The global unmanned ground vehicles market size was exhibited at USD 3.5 billion in 2022 and is projected to hit around USD 8.81 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 9.68% during the forecast period 2023 to 2032.
Key Pointers:
The growth of the market can be attributed to the rising demands for UGV systems in both commercial and military applications, coupled with advancements in UGV technologies, which in turn have lowered the cost of UGV ownership and increased their accessibility for civilian usage. Unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) are robots that can operate over land, air, and water. It can perform tasks without any need for human operators. UGVs are also referred to as robotic platforms or remotely controlled vehicles. They are used in a variety of commercial, civilian, and military applications such as surveillance, an inspection of dams, nuclear power plants, hazardous chemical regions, bomb disposal in conflict zones, and search & rescue efforts during accidents or natural calamities.
The increasing use of robots in hazardous and dangerous environments such as biological, radiological, nuclear, and chemical threats are anticipated to drive the growth of the global UGV market. UGVs assist in countering the risk posed by explosive ordnance (EO), which includes landmines and improvised explosive devices, as a result, the demand for unmanned ground vehicles is expected to rise exponentially during the forecast period, thereby boosting the growth of the market.
The COVID-19 outbreak had a ripple effect on the global unmanned ground vehicle market. The pandemic led the UGV industry to face numerous challenges, including reductions in defense spending across several regions, logistic challenges, and disruptions in the supply chains of raw materials, among others. However, to withstand the drop in operating performance and revenue of the military sector, service providers and defense systems manufacturers had to limit expansion and R&D spending. Some of the difficulties seen in the unmanned ground vehicle market across the year included the poor production rate and the delay in purchase orders.
Unmanned Ground Vehicles Market Report Scope
Report Coverage |
Details |
Market Size in 2023 |
USD 3.84 Billion |
Market Size by 2032 |
USD 8.81 Billion |
Growth Rate From 2023 to 2032 |
CAGR of 9.68% |
Base Year |
2022 |
Forecast Period |
2023 to 2032 |
Segments Covered |
Application, Mobility, Size, Mode of Operation, System |
Market Analysis (Terms Used) |
Value (US$ Million/Billion) or (Volume/Units) |
Regional Scope |
North America; Europe; Asia Pacific; Central and South America; the Middle East and Africa |
Key Companies Profiled |
BAE Systems, QinetiQ, Rheinmetall AG, Teledyne FLIR, ECA Group, Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, Leonardo S.p.A., Autonomous Solutions Inc., and Northrop Grumman |
Unmanned Ground Vehicles Market Dynamics
Development of UGV payloads for combat operations
The use of UGVs in combat situations can be crutial. UGVs in cobat can be used for several tasks like providing a medical aid, weapons, surveillance, tracking, and actual combat by attaching a weapon system as a payload. This application area of UGV has wide scope and a rapid developments are taking place in this field. This application area holds fairly large amount of total UGV market as it covers few of the most important military operations. Hence, the rapid development in this application area is expected to drive the market for Unmanned Ground Vehicles.
Opportunity : Development of fully autonomous UGVs
Fully Autonomous UGVs is the latest innovation in the Unmanned ground vehicles market. Using AI & ML techniques, the fully autonomous UGVs are developed which are designed to operate without any human interference. Autonomous UGVs are designed accomplish any assigned task without any human help. Currently, these UGVs are used for applications like Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance (ISR) and security operations. With the advanced research being carried away, the widening of the application areas of fully autonomous UGVs will push the market upwards.
Challenges : Requirement for continuous and uninterrupted power supply in UGVs
UGVs are used for mission critical operations like Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD), Intelligence, Surveillance, & Reconnaissance (ISR), where the timely operation is crutial. These operations require uninterrupted and reliable power supply because of the high dependency of the whole operation on one UGV. So, there arises challenge for developing a highly reliable power supply solution with compact size.
Operation Insights
Based on the operation segment, the global market is segmented into teleoperated, autonomous, and tethered. During the forecast period, the autonomous segment is likely to exhibit a substantial CAGR of 8.3%. This can be attributed to their capability to make decisions without human intervention, including firing at a target. These robotic systems can replace human soldiers in a range of different hazardous tasks, such as patrolling vulnerable areas and barring access to Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), among others.
Teleoperated segment is expected to share the largest market share during the forecast period owing to its wide usage in numerous operations, including rescue and search, surveillance, and others. Additionally, the advantages of the teleoperated segment include enhanced situational awareness, head-aimed remote viewer, digital video feed, low latency, and others.
Mobility Insights
Based on the mobility segment, the market is divided into wheels, tracks, legs, and hybrid. The tracks segment was valued at over USD 1.29 billion million in 2022 and is expected to emerge as the dominant segment during the forecast period owing to the increasing defense spending along with the procurement of next-generation tracked UGVs from various countries. For instance, in May 2021, FLIR Systems Inc. received over USD 70 million in new orders for their innovative and advanced ground robots from the US Armed Services.
The hybrid segment is projected to grow at the fastest CAGR of 10.4% during the forecast period owing to their configuration ability for different roles, which include logistics support platform, observation, target acquisition, reconnaissance, and medical evacuation, among others.
