Robotics Categories Explained: From Cobots to AMRs

The robotics industry encompasses a vast array of technologies, applications, and company types. For investors, researchers, or industry professionals trying to understand this landscape, the terminology can be overwhelming. What’s the difference between an AMR and an AGV? Where do cobots fit in? This guide breaks down the major categories of robotics companies to help you navigate the industry.

Industrial Robotics

Industrial robots are the backbone of modern manufacturing. These are the robot arms you see in automotive factories, welding lines, and electronics assembly plants.

Traditional Industrial Robots

• Articulated Robots: The classic robot arm with rotary joints, typically 6-axis, offering maximum flexibility
• SCARA Robots: Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm, ideal for pick-and-place operations
• Delta Robots: High-speed parallel robots, often used in packaging and food processing
• Cartesian/Gantry Robots: Linear motion systems for large-area applications

Key players: FANUC, ABB, KUKA, Yaskawa

DroidAge tracks: 282 industrial robotics companies

Collaborative Robots (Cobots)

Cobots are designed to work safely alongside humans without safety cages. They feature force-limiting technology, rounded edges, and built-in safety systems.

Key characteristics:

• Lower payloads (typically 3-25 kg)
• Slower speeds for safety
• Easy programming, often “teach by demonstration”
• Designed for human-robot collaboration

Key players: Universal Robots, FANUC, ABB, Doosan Robotics

DroidAge tracks: 70 collaborative robot companies

Mobile Robots

Mobile robots move through environments rather than being fixed in place. This category has exploded in recent years.

Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs)

AMRs navigate dynamically using sensors and AI, without requiring fixed infrastructure like tracks or markers.

Characteristics:

• SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) navigation
• Obstacle avoidance and path planning
• Fleet management software
• Flexible deployment

Applications: Warehouse transport, last-mile delivery, hospital logistics, facility security

Key players: Locus Robotics, 6 River Systems, Fetch Robotics, MiR

DroidAge tracks: 150 AMR companies

Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs)

AGVs follow fixed paths using magnetic tape, wires, or painted lines. They’re simpler and often more reliable than AMRs but less flexible.

Characteristics:

• Fixed route navigation
• Lower cost than AMRs
• Proven reliability in structured environments
• Limited adaptability to changes

Applications: Factory material transport, heavy load movement, structured warehouses

Delivery Robots

A specialized subset of mobile robots focused on last-mile delivery:

• Sidewalk delivery robots: Small, slow-moving robots for local deliveries
• Road delivery robots: Larger autonomous vehicles for package delivery
• Indoor delivery robots: Hospital, hotel, and office delivery

Key players: Starship Technologies, Nuro, Amazon Scout

Service Robots

Service robots operate outside industrial settings, serving consumers, businesses, and institutions.

Professional Service Robots

Robots serving commercial and institutional customers:

• Cleaning robots: Floor scrubbers, window cleaners, disinfection robots
• Hospitality robots: Delivery robots for hotels and restaurants
• Retail robots: Inventory scanning, customer assistance
• Security robots: Patrol and surveillance

DroidAge tracks: 223 service robot companies

Consumer Robots

Robots sold directly to consumers:

• Vacuum robots: The most successful consumer robot category (iRobot Roomba, etc.)
• Lawn mowing robots: Automated yard maintenance
• Social/companion robots: Entertainment and companionship
• Educational robots: STEM learning and programming education

Healthcare and Medical Robotics

Medical robotics is one of the fastest-growing and highest-value segments of the industry.

Surgical Robots

Surgical robots assist surgeons in performing minimally invasive procedures with greater precision and control.

Categories:

• Laparoscopic surgery: Abdominal procedures
• Orthopedic surgery: Joint replacement, spine surgery
• Neurosurgery: Brain and spinal procedures
• Cardiovascular: Heart and vascular procedures

Key players: Intuitive Surgical (da Vinci), Medtronic (Hugo), Stryker (Mako), Zimmer Biomet (ROSA)

DroidAge tracks: 70 surgical robotics companies

Rehabilitation Robots

Robots assisting in physical therapy and rehabilitation:

• Exoskeletons: Wearable robots for mobility assistance and rehabilitation
• Therapy robots: Devices for stroke recovery and physical therapy
• Prosthetics: Advanced robotic prosthetic limbs

Key players: Ekso Bionics, ReWalk, Cyberdyne

DroidAge tracks: 52 exoskeleton companies

Healthcare Automation

Robots supporting healthcare operations:

• Pharmacy automation: Medication dispensing and management
• Laboratory automation: Sample handling and analysis
• Disinfection robots: UV and spray disinfection systems
• Telepresence: Remote doctor visits and consultations

DroidAge tracks: 68 healthcare automation companies

Autonomous Vehicles

While sometimes categorized separately from “robotics,” autonomous vehicles are fundamentally mobile robots.

