Social Robots Market Size, Share, Opportunities, COVID-19 Impact, And Trends, By Application (Hardware, Software, Service), By End-User (Healthcare, Education, Retail, Entertainment, IT And Communication, Household, Others), And By Geography- Forecasts From 2021 To 2026

The social robots market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 12.68% over the analyzed period to reach a market size of US$912.488 million in 2026 from US$395.577 million in 2019. Social Robots are companion robots. These robots help in lifting, companionship, and simulation of emotions in human beings. In addition, these robots assist in everyday life, by performing various activities. Sony was the first company that introduced social robots in 1999. AIBO is a social robot pet dog that responds to its owner's voice and action. This robot has significant market standing even 20 years later of its first launch. The software of AIBO was last updated in April 2021, to accommodate new features such as app connection.

In 2006, France-based Aldebaran Robotic launched the Nao robot for the therapy of autistic children. The first nursing social robot in Japan was launched in 2015. Developed by the Riken institute, Robear assists patients and caregivers in nursing homes across Japan. The robot assists in lifting patients from their beds by providing physical strength. The growing complexities of the world and increased adoption of automation will drive the demand for social robots. In malls and shopping complexes, social robots guide the customers, increasing their shopping experience. In parking lots, robots assist in smooth functioning. The Healthcare sector also employs social robots for better treatment of patients. Furthermore, robots ease household chores and provide companionship to the owner. However, growing automation results in a decrease in employment opportunities and have raised several concerns, hindering the market growth.

Social Robots assist in the caregiving of the ageing population and facilitate better mental health in specially-abled people hence driving the adoption of robots in the healthcare sector.

Based on end-users, the social robot market is segmented into healthcare, education, retail, entertainment, IT and communication, household, and others. In the retail and entertainment sector, social robots are used to assist and guide customers toward their desired choices. Many giant retail shops, in the US, have installed social robots which help customers find what they need by providing the required information. Mobile stores across Japan have installed more than 140 SoftBank’s Pepper Robots since its launch. Success in enhancing the consumer experience, SoftBank received an investment of US$50 billion from Apple, in 2020, for research and development on Pepper. Target, US, installed Tally, a social robot built by Simbe Robotics, for inventory management. In 2016, a leading fast-food chain, Dominos, Australia, announced the introduction of drive-less vehicles, Domino’s Robotic Unit (DRU) for better delivery of pizza. Growth in the IT and communication industry will also increase the adoption of social robots to cater to customer queries and needs, which will provide significant growth prospects. However, during the forecasted period, the healthcare and household sectors are projected to hold dominating share of the market. In the healthcare sector, social robots are used for nursing purposes. These robots also help in catering for the emotional needs of the patients. Japan is the leading user of social robots in its healthcare sector. The education sector will also grow at a significant rate.

The rise in automation will contribute to market growth during the forecasted period.

The key factor driving the growth in the market is surging automation across varied industrial verticals. The International Federation of Robotics has predicted that the adoption of robots across many industry verticals will grow at a quadruple rate in the coming decade. In 2017, robot installation increased by 21% in Asia, 16% in the Americas, and 8% in the European region. China, South Korea, Japan, the United States, and Germany are the top 5 robotics markets, accounting for 74% of the total robotics supply (2016). A significant proportion is shared by the social robot. Hence, growth in the robotic industry will support the market growth of social robots.

The Asia Social Robots market will grow at an exponential rate with Japan dominating the global healthcare social robot market.

Based on geography, the social robot market is divided into North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and the Asia Pacific region. The North American and Asia Pacific regions are the leading social robot market and will dominate the global market by the end of 2026. Particularly, the Asia region has vast adoption of robots in the healthcare and education sector, with Japan and South Korea being the prime market for healthcare social robots.

In Japan, the ageing population has been on a rise and is increasing at a quadruple rate. While the number of people aged 65 and above accounted for 19.098% of the population, the proportion had increased to 28.002%. while the population is falling at 1.4% annually. A large aged population has increased the requirement for nursing and other facilities while the workforce is limited. Hence, Japan has increasingly adopted social robots for better care and nursing of aged people. An investment of US$ 100 million was made by the government in 2018 for nursing social robot development and installation. Further, Japan is a leader in the development of healthcare and nursing robots. Paro, Telenoid, and Ugo are leading social nursing robots in Japan. South Korea is another emerging market for healthcare robots. Moreover, the preferability of the ageing population for automation over immigration provides a stable market. Japan also intended to increase the involvement of social robots in its education sector.

Estimates by World Bank show that South Korea will surpass Japan in the proportion of the aged population (above 65) to reach a proportion of around 37% by 2045. Japan, on the other hand, will have 36.7% of its population in the category in 2045. The growing aged population and rising automation have increased concerns by the government, resulting in the announcement of an investment of US$250 million in automation. in March 2020, with a prime focus on healthcare, disaster response, and rehabilitation.

Covid Insights.

The effect of the coronavirus pandemic increased the market prospects for the social robot industry. To deal with the rapid spread of the virus, healthcare sectors employed more robots to support and reduce the risk of the spread of the virus to healthcare workers. Social Assistive Robots (SAR) saw an increase in demand in the retail sector as well. Delivery from social robots increased significantly to ensure quarantine and distance adhering to containment measures implemented by the government. Tho contain the spread of the virus, innovation in the robotics industry resulted in the creation of Pre-screening Experience Through Robotic Assessment (PETRA) social robots by Merck Group. PETRA can detect common yet undiagnosed diseases. The social robot has widened the opportunities for the industry and will see a surge in adoption during the forecasted period.

Social Robots Market Scope:

Segmentation:

• By Application

  • Hardware

  • Software

  • Service

• By End-User

  • Healthcare

  • Education

  • Retail

  • Entertainment

  • IT and Communication

  • Household

  • Others

• By Geography

  • North America

    • USA

    • Canada

    • Mexico

  • South America

    • Brazil

    • Argentina

    • Others

  • Europe

    • Germany

    • France

    • United Kingdom

    • Italy

    • Spain

    • Others

  • Middle East and Africa

    • Saudi Arabia

    • UAE

    • Israel

    • Others

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • Japan

    • South Korea

    • India

    • Thailand

    • Taiwan

    • Indonesia

    • Others

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. What will be the social robots market size by 2026?
A1. The social robots market is expected to reach a market size of US$912.488 million by 2026.

Q2. What are the growth prospects for the social robots market?
A2. The global social robots market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 12.68% over the forecast period.

Q3. What is the size of the global social robots market?
A3. Social Robots Market was valued at US$395.577 million in 2019.

Q4. What factors are anticipated to drive the social robots market growth?
A4. The growing complexities of the world and increased adoption of automation will drive the demand for social robots.

Q5. Which region holds the largest market share in the social robots market?
A5. The North American and Asia Pacific regions are the leading social robot market and will dominate the global market by the end of 2026.