Robotics Technology Patent Landscape 2026
Robotics Technology Patent Landscape in 2026
The robotics patent field is moderately concentrated, with Intuitive Surgical Operations dominating through a strong surgical-robotics position while a diverse second tier of logistics, mobility, and manipulation specialists competes for ground. Annual filing volume has eased from its 2020 peak, though recent-period figures are subject to publication lag.
Intuitive Surgical leads a moderately concentrated field
Intuitive Surgical Operations Inc holds the top position with 1,244 patent families, nearly 2.3 times the count of the second-ranked Auris Health Inc (547 patent families). The top five filers account for 28% of the combined total of the hundred largest filers, indicating moderate concentration with meaningful competitive pressure from a broad second tier.
Below the clear leader, ranks two through five — Auris Health, Mujin Inc, Berkshire Grey Operating, and Boston Dynamics — are closely spaced between 447 and 547 patent families each, suggesting an active challenger tier without a dominant duopoly.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Intuitive Surgical Operations Inc | 1,244 | |
| 2 | Auris Health Inc | 547 | |
| 3 | Mujin Inc | 517 | |
| 4 | Berkshire Grey Operating Co Inc | 482 | |
| 5 | Boston Dynamics Inc | 447 | |
| 6 | Dexterity Inc | 367 | |
| 7 | LG Electronics Inc | 361 | |
| 8 | The Boeing Company | 284 | |
| 9 | ABB (Switzerland) AG | 278 | |
| 10 | CMR Surgical Ltd | 253 |
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | iRobot Corporation | 247 | |
| 12 | Cilag GmbH International | 226 | |
| 13 | X Development LLC | 209 | |
| 14 | Intrinsic Innovation LLC | 193 | |
| 15 | Mako Surgical Corp | 187 | |
| 16 | Johns Hopkins University | 166 | |
| 17 | Brain Corp | 162 | |
| 18 | InTouch Technologies Inc | 158 | |
| 19 | GM Global Technology Operations LLC | 154 | |
| 20 | Sarcos Corp | 153 |
Intuitive Surgical’s scale, reinforced by deep overlapping coverage across robotic manipulation (B25J) and surgical diagnosis (A61B), creates a formidable moat in surgical robotics; entrants or challengers likely need to differentiate on application domain or control architecture rather than compete head-on in core surgical platforms.
Data for the most recent 18–24 months is subject to publication lag and likely undercounts actual filing activity; the apparent 2024–2026 trough should not be read as a real-world slowdown without corroboration from other sources.
Peak filing passed in 2020; manipulation and surgery dominate the technology mix
The annual trend chart tracks filing volume from 2017 onward and reveals a peak followed by gradual easing. The technology composition chart shows how activity is distributed across IPC branches, with robotic manipulation commanding the largest share.
Annual filing trend
Filings rose steadily from 1,386 in 2017 to a peak of 1,995 in 2020, then eased through 2022–2023 before the 2024–2026 counts reflect publication lag rather than a confirmed real-world drop. The multi-year window still reflects a field that grew substantially over the decade, even as the most recent annual volumes have receded from that 2020 high.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
B25J (Manipulators and robots) dominates the IPC mix by a wide margin, followed by A61B (Diagnosis and surgery) and G05D (Control of non-electric variables). The strong A61B presence reflects the outsized role of surgical robotics players in this corpus. Mid-tier branches such as G05B, G06F, and B65G indicate meaningful but secondary activity in control systems, data processing, and logistics handling.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaHighly cited patent families surfaced by the query
Citation-heavy patent families returned by the query. Use this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
Method for awakening intelligent robot, and intell…
A method for awakening an intelligent robot, and an intelligent robot, falling within the technical field of intelligent devices. The method comprises: step S<b>1</b>, acquiring image information by using an image acquisition apparatus on an intelligent robot (S<b>1</b>); step S<b>2</b>, determining whether the image information contains human face… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Method and apparatus for performing minimally inva… | 3,326 |
| 2 | Shiftable drive interface for robotically-controll… | 2,579 |
| 3 | Image-directed robotic system for precise robotic … | 2,374 |
| 4 | Grip strength with tactile feedback for robotic su… | 2,219 |
| 5 | Manipulator system | 2,188 |
| 6 | Method and apparatus for performing minimally inva… | 2,049 |
| 7 | Method and apparatus for performing minimally inva… | 2,044 |
| 8 | System and method for releasably holding a surgica… | 1,900 |
Ranked by total forward citations. Citation counts favour older and broadly cited patent families, and broad or adjacent patents may appear when they match the search scope. Treat this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents. Some patent titles may be shown in their original, non-English language where an accurate translation could not be guaranteed.
