Vincalek, CTO and Founder, Hiswai.com
“Anyone building a smart robot will be integrating AI into the machine in some way or another. I’m most impressed with companies that are merging robotics and AI to create all-purpose robotics.
“For example, Boston Dynamics and SanctuaryAI have made it their mission to build robots that are more than just ‘cameras on wheels’. They are striving for robots that can master any terrain and remain balanced. In 2025, AI for ‘robot vision’ will help such companies achieve this with far greater success. Tasks like object detection, image segmentation, and image generation will improve at a staggering rate.
“This technology will also bolster fine-tuning one of the most difficult tasks in robotics: designing a hand that can both lift heavy objects AND handle fragile items like eggs. That would actually be an engineering accomplishment worth celebrating, and 2025 may be the year it happens.”
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Nathan Patton, Product Marketing Manager, Field Systems, Trimble
“Due to their dynamic nature, construction sites have seen a slow but gradual adoption of robotics and automation. Robotics, automation and autonomous machines will continue to play an important part in the future of construction, and the safety and security of location data will be a key driver.
“In addition to delivering benefits in the field like improved efficiency, safety, and sustainability, these solutions will add value through data collection and analysis that can be used for predictive insights and lead to incremental productivity gains. Autonomous machines will continue to move out of test sites and into field trials in 2025, continuing their steady march forward. The better these autonomous technologies become, the better visibility companies will have into their daily operations, and the data collected over time can help them make better-informed decisions.”
Adrian Negoita, CTO, Dexory
“Over the past year, the robotics industry has seen impressive progress, both in terms of technological evolution and increased adoption across other industries. It is now firmly an industry for the future that will drive significant change across multiple industries.
“As we look ahead to 2025, we can expect to see further improvements in the autonomy and sensor technology integrated into robotic systems. This will allow robots to better navigate their surroundings and handle more complex, unstructured environments.
“I foresee a world of increased collaboration between humans and robots – this improved autonomy will be essential to that, as it means robots can smoothly operate in the same spaces as humans without safety concerns. This will be key for industries such as logistics, where companies are looking at deploying robots alongside humans to improve efficiency, freeing employees time to focus on strategic planning and driving growth within these industries.”
“With the continued development and growth of the robotics industry, it is an opportunity for people to upskill themselves for a field that will provide opportunities for growth and allows them to define and shape the future of robotics.”
Dr Ingo Keller, Head of Robotics, The National Robotarium
Humanoid robots will master complex tasks
“2025 will mark a significant leap forward in humanoid robotics capabilities. We’ll see these robots moving beyond basic pick-and-place operations to execute a notably wider range of complex tasks. The key breakthrough will be in their manipulation skills, with humanoids demonstrating unprecedented precision in real-world interactions.”
AI-powered educational robots will enter homes
“The educational robotics market will undergo a transformation in 2025, particularly in the consumer sector. We’ll see the first wave of sophisticated home-based educational robots, powered by Large Language Models (LLMs), becoming available to private customers. These robots will serve as interactive tutors, capable of adjusting their teaching style based on student responses – whether it’s helping with language practice or providing step-by-step guidance through complex mathematics.”
Specialised AI models will revolutionise robot performance
“Rather than relying on general-purpose AI, 2025 will see robots becoming more efficient through the implementation of task-specific AI models. This specialised approach will optimise performance for particular applications, especially in mobile manipulation platforms.”
Privacy-first robot design will become critical
“As AI-enabled robots become more prevalent in our homes and workplaces, 2025 will bring increased focus on privacy-conscious robot design. The integration of advanced AI capabilities with strict data protection measures, particularly in compliance with regulations like GDPR, will be crucial for the industry’s sustainable growth. Success will depend on balancing technological innovation with ethical considerations and ensuring robots operate safely across homes, schools, and workplaces.”
Richard Stone, Founder, Stone Junction
“2025 is going to be the year of the industrial robot. Industry in the UK has been primed for increased use of industrial robots by Brexit related labour shortages, rising costs, and the need for greater productivity.
