Where Robotics Is Headed: RealSense Identifies the 5 Trends Defining Robotics in 2026

Real-world deployments across CES show how perception is becoming the foundation of autonomy, from AMRs to humanoids

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CES 2026 —As robots move from novelty to necessity across factories, warehouses, hospitals, and public spaces, CES 2026 is making one thing clear: visual perception will define the future of robotics.

Humanoid robots, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and industrial inspection systems are converging on a shared challenge: operating safely, intelligently and continuously in unstructured human environments. The industry is entering a pivotal phase.

“We’re moving from isolated automation to shared autonomy,” said Nadav Orbach, CEO of RealSense. “Robots are no longer executing scripts; instead, they’re being asked to understand intent, navigate uncertainty and collaborate. That only works if they can see and perceive the world with confidence.”

Drawing on real-world deployments showcased across CES, including Unitree, LimX Dynamics, Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR), and Intel Foundry with Boston Dynamics, RealSense, the category leader in robotic depth perception that powers 60% of the global AMR market and 80% of humanoid robotics, outlines five trends shaping where robotics is headed in 2026.

1. Perception Becomes the Foundation of Physical AI

Physical AI fails without perception. As robots move into real-world environments, depth, sensor fusion and real-time awareness are the foundation of intelligence. In practice, it’s depth plus motion awareness and calibration that stays reliable over time.

Perception enables the full autonomy lifecycle: from teleoperation and data capture, to training and simulation, to safe, independent and autonomous action.

2. Robots Shift from Scripts to Missions

Robots are moving from executing instructions to executing assigned goals through vision-language-action (VLA) models. Rather than programming every movement, developers are defining intent: “inspect this facility,” “move this pallet,” or “bring me a bottle of water.” The robot must infer context, plan routes, identify objects and adapt in real time.

Smarter robots are trained through experience, using perception to progress from teleoperation to mission-level autonomy.

3. Humanoids Gain Momentum; Vision Determines Viability

Humanoid robots fit naturally into human environments, but their usefulness depends on perception that allows them to operate safely and autonomously alongside humans and integrate into larger robotic systems.

Reliable, low-latency vision enables balance, manipulation, human interaction and continuous learning – all required for autonomy.

4. Autonomy Scales Through Ecosystems

Robotics is moving away from siloed machines toward interoperable ecosystems. Scaling autonomy now depends on integrating sensing, compute and AI across platforms, along with workflows that connect perception data, simulation and deployment. This transition is enabling faster iteration, lower integration friction and global scalability.

5. Automation Becomes Invisible

The economics of automation have reached a tipping point.

In 2026, autonomous robots operate continuously in facilities from day one. As systems mature, the technology fades into the background, while smarter robots reshape how work gets done.

The Road Ahead

As robotics enters its next phase, success will hinge on trust, safety and real-world reliability. Intelligent perception is what enables robots to collaborate, coordinate and coexist with people.

“When robots can see their world and understand their role within it,” Orbach said, “autonomy becomes cooperative and the physical world becomes programmable at system scale.”

About RealSense

RealSense delivers industry-leading depth cameras and vision technology used in autonomous mobile and humanoid robots, access control, industrial automation, healthcare and more. With a mission to deliver world-class perception systems for Physical AI and safely integrate robotics and AI into everyday life, RealSense provides intelligent, secure and reliable vision systems that help machines navigate and interact with the human world. The company is headquartered in Cupertino, California, with operations worldwide. Learn more at: www.realsenseai.com