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Top 100 Robot Trends in 2018

From Fitness-Focused Pet Robots to Seafaring Video Drones

— February 3, 2019 — Tech
The top 2018 robot trends show the many ways in which robotic devices are becoming seamlessly integrated into our daily lives. Major fast food chains, museums, retail stores and warehouses are now adopting robotic systems for both customer-facing and behind-the-scenes operations, painting a picture for how a future with robots may well and truly look. As well as improving efficacy and helping to cut costs, robots also have the potential to transform familiar experiences into theatrical ones—as exemplified by eateries that are now using high-tech, elaborate machines to prepare foods like burgers before the eyes of diners.

For the home, there are now tons of robot companions of all shapes and sizes that can assist with everything from detecting leaks and washing windows to automating decisions—such as activating a smart vacuum cleaner when the floor is dirty.

To learn more about upcoming robot trends, check out our 2019 Trend Report.
6.5
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
99
Amphibious Gliding Robots
Amphibious Gliding Robots
The 'Albatross' Uses Huge Wings and Tiny Sensors For Efficient Flight
<
98
Phone-Answering Pizza Bots
Phone-Answering Pizza Bots
Domino's AI Pizza Bot Can Now Answer Phone Calls
<
97
Automated Bookkeeping Chatbots
Automated Bookkeeping Chatbots
botkeeper Uses AI and Machine Learning to Redefine Your Accounting
<
96
Triangular Deep-Cleaning Vacuums
Triangular Deep-Cleaning Vacuums
The 'Vroom' Vacuum Cleans Debris from Every Nook and Cranny
<
95
Airplane Engine-Repair Robots
Airplane Engine-Repair Robots
Tine Rolls-Royce Robots May One Day Perform Airplane Engine Repair
<
94
Enterprise-Ready Drones
Enterprise-Ready Drones
The DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Drone is Ready for a Wide Array of Purposes
<
93
Leak-Detecting Robots
Leak-Detecting Robots
The Lighthouse Robot Uses Skirt Sensors to Locate Leaks in Pipes
<
92
Undersea Oceanic Drones
Undersea Oceanic Drones
The 'RealDive' Drone Offers a New Way to Explore Beneath the Waves
<
91
Robotic Voice Control Vacuums
Robotic Voice Control Vacuums
The Shark 'ION ROBOT' Vacuum Captures Dirt, Allergens and More
<
90
Customizable Character Coding Robots
Customizable Character Coding Robots
The Ozobot 'Bit' Offers STEAM Activities Right Out of the Box
<
89
Highly Stable Underwater Drones
Highly Stable Underwater Drones
Nemo Boasts an Ultra-High Definition 4K Camera for Sea Exploration
<
88
Assistive Custom Carpentry Machines
Assistive Custom Carpentry Machines
MIT's AutoSaw System Makes Furniture-Making Easier and Safer
<
87
Robot Hair Restoration Systems
Robot Hair Restoration Systems
The ARTAS Robotic Hair Transplant System Offers Customized Results
<
86
AI-Integrated Photography Drones
AI-Integrated Photography Drones
The Parrot 'Anafi' 4K Camera Drone Follows Users Autonomously
<
85
Cocktail-Making Robots
Cocktail-Making Robots
Inspired by Doctor Who, Factorylux and ST Robotics Created a Cocktail Robot
<
84
Amphibious Underwater Robots
Amphibious Underwater Robots
A New Harvard Robotic Cockroach Can Walk on and Under Water
<
83
AI Real Estate Solutions
AI Real Estate Solutions
Restb.ai Uses an Image Recognition System for Real Estate Websites
<
82
Robotic Museum Guides
