The global automotive industry is accelerating its expansion into embodied intelligence. Hyundai through Boston Dynamics, NVIDIA through the Isaac platform, Qualcomm through the RB series, and Bosch and Schaeffler through investments and partnerships are all positioning in the robotics ecosystem. The global collaborative robot market is projected to reach $3.74 billion in 2026, with humanoid robot shipments expected at 90,000 units.
Automakers Enter Robotics: The Ultimate Race for Mobile Intelligence
In 2026, the global automotive industry is undergoing a profound paradigm shift—from "car making" to "robot making." The logic behind this transition is straightforward: intelligent electric vehicles are essentially mobile robots with four wheels, and the capabilities automakers have accumulated in perception, decision-making, control, manufacturing, and supply chains naturally migrate to broader embodied intelligence scenarios.
Hyundai Motor Group—Through its 2021 acquisition of Boston Dynamics, Hyundai has become a significant player in the global humanoid robotics field. In 2026, Boston Dynamics' Atlas humanoid robot has completed major upgrades, with Hyundai deeply integrating its robotics technology into automotive manufacturing, logistics, and service scenarios.
NVIDIA—With the Isaac Sim simulation platform and Jetson edge computing platform at its core, NVIDIA is building the infrastructure layer of the robotics ecosystem. In 2026, NVIDIA further launched the GR00T humanoid robot foundation model and established strategic partnerships with multiple automakers and robotics companies.
Qualcomm—Through its RB series robotics platforms, Qualcomm extends its AI computing capabilities accumulated in automotive cockpit and intelligent driving domains into robotics. Its RB5 and RB6 platforms have been adopted by multiple service robot and industrial robot manufacturers.
| Company | Robotics Play | Core Capability Migration | Strategic Positioning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hyundai | Boston Dynamics Atlas | Manufacturing, supply chain, scenarios | Humanoid + automotive synergy |
| NVIDIA | Isaac/Jetson/GR00T | AI computing, simulation, models | Robotics infrastructure platform |
| Qualcomm | RB Series Platforms | Edge AI, connectivity, perception | Robotics computing platform |
| Bosch | Collaborative robots + investments | Sensors, actuators, manufacturing | Industrial automation ecosystem |
| Schaeffler | Robot startup investments | Precision mechanics, motion control | Robot core components |
Collaborative Robot Market: How to Divide the $3.74B Pie
According to industry research data, the global collaborative robot (Cobot) market is in a period of rapid growth:
- 2024: Market size approximately $2.4 billion
- 2026 (projected): Market expected to reach $3.74 billion, with a CAGR of approximately 22%
- 2030 (projected): Market expected to exceed $8 billion
The core advantage of collaborative robots lies in safe human-robot collaboration—working alongside human workers without safety fences. In automotive manufacturing, collaborative robots are already widely applied in:
- Precision component installation on assembly lines
- Quality inspection and visual sorting
- Material handling and palletizing
- Equipment maintenance and human-robot collaborative polishing
Humanoid robots represent a higher-dimensional track. In 2026, global humanoid robot shipments are expected to reach approximately 90,000 units, with the Chinese market accounting for over 50%. Tesla Optimus, Boston Dynamics Atlas, Figure AI, and Zhiyuan Robotics are accelerating product iteration and scenario deployment.
Why Now? Three Driving Forces
The timing of the automotive industry's collective crossover into robotics is driven by three structural forces:
1. Technology Reusability Autonomous driving and robotics share core technology stacks—LiDAR, visual perception, SLAM positioning, path planning, and motion control. The results of automakers' investments of hundreds of billions of dollars in these areas can be directly migrated to robotics scenarios.
2. Manufacturing Capability Migration Automobiles are among the most complex civilian products globally. Automakers' capabilities in precision manufacturing, supply chain management, and quality control can be directly applied to large-scale robot production. As Chery's Yin Tongyue stated: "An intelligent vehicle is a mobile robot."
3. Structural Market Demand Changes Global labor shortages are transitioning from a "trend" to a "crisis." According to International Labour Organization data, by 2030, the global labor gap is projected to reach 85 million people. Robots are not just a replacement solution but a necessary means to enhance production efficiency and quality of life.
From a longer-term perspective, automakers' expansion into robotics is essentially the ultimate race for mobile intelligence—whoever first masters the ability to "enable machines to autonomously move and operate in the physical world" will define the industrial rules of the next era. EX1000.COM will continue tracking the latest developments in this crossover trend.