Self-Driving Cars

Passenger vehicles with autonomous driving capability:

• Robotaxis: Driverless ride-hailing services
• Personal vehicles: Consumer cars with autonomous features
• Shuttles: Fixed-route autonomous transit

Key players: Waymo, Cruise, Tesla, Zoox

Autonomous Trucks

Self-driving vehicles for freight transport:

• Long-haul trucking: Highway autonomous operation
• Middle-mile: Distribution center to store delivery
• Last-mile: Final delivery to customers

Key players: Aurora, TuSimple, Embark, Kodiak Robotics

DroidAge tracks: 175 autonomous vehicle companies

Agricultural Robotics

AgTech robots are transforming farming through automation and precision agriculture.

Field Robots

Robots operating in open agricultural environments:

• Harvesting robots: Automated fruit and vegetable picking
• Weeding robots: Precision weed removal using mechanical or laser systems
• Planting robots: Automated seeding and transplanting
• Spraying robots: Targeted pesticide and fertilizer application

Key players: John Deere, Agrobot, FarmWise, Carbon Robotics

Livestock Robots

Automation for animal farming:

• Milking robots: Automated dairy milking systems
• Feeding robots: Automated feed distribution
• Monitoring systems: Health and behavior tracking

DroidAge tracks: 114 agricultural robotics companies

Drones and UAVs

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) represent another major robotics category.

Commercial Drones

Drones for business applications:

• Inspection: Infrastructure, energy, and building inspection
• Mapping and surveying: Geographic and construction surveying
• Agriculture: Crop monitoring and spraying
• Delivery: Package and medical supply delivery

Defense and Security Drones

Military and security applications:

• Surveillance: Intelligence gathering and monitoring
• Combat: Armed unmanned systems
• Logistics: Military supply delivery

DroidAge tracks: 100 drone companies

Defense and Security Robotics

Military and security robots encompass ground, air, and maritime systems.

Ground Defense Robots

• Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD): Bomb disposal robots
• Reconnaissance: Surveillance and scout robots
• Combat: Armed unmanned ground vehicles
• Logistics: Supply transport robots

Maritime Robots

• Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs): Surface patrol and survey
• Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs): Subsea inspection and defense

Key players: Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, Anduril, Shield AI

DroidAge tracks: 89 defense robotics companies

Robot Components and Enabling Technologies

Many companies don’t build complete robots but provide essential components and technologies.

Sensors and Perception

• LiDAR: Laser-based distance sensing
• Computer vision: Cameras and image processing
• Force/torque sensors: For manipulation and safety
• IMUs: Inertial measurement for motion tracking

DroidAge tracks: 90 sensor companies

Software and AI

• Robot Operating System (ROS): Open-source robot middleware
• Simulation: Virtual testing and training environments
• Fleet management: Multi-robot coordination software
• Computer vision AI: Object detection and recognition

DroidAge tracks: 200 robot software companies

Components

• Motors and actuators: The muscles of robots
• Controllers: Motion control systems
• Grippers and end effectors: Robot hands and tools
• Cables and connectors: Robot-specific wiring

DroidAge tracks: 61 component companies

Understanding Category Overlap

Most robotics companies span multiple categories. A company making warehouse robots might be classified as:

• Industrial robotics (if used in factories)
• Autonomous mobile robots (technology type)
• Warehouse automation (application)
• Logistics automation (end market)

This overlap means that searching by application (warehouse, surgery, farming) often yields more useful results than searching by technology type alone.

Navigating the Industry

When researching the robotics industry, consider:

1. Application vs. Technology: Are you interested in a specific application (surgery, warehouses) or technology type (mobile robots, vision systems)?

2. Stage of Development: Research labs, startups, and established companies operate very differently.

3. Geographic Focus: Different regions have different strengths—Japan for industrial robots, US for autonomous vehicles, China for manufacturing and mobile robots.

4. Investment Stage: From seed-stage startups to public companies, the risk-return profiles vary dramatically.

Our company directory allows filtering by category, country, funding status, and other criteria to help you find exactly what you’re looking for.

Explore our complete category list to browse robotics companies by type, or visit our funding leaderboard to see the most well-capitalized companies in each segment.