Autonomous mobility has huge potential in the coming year. Scaling adoption requires companies to build trust and improve affordability and access.
The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is approaching, taking place January 6th to January 10th in Las Vegas. Breakthroughs in automation and AI have positioned 2026 to be a big year for embodied intelligence, next-generation robotics, and autonomous vehicles. Ahead of CES, Senior Partner Philipp Kampshoff and Partner Ani Kelkar shared perspectives during a McKinsey Live event on advancements in robotics and automation and the potential for these technologies to go further.
Already, AI has allowed robots to be more dynamic and effective. Advancements in software enable robots to learn and adapt to environments in real time, and new hardware can sense and interact with the world more acutely. Robots and other autonomous machines can now learn how to interpret sensory data and adjust movements immediately to respond to many scenarios rather than being confined to narrowly defined, repetitive tasks, which broadens automation opportunities significantly.
Autonomous mobility, including humanoid robots and autonomous vehicles (AVs), is an area with ample potential, thanks to cost improvements, compute infrastructure breakthroughs, and at-scale deployment. To continue to scale autonomous mobility, three factors are vital:
- Safety. Above all else, safety is imperative to get right. Without physical barriers, advanced sensing, control, and fail-safe systems are integral for humanoids to operate alongside people. Autonomous machines have already shown promise in reducing human error—AVs have reduced car crashes and injuries, for example. Companies can refine these safety measures across all use cases to scale adoption and build trust.
- Affordability. Current autonomous systems are quite expensive, ranging between $150,000 to $500,000. Reducing costs will become more important in near future, requiring companies to rethink the hardware stack and manufacturing approaches.
- Accessibility and acceptance. To scale autonomous technologies fully, they must work for everyone. Inclusive designs, business designs that lower the barrier to entry, and integrations with public transit will help expose communities to these technologies and encourage them to try it.
The scope and impetus for automation are increasing as labor gaps persist across industries, spurring investments and picking up momentum. Of course, capturing these opportunities and maximizing the value of these technologies also requires companies to train their workforces thoroughly and structure workflows in a way that safely integrates physical AI into daily operations.
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For more on this topic, see the report Agents, robots, and us: Skill partnerships in the age of AI and the articles “A leap in automation: The new technology behind general-purpose robots,” “Beyond the wheel: Perspectives on autonomous vehicles,” and “Humanoid robots: Crossing the chasm from concept to commercial reality.” You can also explore McKinsey’s presence at CES for additional insights and perspectives.
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