“In addition, the UK’s push toward advanced manufacturing aligns with Industry 5.0, encouraging adoption of AI and robotics to enhance global competitiveness. Add to this, Government incentives for technology adoption that are further driving the shift, and positioning the UK for an automated, resilient industrial future and we are almost in a place where we could use the phrase ‘perfect storm’ without sounding hackneyed. These are the seven key points that will make the difference in 2025:
1. “Collaborative Robots (Cobots): Cobots are designed to work alongside humans, assisting with tasks that require precision and adaptability. Their integration into manufacturing processes is anticipated to increase, enabling more efficient human-robot collaboration. However, I’m seeing an increasing shift back to non-collaborative robots, as manufacturers realise that most applications just don’t need a human to work in physical proximity to a robot.”
2. “Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs): AMRs are set to revolutionise material handling in warehouses and factories. Equipped with advanced sensors and AI, they can navigate dynamic environments, optimising logistics and reducing manual labour.
“But it’s really all about the fleet management software. For instance, robot manufacturer KUKA provides AI-based fleet management software, KUKA.AMR, which enables real-time control and monitoring of a heterogeneous AMR fleet. For reference, if that’s not clear, that means multiple types of AMRs controlled from one platform.”
3. “Robotics as a Service (RaaS): The RaaS model allows businesses to adopt robotic solutions without significant upfront investments. This subscription-based approach offers scalability and flexibility, making automation accessible to a broader range of industries. For instance, Formic is delivering RaaS for industrial applications, which I see as a long overdue step forward.”
4. “Integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI integration enhances robots’ capabilities in decision-making and adaptability. This advancement enables robots to perform complex tasks, learn from their environments, and improve over time, leading to more intelligent and autonomous systems.
“Machine vision is one of the biggest examples of this in industry by far, and one of the areas with the most potential. For instance, companies including Fanuc and KUKA have integrated AI algorithms with machine vision to enable robots to see and learn in ways that enhance their flexibility and precision.”
5. “Humanoid Robots: Humanoid robots are being developed to perform tasks in environments designed for humans. Their potential applications include logistics, manufacturing, and customer service, addressing labour shortages and improving operational efficiency. For instance, Digit, from Agility Robotics, is directly in the workflow, doing actual meaningful work, right now.”
6. “Enhanced Safety Features: Advancements in sensor technology and AI are improving robots’ ability to operate safely alongside humans. This development reduces the need for extensive safety barriers and allows for more integrated workspaces.
“Shibaura Machine’s advanced safety features are a great example, including advanced sensors and AI based systems to respond to hazards. Some models also offer safety category three standards, including protective bellows for the Z-Axis and dust-proof and splash-proof specifications, enhancing operational safety.”
7. “Expansion into New Industries: Robotics is extending beyond traditional manufacturing into sectors like healthcare, agriculture, and logistics. Applications include surgical assistance, crop harvesting, and autonomous delivery systems, showcasing the versatility of modern robots.
“This is my biggest prediction. The United Kingdom has been primed for an explosion in the use of industrial robotics for some and I think 2025 is the year it will happen. If you are in industry and you aren’t part of that wave, you will be left behind.”
Maria Torrent March, Warehousing & Logistics Strategy Director, Iron Mountain
The Era of Humanoid Robotics
“In an industry driven by precision, robots have proven to excel in compliance, whilst also improving accuracy in stock counting and speeding up the response time across the warehouse. The Robotics market in the UK is expected to grow at a rate of 17.37% annually until 2029, resulting in a market volume of £2.5bn by the end of the decade. Within that, there is a particular focus on the growth of humanoid robots that are projected to reach USD 1.3 billion by 2030.
“This growth is largely fuelled by the rapid adoption of AI technologies across various industries, and the governments emphasis on digital transformation. Across the globe, we’re already seeing an uptick in companies adopting robots within the warehouse sector, with companies such as Tesla and Boston Dynamics already beginning to develop their own humanoid robots at pace.
Earlier this year, Iron Mountain partnered with Dexory to implement its mobile robots and the AI powered DexoryView platform across its warehouses. These robots will be able to scan 15,000 locations per hour, without impacting day-to-day operations. Ultimately, this will enable staff to upskill and reduce the need for taking on laborious and often, time-consuming tasks.”