The 10 most innovative robotics companies in 2022

Perhaps 2021 will be seen as a tipping point, the year we suddenly noticed that the robots were everywhere. In the factory, of course, the use of industrial robots around the world is rapidly accelerating, with average global robot density in manufacturing hitting 126 robots per 10,000 employees, nearly double the number from just five years ago, according to the 2021 World Robot Report. The auto industry is the biggest employer of robots by far, accounting for 42% of all installed units in 2021; there were nearly 1,300 robots for every 10,000 human employees in the car sector. Industrial robots are becoming more versatile, too: This year's most innovative robotics companies include autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), such as Denmark's Mobile Industrial Robots, and Pittsburgh-based Seegrid, that use sensors and software to navigate safely through dynamic work environments, as well as collaborative "cobots"--the fastest-growing market segment--designed to work alongside humans and learn new tasks quickly. San Francisco-based Nimble uses AI and "imitation learning" to teach warehouse robots how to pick and pack products like cosmetics, apparel, and consumer electronics (once considered too delicate for robot handling) for U.S. customers including Best Buy, Victoria's Secret, and Puma.