Key highlights
- 1The robotic grippers market is expected to reach USD 4.2 billion by 2036, at a CAGR of 9.8% from 2026 to 2036, driven by automation, collaborative robots, and logistics.
- 2Grippers are the largest end-of-arm tool. Grippers account for an estimated 42% of end-of-arm tooling revenue, the essential interface between robot and object.
- 3Cobots drive demand. Grippers make up about 22% of collaborative robot system cost, and cobots need soft-touch, force-controlled and intelligent grippers.
- 4Vacuum tooling is a growth pocket. Vacuum grippers grow strongly in packaging, electronics and intralogistics, moving lightweight, variable objects quickly without damage.
- 5Electric and smart grippers are advancing. Servo-electric grippers with sensing and force feedback grow with collaborative and precise applications.
- 6Humanoid hands are emerging but nascent. Dexterous robot hands for humanoids, pushed by China's humanoid targets, are an emerging high-growth but early and unproven segment.
- 7Key companies include SCHUNK, Zimmer Group, SMC, OnRobot, and Robotiq.
Report Overview
The robotic grippers market covers robotic grippers and end-effectors, spanning pneumatic, electric, vacuum, magnetic and soft or adaptive grippers, for industrial and collaborative robots across handling, assembly, machine tending, packaging and logistics. Other end-of-arm tooling such as welding and dispensing tools, and full robots, are outside the scope. Robotic grippers are the end-effectors that let robots grasp and handle objects. Demand is shaped by automation and labor, collaborative robots, e-commerce and logistics, and handling variety. This report examines the size, drivers, gripper types, robot types, industries, pricing, regions, competition, recent developments, and outlook of the market, and provides recommendations. Sizing is built bottom-up from robotic grippers by type, robot type, industry and region, and reflects robotic grippers and end-effectors.
Market dynamics
Drivers
- 01Automation and labor shortages are the primary driver as manufacturers and logistics operators automate to address labor shortages and raise productivity, and every handling robot needs a gripper.
- 02Collaborative robot growth is a strong driver as cobots expand into new tasks and industries and require safe, soft-touch, force-controlled grippers, with grippers a significant share of cobot cost.
- 03E-commerce and logistics are a driver as warehouse and fulfillment automation, including piece-picking, drives demand for vacuum and adaptive grippers to handle varied items.
- 04Handling variety is a driver as diverse objects, materials and tasks require a range of gripper types and drive gripper development.
Opportunities
- 01Collaborative end-effectors are a leading opportunity as the growth of cobots drives demand for grippers designed for collaborative use with sensing and easy integration.
- 02Vacuum for logistics is an opportunity as e-commerce and intralogistics drive vacuum and adaptive gripping of varied items.
- 03Soft adaptive and intelligent grippers are an opportunity, as grippers with soft materials, adaptivity and force feedback handle delicate and varied objects.
- 04Humanoid dexterous hands are an emerging opportunity as humanoid robots, if they scale, would need dexterous multi-finger hands, though this is early and unproven.
Trends
- 01Electric and smart grippers are a defining trend as servo-electric grippers with sensing, force control and feedback grow for precise and collaborative applications.
- 02Vacuum growth in logistics is a trend as vacuum tooling grows strongly in packaging, electronics and intralogistics.
- 03Collaborative end-effectors are a trend as suppliers expand cobot-specific gripper lines.
- 04Emerging humanoid hands are a trend as dexterous robot hands develop for humanoids, driven by China's humanoid targets, though at an early stage.
Report Summary
| Base Year | 2025 |
|---|---|
| Forecast Period | 2026-2036 |
| Market Size (2025) | USD 1.5 billion |
| Market Size (2026) | USD 1.65 billion |
| Market Size (2036) | USD 4.2 billion |
| CAGR (Value) | 9.8% (2026-2036) |
| Format | PDF & Excel |
| Segments Covered | By Type: Pneumatic, Electric, Vacuum, Magnetic & Soft. By Robot Type: Industrial, Collaborative. By Industry; By Region. |
| Geographies Covered | Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa |
| Key Companies | SCHUNK, Zimmer Group, SMC Corporation, Festo, OnRobot, Robotiq, Piab, J. Schmalz, Destaco, Other Companies |
Segmental analysis
By Type
- Pneumatic grippers hold the largest share at about 35% of the market in 2026, with electric at about 30% , vacuum at about 25% and magnetic and soft grippers accounting for the remainder.
- Pneumatic grippers actuated by compressed air, are the largest type because they are simple, low-cost, fast and widely used in industrial handling and assembly.
- Electric or servo-electric grippers offering precise, programmable control and force feedback, are a large and growing type driven by collaborative and precise applications.
- Vacuum grippers using suction, are a large and growing type in packaging, electronics and logistics for flat and variable objects.
- Magnetic and soft grippers serve ferrous handling and delicate or variable objects.
The dominance of pneumatic reflects its cost and simplicity, while electric and vacuum grow with cobots and logistics.