What the competitive structure means for R&D investment decisions
Four structural observations — maturity stage, concentration dynamics, collaborative networks, and geographic spread — define the risk and opportunity profile for teams entering or expanding in robotics.
Post-peak field with a large installed base of prior art
The lifecycle evidence places robotics in a decline stage, with annual filings easing back from the 2020 peak. A large body of prior art — spanning manipulation, surgical platforms, and autonomous navigation — means that freedom-to-operate analysis is essential before committing to new development paths. Teams should target differentiated control architectures or underserved application verticals rather than well-covered core manipulation claims.
Past-peak · 2020 highSingle dominant leader; active challenger tier narrows the gap
The top five filers hold 28% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, with Intuitive Surgical roughly twice the size of the next group. That gap is large enough to give Intuitive Surgical significant defensive depth in surgical robotics, but the closely packed ranks 2–5 signal that no single challenger has broken away. New entrants can still build differentiated positions in logistics, legged mobility, or AI-driven manipulation without confronting the surgical-platform moat directly.
Top-5 share: 28%Ecosystem co-filing concentrated in surgical and mobility clusters
The most active co-filing pair is Verb Surgical and Auris Health with 14 joint patent families, reflecting shared surgical-robotics development history. X Development and Boston Dynamics follow with 10 co-filed families, indicating deep integration in legged and autonomous-mobility research. LG Electronics and Hanyang University account for 2 co-filed families, a university-industry link in service robotics. Overall, co-filing is sparse, suggesting that most players protect core IP independently and collaborate selectively.
Top pair: 14 co-familiesUS-centric protection with meaningful EPO and PCT coverage
The United States leads filing jurisdiction by a wide margin, followed by Europe (EPO) and WIPO (PCT). China ranks fourth by record count, a notably lower position relative to its global robotics manufacturing scale, which may indicate that much of the active corpus originates with US-headquartered applicants who prioritize US and European protection. Teams commercializing in Asia-Pacific should evaluate whether gaps in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese coverage create freedom-to-operate advantages or exposure to local competitors.
Lead office: United StatesGo beyond the landscape: Eureka’s TRIZ Solution agent breaks down an R&D problem and returns patented concept solutions, each with a technical approach and cited patent & literature evidence.
| Applicant | Collaborator | Co-filings |
|---|---|---|
| Verb Surgical Inc | Auris Health Inc | 14 |
| X Development LLC | Boston Dynamics Inc | 10 |
| X Development LLC | GDM Holding LLC | 2 |
| LG Electronics Inc | Hanyang University | 2 |
| Intuitive Surgical Operations Inc | Siemens Healthineers | 1 |
| Covidien LP | Digital Surgery Ltd | 1 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Intuitive Surgical anchors surgical robotics; Dexterity and Boston Dynamics accelerate in manipulation and mobility
The top two players diverge sharply in trajectory: Intuitive Surgical’s large portfolio is contracting at the recent filing rate, while Dexterity and Boston Dynamics show strong upward momentum from active recent investment.
Intuitive Surgical Operations Inc
Holding 1,244 patent families, Intuitive Surgical leads the field by a substantial margin. Its technology focus is split almost evenly between B25J (robotic manipulators, 635 families) and A61B surgical diagnosis and surgery (626 families), demonstrating full-stack coverage from physical arm mechanics to surgical procedure execution. Recent filing momentum is down 34% versus the prior three-year window, suggesting the portfolio is maturing rather than expanding aggressively.
families: 1,244Dexterity Inc
Ranked sixth with 367 patent families, Dexterity Inc is the fastest-growing major player in the ranking, with recent filings up 177% versus the prior period. Its focus is concentrated in robotic manipulation (B25J 9, B25J 13, and B25J 15), signaling deep specialization in dexterous grasping and handling for logistics and industrial applications. This trajectory positions Dexterity as the highest-momentum challenger in the manipulation segment.
families: 367| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Intuitive Surgical Operations Inc | 98 | ▼ -34% |
| X Development LLC | 36 | ▼ -73% |
| Berkshire Grey Operating Co Inc | 110 | ▼ -15% |
| LG Electronics Inc | 22 | ▼ -93% |
| Verb Surgical Inc | 78 | ▼ -44% |
| Auris Health Inc | 86 | ▼ -48% |
| Boston Dynamics Inc | 133 | ▲ +51% |
| Dexterity Inc | 205 | ▲ +177% |
Under-served adjacent branches in control systems and logistics handling
Several IPC branches adjacent to the dominant B25J core show meaningful record counts but low relative share, indicating areas where the field has not yet consolidated around a dominant group of assignees.
