Qualcomm CEO sees robotics as a 'larger opportunity' within 2 years

In a recent discussion at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Qualcomm's CEO Cristiano Amon expressed strong optimism about the future of robotics, predicting it will evolve into a significant opportunity for the company within the next two years. Amon highlighted Qualcomm’s strategic expansion beyond the smartphone sector, citing the launch of its Dragonwing robotics processor earlier this year. This new chipset aims to provide versatile solutions compatible with various robotics platforms, mirroring the success Qualcomm has achieved with its Snapdragon processors in mobile devices. "Robotics will start to scale within the next two years," Amon stated, responding to inquiries about the timeline for robotics becoming a substantial business sector for Qualcomm. He emphasized the diverse range of robotics applications, from industrial robots like robotic arms to humanoid robots, which are currently being developed by companies including Tesla and multiple Chinese firms. Market forecasts for the robotics industry are impressive, with McKinsey estimating that the market for general-purpose robots could reach $370 billion by 2040. Meanwhile, RBC Capital Markets projects a staggering $9 trillion market for humanoid robots by 2050. Amon noted that the growing interest in robotics is fueled in part by advancements in AI, which enhance robots' ability to interact with their environments. "People have speculated that robotics alone could be a trillion-dollar market... thanks to developments in physical AI, robots are becoming significantly more capable," Amon explained. The importance of robotics was underscored by Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang, who highlighted it as a crucial area for the company's future growth. At the Mobile World Congress, attendees were able to see a variety of robot innovations, including a sneak peek at a new humanoid robot from the Chinese smartphone manufacturer Honor.