Robotic Museum Guides
The Smithsonian is Introducing Pepper as a New Guide for Guests
<
81
Autonomous Oceanic Drones
Autonomous Oceanic Drones
The 'Saildrone' Collects Ocean Data in Any Weather Conditions
<
80
AI-Enhanced Loyalty Programs
AI-Enhanced Loyalty Programs
The Cosmopolitan Hotel in Vegas Uses a Chatbot AI to Delight Guests
<
79
Wearable Back-Mounted Robots
Wearable Back-Mounted Robots
This Backpack-Style Robot Gives Wearers and Extra Set of Arms
<
78
Seafaring Video Drones
Seafaring Video Drones
This High-Speed Drone Can Capture Underwater Video
<
77
Whiteboard Coding Robots
Whiteboard Coding Robots
The Root is a Code-Teaching Robot that Recently Showcased at CES 2018
<
76
Robot-Built Ultra-Tiny Houses
Robot-Built Ultra-Tiny Houses
Femto-ST Institute Researchers Created the World's Smallest House
<
75
Robotic Bee Attractors
Robotic Bee Attractors
An Australian Designed and Robotic Flower That Can Aid in Pollination
<
74
Adventurous Water Scooters
Adventurous Water Scooters
The 'AquaJet H2' Pulls Riders Above and Below the Surface
<
73
Real-Time 3D Scanners
Real-Time 3D Scanners
Fraunhofer IGD's 3D Scanning System Instantly Reveals Insights
<
72
Adaptable In-Home Robots
Adaptable In-Home Robots
Aeolus is a Robot Created to Be a "Personal Helping Hand"
<
71
Programmable Automated Lawnmowers
Programmable Automated Lawnmowers
The Lawnba E1600 Robotic Lawn Mower is Efficient and Quiet
<
70
Interchangeable Component Drones
Interchangeable Component Drones
The 'Blank Drone' Can be Used for Photo, Video and More
<
69
Gesture-Responsive Robotic Toys
Gesture-Responsive Robotic Toys
DTing Creates Toys and Robots That are Controlled by a Wrist Band
<
68
Funding Food Service Robots
Funding Food Service Robots
Miso Robotics Recently Acquired Large Funding From Multiple Investors
<
67
Robot Warehouse Workers
Robot Warehouse Workers
InVia Robotics is Offering Subscription-Based Robot Services to Warehouses
<
66
AI-Led Construction Projects
AI-Led Construction Projects
The Start-Up Doxel is Enhancing Big Construction Projects Using Tech
<
65
Intelligent Voice-Controlled Toys
Intelligent Voice-Controlled Toys
CogniToys' 'Scout' is a Toy That Plays, Jokes and Chats
<
64
Ball-Collecting Tennis Robots
Ball-Collecting Tennis Robots
The 'Tennibot' Autonomously Hoovers Up Errant Tennis Balls
<
63
Mechanical Pollination Solutions
Mechanical Pollination Solutions
A Pollination Robot May be the Solution to a Bee-Less World
<
62
Palm-Sized Racer Drones
Palm-Sized Racer Drones
The UVify 'OOri' Micro Racing Drone Flies at Up to 60mph
<
61
Robot-Printed Steel Pedestrian Bridges
Robot-Printed Steel Pedestrian Bridges
MX3D Designs a Pedestrian Bridge for the Amsterdam Canal
<
60
Low-Tech Robotics Kits
Low-Tech Robotics Kits
Thames & Kosmos' Coding & Robotics Set Teaches without Mobile Devices
<
59
Visual Recognition Battle Robots
Visual Recognition Battle Robots
The GJS GEIO FPS Battle Bot Enables Immersive Combat Gaming
<
58
Mechanized Mixology Machines
Mechanized Mixology Machines
The Makr Shakr is a Robotic Bartender That Can Make Almost Anything
<
57
Incision-Free Surgery Solutions
Incision-Free Surgery Solutions
The Versius Surgical Robotic System Seamlessly Supports Surgeons
<
56
Stacking Educational Coding Robots
Stacking Educational Coding Robots
The 'TacoBot' Lets Kids Create and Code in a Fun Manner
<
55
Ultra-Realistic Puppy Toys
Ultra-Realistic Puppy Toys