G05D · Control of non-electric variables
With 3,771 records but only 8% share of the IPC mix, G05D represents the largest under-served branch relative to the core manipulation class. Autonomous navigation and motion control for mobile robots sit here; the sparse assignee concentration means a well-defined control architecture or sensor-fusion approach could secure a defensible position without confronting the surgical-platform leaders. Entry path: target mobile-robot or drone navigation controllers combining G05D with G01S or G01C positioning claims.
Search this in Eureka →B65G · Conveying & material handling
B65G holds 1,141 records at only 2% share, reflecting modest coverage of robotic conveying, sorting, and warehouse handling relative to the field’s overall scale. Given the logistics-automation surge and the presence of only a handful of dedicated players (notably Berkshire Grey), this branch may offer room for new entrants focusing on flexible conveying systems, robotic palletizing, or last-mile sortation. Entry path: combine B65G with B25J end-effector claims and G06T vision claims to differentiate on perception-guided handling.
Search this in Eureka →How leaders differ by technology route across manipulation, surgery, and mobility
Strength of each leader across the main technology routes.
| Player | B25J 9 · Manipulators & robots | G05D 1 · Control of non-electric variables | B25J 13 · Manipulators & robots | A61B 34 · Diagnosis & surgery | B25J 19 · Manipulators & robots |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intuitive Surgical Operations Inc | Strong · 635 | Absent | Moderate · 183 | Strong · 626 | Emerging · 106 |
| Verb Surgical Inc | Strong · 242 | Absent | Moderate · 110 | Strong · 303 | Absent |
| Auris Health Inc | Strong · 273 | Absent | Moderate · 76 | Strong · 299 | Absent |
| X Development LLC | Strong · 272 | Strong · 151 | Moderate · 71 | Absent | Moderate · 105 |
| LG Electronics Inc | Strong · 242 | Strong · 126 | Moderate · 67 | Absent | Moderate · 100 |
| Dexterity Inc | Strong · 257 | Absent | Moderate · 91 | Absent | Emerging · 40 |
| Mujin Inc | Strong · 242 | Absent | Moderate · 101 | Absent | Emerging · 45 |
Frequently asked questions
The corpus contains 14,286 patent families in scope, spanning global filings across robotic manipulation, surgical robotics, autonomous mobility, and adjacent control and sensing technologies.
Intuitive Surgical Operations Inc leads with 1,244 patent families, roughly 2.3 times the count of second-ranked Auris Health Inc (547 patent families). Its portfolio spans both robotic manipulator mechanics and surgical diagnosis and surgery.
Annual filing volume peaked in 2020 at 1,995 and has eased since. The field is still substantial on a multi-year basis — filings grew from 1,386 in 2017 to that 2020 high — but the most recent annual counts reflect both a genuine post-peak easing and publication lag that artificially depresses 2024–2026 figures.
B25J (Manipulators and robots) dominates by a wide margin, followed by A61B (Diagnosis and surgery) and G05D (Control of non-electric variables). The strong A61B presence reflects the outsized influence of surgical robotics applicants in this corpus.
The United States leads all jurisdictions by record count, followed by Europe (EPO) and WIPO (PCT). China ranks fourth, a relatively low position that may reflect the predominantly US-headquartered applicant base in this corpus prioritizing US and European protection.
Dexterity Inc shows the highest upward momentum among major players, with recent filings up 177% versus the prior period. Boston Dynamics is also accelerating at plus 51%. By contrast, several established players including LG Electronics (down 93%) and X Development (down 73%) show sharply reduced recent activity.
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Disclaimer. This page is generated from PatSnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
Nothing on this page constitutes an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate, or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial, investment, or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Any patent, commercial, or strategic decision should be verified independently and reviewed with qualified patent, legal, and domain professionals. PatSnap makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any particular purpose of the information presented.