By Robot Type
- Industrial robots hold the largest share at about 70% of the market in 2026, with collaborative robots accounting for the remainder.
- Industrial robots the large installed base of conventional robots in manufacturing, are the largest platform because they are used in the greatest numbers for handling, assembly and machine tending, each requiring a gripper.
- Collaborative robots designed to work alongside people, are a large and fast-growing platform requiring safe, soft-touch, force-controlled grippers, with grippers a significant share of cobot cost.
The dominance of industrial robots reflects their large base, while collaborative robots grow fastest and drive gripper innovation.
By Industry
- Automotive holds the largest share at about 25% of the market in 2026, with the remaining share divided across electronics, logistics and e-commerce, food and beverage, and other industries.
- Automotive a large user of robots for handling and assembly, is the largest industry.
- Electronics is a significant industry using grippers for precise handling of components and devices.
- Logistics and e-commerce are a large and fast-growing industry using vacuum and adaptive grippers for picking and packing.
- Food and beverage use grippers including hygienic and soft types, for handling and packaging.
The dominance of automotive reflects its robot use, while logistics and e-commerce grow fastest.
Geographic analysis
Asia-Pacific Robotic Grippers Market
Asia-Pacific is the largest regional market driven by the largest robot installed base and production in China, Japan and South Korea, strong electronics and automotive manufacturing, growing logistics automation, and China's humanoid robot push. The region leads in robot use and gripper demand and manufacturing. Asia-Pacific's robot base and manufacturing make it the leading market.
Europe Robotic Grippers Market
Europe is a large market with strong automotive and industrial automation, leading gripper manufacturers including SCHUNK, Zimmer, Festo, OnRobot and Schmalz, and growing collaborative robot use. The region's automation and gripper industry support demand. Europe is a significant market with a strong gripper manufacturing base.
North America and Rest of World
North America is a large market with manufacturing automation, fast-growing logistics and e-commerce automation, and collaborative robot adoption. The rest of the world adds demand as automation spreads. These regions add demand as manufacturing and logistics automation and collaborative robots drive gripper demand.
Pricing Analysis
Pricing in robotic grippers varies widely by type, capability and application, from low-cost simple grippers to expensive intelligent and dexterous ones. Simple pneumatic grippers are low-cost commodity items, electric and smart grippers with sensing and force control command a premium, vacuum systems are mid-priced, and dexterous humanoid hands are very expensive, and grippers are a meaningful share, about 22%, of collaborative robot system cost. Several factors set price. The type and mechanism drive cost, with simple pneumatic grippers cheapest and intelligent electric and dexterous grippers most expensive. Sensing, force feedback and programmability raise price and value. Payload, precision and application requirements drive selection and cost. Integration, tool changers and software add to the system. The low end faces price competition and commoditization, while smart and specialised grippers hold value.
The trajectory of pricing is bifurcated, with commodity grippers under price pressure and intelligent, collaborative and dexterous grippers commanding premiums, and value increasingly in sensing, intelligence and application fit.
Competitive landscape
The market is served by specialised gripper and automation companies. SCHUNK is a leader with a comprehensive range of pneumatic, electric, vacuum and magnetic grippers and broad end-of-arm tooling. Zimmer Group, SMC and Festo are major suppliers of pneumatic and electric grippers. OnRobot and Robotiq specialise in collaborative robot grippers with electric and vacuum products and easy integration. Piab and J. Schmalz are leaders in vacuum gripping. Destaco and others serve industrial tooling, and numerous companies, including Chinese firms developing dexterous humanoid hands, are entering.
Competition turns on gripper type breadth, performance and reliability, intelligence and integration, and price, and the market combines broad-line suppliers and collaborative and vacuum specialists. Automation and cobot growth favour companies with broad, reliable and intelligent gripper ranges and easy integration, and SCHUNK, Zimmer, SMC, Festo, OnRobot and Robotiq lead across segments while Piab and Schmalz lead vacuum. The field is competitive with commoditization at the low end and differentiation in smart, collaborative and specialised grippers, and type breadth, intelligence and integration shape competition, with collaborative and emerging dexterous grippers the growth areas.
Voice of Customer
We use a range of grippers, mostly pneumatic and electric, for handling, assembly and machine tending, choosing by payload, precision and cycle time. Reliability and integration matter most in high-volume lines, and for collaborative cells we need safe, force-controlled grippers, so we match the gripper to the task rather than seeking one universal solution.
Automation engineer, automotive manufacturer (Europe):
In e-commerce fulfillment we handle enormous variety, so vacuum and adaptive grippers that pick varied items quickly without damage are central, and gripping remains one of the hardest parts of piece-picking. Smart grippers with sensing help, and we value easy integration and reliability, since the gripper often determines whether an application succeeds.
Systems integrator, logistics automation (North America):
We use precise electric and vacuum grippers for delicate component and device handling, and force feedback and precision are critical. Collaborative robots with the right end-effectors let us automate flexible tasks, and we watch developments in soft and dexterous gripping, though for our production the proven, precise grippers are what we deploy.
