North America Collaborative Robots Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends and Forecast (2026 - 2031)

North America Collaborative Robots Market Trends and Insights

Increasing Demand for Automation in Manufacturing Processes

Manufacturers that repatriate lines from Asia must balance throughput and flexibility. Cobots allow quick re-tooling without cages, satisfying this dual mandate. The 2024 House AI Task Force urged USD 500 million per year for human–robot collaboration pilots, accelerating early-stage deployments.^{[1]House AI Task Force, “Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing Report,” congress.gov} Yaskawa’s 185,000 square-foot U.S. expansion underscores vendor confidence in sustained orders. As a result, the North America collaborative robots market is expanding beyond tier-one plants toward rural contract manufacturers that previously lacked access to robotics expertise.

High Return on Investment Enabled by Easy Deployment

Drag-and-drop design suites and pre-engineered grippers now let job shops integrate a cobot cell in under 48 hours, down from 6-12 weeks. ABB’s GoFa-Vention bundle cut installation labor costs by 60-70% for first-wave adopters. Lower integration overhead unlocks use cases with batch sizes below 100 units, allowing the North America collaborative robots market to penetrate segments once deemed too small for automation.

Rapid Advances in Edge Computing and AI Integration

On-device inference transforms cobots into adaptive co-workers that optimize trajectories in real time. Universal Robots’ MotionPlus software reduced cycle-time variability by 18% during multi-arm assembly trials. National Science Foundation hubs are funding AI-enabled manufacturing test beds, anchoring the North America collaborative robots market in federally backed innovation clusters.

Rising Labor Costs and Labor Shortages Across Industries

Median manufacturing wages rose 4.8% in 2024, intensifying pressure to automate tasks with high injury rates. Toyota’s Kentucky battery-plant layout shows how cobots handle repetitive material moves while technicians manage diagnostics. The North America collaborative robots market therefore functions as a workforce multiplier rather than a direct labor substitute, mitigating union resistance.

Limited Payload and Speed Capabilities Versus Traditional Robots

ISO/TS 15066 force limits cap most cobots at 35 kg payload and 1.5 m/s speed, excluding applications such as body-in-white welding or press tending. Traditional arms still handle 88.4% of automotive installations.^{[2]International Federation of Robotics, “World Robotics 2024,” ifr.org} Hybrid cells that pair fenced heavy-duty robots with cobots increase floor-space needs, diluting some flexibility benefits and slowing penetration of the North America collaborative robots market into legacy press shops.

High Initial Integration and Training Costs for SMEs

End-of-arm tooling, vision systems, and process redesign can top USD 50,000 per cell. A 2024 NIST survey found 62% of small manufacturers still view integration services as the primary barrier. Government extension programs train fewer than 5,000 operators annually, creating a temporary adoption bottleneck that curbs near-term growth of the North America collaborative robots market.

Segment Analysis

By Payload: Miniaturization Sustains Sub-5 kg Dominance

Less-than-5 kg cobots captured 45.38% of the North America collaborative robots market share in 2025, propelled by cleanroom electronics assembly that values compact footprints and gentle force limits. Standard Bots’ 30 kg model, released in 2025, signals supplier intent to penetrate heavier-duty palletizing, pointing to segment blurring. Over time, vendors will package modular arms allowing end users to swap joints and extend reach, reinforcing the scalability narrative that fuels the North America collaborative robots market.

Demand for 10 kg-plus units, forecast to grow at an 17.65% CAGR, stems from food palletizing and machine tending where ergonomic risk drives automation budgets. KUKA’s mosaixx remote-monitoring stack lowers service visits, cutting total cost of ownership and attracting multi-site processors. As high-payload designs mature, the North America collaborative robots market size for heavy-duty units could exceed USD 1.12 billion by 2031.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By End-User Industry: Food and Beverage Takes the Growth Lead

Electronics retained 36.95% revenue in 2025 owing to wafer handling and die bonding tasks that demand particle-free operation. Nonetheless, food and beverage posts a 14.88% CAGR to 2031, reshaping the North America collaborative robots market as processors confront hygiene mandates and 50% annual turnover on packaging lines.

Logistics, pharmaceuticals, and aerospace form an emerging cohort, collectively advancing as fulfillment centers deploy cobots for order picking. Compliance with ISO 22000 food-safety rules and FSMA preventive controls accelerates uptake, ensuring the North America collaborative robots market diversifies across verticals.

By Application: Assembly Narrows the Gap With Material Handling

Material handling held 33.92% of 2025 revenue, reflecting early wins in palletizing and machine tending. Assembly is set to grow at 16.90% CAGR, buoyed by inverse-kinematics optimizers that cut cycle time 12%, making cobots viable for fast takt operations. Sensor-rich end effectors let cobots seat press-fits or apply torque within ±3%, once exclusive to precision gantries.

As vendors ship task-specific software bundles, buyers increasingly pay for guaranteed takt-time outcomes, shifting value capture from hardware to recurring licenses and enlarging the North America collaborative robots market size allocated to digital add-ons.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By Component: Software Monetization Redraws Revenue Mix

Hardware made up 51.64% of 2025 sales, but software is rising at 18.82% CAGR on the back of cloud dashboards and predictive-maintenance algorithms. ABB’s subscription tier for welding cobots spreads costs over the asset life, a model now echoed by KUKA’s mosaixx and Yaskawa’s forthcoming AI-optimizer module.

Services revenue, traditionally one-off, is migrating to multi-year support contracts. As margins on metal sell-offs thin, vendors rely on analytics to retain differentiation, reinforcing software’s share of the North America collaborative robots market.

Geography Analysis

The United States controlled 78.55% of the North America collaborative robots market in 2025, underpinned by semiconductor fabs in Arizona and automotive clusters in the Midwest. Senate appropriations for 2025-26 allocate USD 1.5 billion to cobot integration grants, sustaining demand during macro softness. Yaskawa’s USD 180 million Wisconsin expansion doubles domestic capacity and reduces lead times, bolstering supply resilience. 

Mexico, expanding at an 17.95% CAGR through 2031, benefits from nearshoring of electronics and vehicle parts. Government incentives target high-value assembly lines, and cobots bridge labor gaps without proportional headcount. Vendors are responding by setting up parts depots in Monterrey and Queretaro, signaling long-term commitment to the North America collaborative robots market south of the border. 

Canada remains smaller but steady, led by Ontario and Quebec food processors that leverage provincial automation grants. Clear adoption of ISO/TS 15066 by workplace-safety regulators shortens certification cycles, making Canada a test bed for hygienic stainless-steel cobot designs. Although its manufacturing base is modest, Canada’s focus on aerospace subassembly and cold-chain food packaging provides high-margin niches within the broader North America collaborative robots market.