'Ricky the Trick-Lovin Pup' is a Highly Convincing Companion Toy
<
54
Triple-Clean Robot Vacuums
Triple-Clean Robot Vacuums
The MClimate Maya Vacuum Sweeps, Vacuums and Mops Surfaces
<
53
On-Demand Drone Vehicle Chargers
On-Demand Drone Vehicle Chargers
The 'Volt' Drone Recharges Your Vehicle Wherever You Are
<
52
Emergency Response Drones
Emergency Response Drones
The Conceptual 'B Drone' Helps Survivors Quickly After a Disaster
<
51
Educational DIY Robot Kits
Educational DIY Robot Kits
The 'MoonBot' Robot Kit Teaches Kids About AI and Modern Robotics
<
50
Interactive Airport Robot Kiosks
Interactive Airport Robot Kiosks
The 'Robin' Robot Guide Offers Consumers Directions and More
<
49
Empathetic Robot Concepts
Empathetic Robot Concepts
The 3E Robotics Concepts Aim To Bolster Human Productivity and Leisure
<
48
Robot Mascot Toys
Robot Mascot Toys
SoftBank is Introducing a Robot Plush Toy Version of Pepper the Robot
<
47
Artistic Educational Drawing Robots
Artistic Educational Drawing Robots
The 'WeDraw' Robot Teaches Users by Drawing Out Lessons
<
46
IoT-Connected Home Robots
IoT-Connected Home Robots
The Intelligent Housekeeping Robot Tends to Your Home at All Times
<
45
Driverless Delivery Vehicles
Driverless Delivery Vehicles
G Plus is a First-Ever Solid-State LiDAR Unmanned Logistics Vehicle
<
44
Portable Snap-Together Drones
Portable Snap-Together Drones
The Xenon Adventure Drone by Kendall Toerner is Travel-Friendly
<
43
Multifunctional Humanoid Robot Toys
Multifunctional Humanoid Robot Toys
The LewanSoul H3S 16DOF Robot Boasts an All-Metal Construction
<
42
DIY Robot Building Kits
DIY Robot Building Kits
The 'Magni' Robot Can Be Built and Programmed to Your Specifications
<
41
Fitness-Focused Pet Robots
Fitness-Focused Pet Robots
The 'VARRAM' Robot Keeps Your Cat or Dog in Tiptop Physical Shape
<
40
4K Camera Marine Drones
4K Camera Marine Drones
The 'PowerDolphin' Works Seamlessly Above and Below the Waves
<
39
Wearable Robot Exoskeletons
Wearable Robot Exoskeletons
LG's SuitBot Improves User's Ability to Lift Heavy Objects Over Time
<
38
Insect-Inspired Drones
Insect-Inspired Drones
The 'Venom' Drone by Arman Zamani of the UNSEEN Design Studio is Efficient
<
37
Suspended Futuristic Research Centers
Suspended Futuristic Research Centers
Clouds Architecture Office's Proposes an Avatar X Campus
<
36
Wrist-Worn Drones
Wrist-Worn Drones
The 'Karlsson' Wearable Offers Guidance, Finds Lost Items and More
<
35
Autonomous Robot Tour Guides
Autonomous Robot Tour Guides
The Conceptual Airbnb 'BANDI' Shows You the Best Spots to Check Out
<
34
Automated Fire-Extinguishing Robots
Automated Fire-Extinguishing Robots
The 'Fire Man' Drone Extinguishes from the Ground and the Air
<
33
All-Terrain Security Robots
All-Terrain Security Robots
'GuardBots' Feature a Spherical Design to Tackle Any Landscape
<
32
Mechanized Casual Restaurants
Mechanized Casual Restaurants
Spyce Food Utilizes a Giant Robot to Cook Bowl-Based Meals
<
31
Development-Supporting Storyteller Robots
Development-Supporting Storyteller Robots
The 'Codi' Robot Teaches, Entertains and More
<
30
3D-Printed Cocktail Events
3D-Printed Cocktail Events
'The Bulleit 3D Printed Frontier' Has a Printed Bar, Cocktails & Bites
<
29
Fin-Based Automatons
Fin-Based Automatons
The Velox Robot Easily Handles Various Surfaces on Land and at Sea
<
28
Intergalactic Franchise Robot Toys
Intergalactic Franchise Robot Toys