Robotics lead, electronics contract manufacturer (Asia-Pacific):
Analyst perspective
The robotic grippers market is a steadily growing market essential to robotic automation, and one where a mature core grows with automation while collaborative, vacuum and dexterous segments provide the growth and the excitement. Grippers are the interface between robot and object, the largest end-of-arm tool at about 42% of tooling revenue, and demand is driven by automation and labor shortages, collaborative robot growth, e-commerce and logistics, and the variety of handling tasks. Pneumatic grippers remain the largest type on cost and simplicity, electric and smart grippers grow with precise and collaborative applications, vacuum grows strongly in logistics, and the market is served by established suppliers such as SCHUNK, Zimmer, SMC, Festo, OnRobot and Robotiq, with grippers a meaningful share of cobot cost.
The honest considerations are commoditization, application specificity, and humanoid hype. Much of the market, especially simple pneumatic grippers, is commoditized and under price pressure, so value and margin concentrate in smart, collaborative and specialised grippers rather than across the board. Gripping is inherently application-specific, as different objects, materials and tasks need different grippers, so there is no universal winner and success depends on matching the gripper to the task, which keeps the market fragmented and integration-dependent. The emerging segment of dexterous humanoid hands, driven by China's humanoid targets, generates high growth expectations, but humanoid robots are early and unproven at scale, dexterous hands are costly and technically hard, and this segment is nascent, so its large projected growth carries substantial hype and timing risk and should not be confused with the established gripper market. The market should be assessed on the mix of commodity and smart grippers, application fit, and the separation of the proven core from the speculative humanoid segment rather than on automation growth alone, and automation, cobots and logistics support steady growth, with commoditization, application specificity and humanoid uncertainty the key variables.
Key Strategic Developments
- 2024-2026: Collaborative robot growth drove demand for cobot-specific grippers, with suppliers such as OnRobot and Robotiq expanding electric and vacuum end-effector lines.
- 2024-2026: Vacuum tooling grew strongly in packaging, electronics and intralogistics, with Piab, Schmalz and others expanding vacuum gripping for logistics.
- 2024-2026: Servo-electric grippers with sensing and force feedback advanced for precise and collaborative applications.
- 2024-2026: China's humanoid robot targets mobilised state capital, with Chinese firms scaling dexterous robot hand development, an emerging segment.
- 2024-2026: Established suppliers including SCHUNK, Zimmer, SMC and Festo expanded and integrated gripper, sensor and tool-changer ranges.
Strategic Recommendations
For gripper and automation companies
The priority is to differentiate in smart, collaborative and specialised grippers while managing commodity price pressure, because value concentrates in intelligence, collaboration and application fit rather than in simple grippers, and breadth, intelligence and integration decide competitiveness. Companies should develop electric, sensing and force-controlled grippers, expand vacuum and adaptive gripping for logistics, offer easy cobot integration, and monitor the emerging dexterous-hand segment without overcommitting to unproven humanoid demand. Broad, integrated ranges and application expertise strengthen the position.
For manufacturers and integrators
The recommendation is to match the gripper type to the task, prioritise reliability and integration, and adopt smart and collaborative grippers where flexibility and delicate handling are needed. For investors, this is a steadily growing market to evaluate on the mix of commodity and smart grippers, application fit, and the separation of the proven core from the speculative humanoid segment rather than on automation growth alone, recognising that automation, cobots and logistics support steady growth while commoditization, application specificity and humanoid uncertainty are the key variables.
Sustainability impact
Enabling Efficient Automation
Robotic grippers enable automation that can improve manufacturing and logistics efficiency. These components support efficient operations.
By enabling robots to handle objects, grippers underpin automation that can improve productivity and efficiency in manufacturing and logistics, and efficient, well-matched gripping reduces waste and rework in automated operations.
Reducing Damage and Waste
Soft and adaptive grippers reduce product damage in handling. These components support waste reduction.
By handling delicate and variable objects gently, soft, adaptive and vacuum grippers reduce product damage and waste in packaging, food and logistics, improving the efficiency and sustainability of handling operations.
Supporting Safe Human-Robot Work
Collaborative grippers enable safe human-robot collaboration. These components support safer workplaces.
By providing safe, force-controlled gripping for collaborative robots, grippers enable people and robots to work together safely, supporting flexible automation that assists rather than replaces workers in many tasks.
Durable Components and Energy Use
Gripper durability and energy use affect the sustainability of automation. These components involve efficiency considerations.
By being long-lived components, durable grippers reduce replacement, and electric grippers can be more energy-efficient than compressed-air pneumatic systems, so gripper choice affects the energy and resource footprint of automation.
Table of contents
14 chapters · 198 pages · click to expandFrequently asked questions
The robotic grippers market was valued at USD 1.5 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 4.2 billion by 2036, growing from USD 1.65 billion in 2026, at a CAGR of 9.8% from 2026 to 2036, driven by automation, collaborative robots, and logistics.