The Star Wars furReal Ultimate Co-Pilot Chewie is Interactive
<
27
Conceptual Circuit Racing Drones
Conceptual Circuit Racing Drones
The 'Robodrone' Concept Flying Drone Performs with Agility
<
26
Customizable Camera Drone Equipment
Customizable Camera Drone Equipment
The 'WWWing' Drone Features Clip-on Parts to Go Anywhere
<
25
Reactive Dinosaur Robots
Reactive Dinosaur Robots
The Jurassic World Toys Alpha Training Blue Robot is Interactive
<
24
Emergency Double-Rotor Drones
Emergency Double-Rotor Drones
The 'Alvix' Drone Can be Kept in a Pack Until Needed
<
23
Spiky Recycled Pavilion Structures
Spiky Recycled Pavilion Structures
The University of Stuttgart Challenges Architectural Boundaries
<
22
Interactive Projector Drones
Interactive Projector Drones
The Conceptual 'Space Creator' Drone Creates Immersive Imagery
<
21
Motorized Drinking Game Robots
Motorized Drinking Game Robots
The 'Bruu' Beer Pong Robot Gives the Game a Modern Update
<
20
Water-Based Digital Fabrication Platforms
Water-Based Digital Fabrication Platforms
Neri Oxman's Project Builds from Aqueous Material Form
<
19
Heavy-Haul Cargo Drones
Heavy-Haul Cargo Drones
This Boeing Quadcopter Can Carry Up To 500 Pounds Of Goods
<
18
Face Projection Robots
Face Projection Robots
Furhat Robotics is Creating Robot Busts for Interaction and Conversation
<
17
AI-Powered Window Cleaners
AI-Powered Window Cleaners
The ALBOHES Z5 Robotic Window Cleaner Keeps Surfaces Shiny
<
16
AI-Powered Ordering Kiosks
AI-Powered Ordering Kiosks
KFC and Alibaba are Introducing Next-Gen Self-Ordering Kiosks
<
15
Fast Food-Serving Robots
Fast Food-Serving Robots
Softbank's Pepper Robot Will Be Running On a Trial Basis At Pizza Hut
<
14
Flying 3D Printers
Flying 3D Printers
DediBot's Conceptual 'Fly Elephant' Printer is Not Limited by Size Constraints
<
13
Dynamic Package Delivery Systems
Dynamic Package Delivery Systems
The 'Gamaru' Mailbox Robot Station is Efficient and Smart
<
12
Robotic Ceramic Workshops
Robotic Ceramic Workshops
Emerging Objects Teaches a Traditional Craft with a High-Tech Twist
<
11
Affordable Home Robots
Affordable Home Robots
The 'Misty II' Robot is Suitable for Beginners or Advanced Users
<
10
Friendly Affordable AI Robots
Friendly Affordable AI Robots
Artibo is Programmed by Cubroid to Provide Small Useful Services
<
9
VR-Powered Police Drones
VR-Powered Police Drones
The Audi Patrone Drone Safely Keeps an Eye on the City
<
8
Robotic Burger Joints
Robotic Burger Joints
San Francisco's 'Creator' Offers $6 Burgers Made by a Robot
<
7
Solar-Powered Beach Cleaners
Solar-Powered Beach Cleaners
The Dronyx Solarino Robotic Beach Cleaner Captures Unwanted Debris
<
6
Noise-Reducing Drones
Noise-Reducing Drones
This Silent Multicopter Drone Uses Ring-Shaped Rotors For Reduced Noise
<
5
Pet Companionship Robots
Pet Companionship Robots
The Kolony Robotic 'MIA' Pet Robot Keeps Animals Relaxed
<
4
DIY Underwater Drones
DIY Underwater Drones
The Sibiu Nano Drone Offers Open-Source Software and Optional Self-Assembly
<
3
Automated Wall-Decorating Robots
Automated Wall-Decorating Robots
Carlo Ratti's 'Scribit' Robot Creates and Erases Digital Wall Art
<
2
Automated Robotic Farms
Automated Robotic Farms
Iron Ox Farms Yields Massive Amounts of Leafy Greens
<
1
Runway-Accenting Giant Female Robots
Runway-Accenting Giant Female Robots
Dior Commissions Hajime Sorayama for an Artistic Runway Touch
<