Size Insights
On the basis of size, the global market has been fragmented into small, medium, large, and very large. The small-size segment witnessed a significant market share of over 23% in 2022. This growth is a result of UGVs being used more frequently for military purposes, such as Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions, combat operations, and search and rescue operations.
The large-size segment is projected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. This can be attributed to their ability to move bigger objects and operate around difficult terrains. These ground vehicles are used by civil security and military forces to analyze, detect, and defeat threats posed by Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD).
System Insights
The system segment is classified into payloads, navigation and control systems, power system, and others. Over the forecast period, the navigation and control segment is expected to witness a considerable CAGR of 8.0%. Simple image-based control techniques used by the system make it user-friendly and reduce operator workload. The navigation system uses a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver and real-time roll, pitch, and heading data to preserve accuracy in the case of a signal breakdown (tunnels, trees, buildings, and others). These factors are expected to drive growth further.
The payloads segment is expected to share a major market share during the forecast period owing to the improved performance of the vehicle by technological advancements in control, sensing, and computing-enabled advanced technologies.
Application Insights
Based on application segments, the market is differentiated into commercial, military, and government & law enforcement. The military segment accounted for the largest market share and is expected to continue its dominance during the forecast period. Using military unmanned ground vehicles for transportation improves logistical efficiency and enhances army movement. These vehicles help the military pick up casualties and carry battlefield equipment off the field. These factors are projected to fuel the segment growth further.
The commercial segment is projected to register the highest CAGR of over 11.1% during the forecast period. This growth can be attributed to the growing use of commercial applications, such as transportation, automotive sectors, healthcare sector, and others. These robots can also be benefitted from Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to adapt to the environment.
Regional Insights
North America accounted for the highest market share of over 41.2% in 2022 and is expected to retain its dominance during the forecast period. This can be attributed to factors including the growing defense budget and increasing investments in the procurement of next-generation military UGVs for numerous countries in the area, notably the U.S. For instance, in March 2021, the US Air Force successfully implemented four-legged unmanned ground vehicles, also known as robot dogs, in order to patrol the Tyndall Air Base. In order to protect civilians and secure facilities in the future, these technologies are anticipated to be implemented in civil airports.
The Asia Pacific is expected to witness the fastest CAGR of 13.7% during the forecast period. The continued development of UGVs for the military sectors in countries such as India, China, and Japan is a major factor in the rise in the region's market growth. Furthermore, the demand for UGVs is also growing due to factors such as the rapid growth of military forces, escalating political tensions between nearby nations, and the rise in terrorism.
Some of the prominent players in the Unmanned Ground Vehicles Market include:
Segments Covered in the Report
This report forecasts revenue growth at global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2018 to 2032. For this study, Nova one advisor, Inc. has segmented the global Unmanned Ground Vehicles market.
By Application
By Mobility
By Size
By Mode of Operation
By System
By Region
Chapter 1. Introduction
1.1. Research Objective
1.2. Scope of the Study
1.3. Definition
Chapter 2. Research Methodology
2.1. Research Approach
2.2. Data Sources
2.3. Assumptions & Limitations
Chapter 3. Executive Summary
3.1. Market Snapshot
Chapter 4. Market Variables and Scope
4.1. Introduction
4.2. Market Classification and Scope
4.3. Industry Value Chain Analysis
4.3.1. Raw Material Procurement Analysis
4.3.2. Sales and Distribution Channel Analysis
4.3.3. Downstream Buyer Analysis
Chapter 5. COVID 19 Impact on Unmanned Ground Vehicles Market
5.1. COVID-19 Landscape: Unmanned Ground Vehicles Industry Impact
5.2. COVID 19 - Impact Assessment for the Industry
5.3. COVID 19 Impact: Global Major Government Policy
5.4. Market Trends and Opportunities in the COVID-19 Landscape
Chapter 6. Market Dynamics Analysis and Trends
6.1. Market Dynamics
6.1.1. Market Drivers
6.1.2. Market Restraints
6.1.3. Market Opportunities
6.2. Porter’s Five Forces Analysis
6.2.1. Bargaining power of suppliers
6.2.2. Bargaining power of buyers
6.2.3. Threat of substitute
6.2.4. Threat of new entrants
6.2.5. Degree of competition
Chapter 7. Competitive Landscape
7.1.1. Company Market Share/Positioning Analysis
7.1.2. Key Strategies Adopted by Players
7.1.3. Vendor Landscape
7.1.3.1. List of Suppliers
7.1.3.2. List of Buyers
Chapter 8. Global Unmanned Ground Vehicles Market, By Application
8.1. Unmanned Ground Vehicles Market, by Application, 2023-2032
8.1.1. Defense
8.1.1.1. Market Revenue and Forecast (2032-2032)
8.1.2. Commercial
8.1.2.1. Market Revenue and Forecast (2032-2032)
Chapter 9. Global Unmanned Ground Vehicles Market, By Mobility
9.1. Unmanned Ground Vehicles Market, by Mobility, 2023-2032
9.1.1. Wheeled
9.1.1.1. Market Revenue and Forecast (2032-2032)
9.1.2. Tracked
9.1.2.1. Market Revenue and Forecast (2032-2032)
9.1.3. Legged
9.1.3.1. Market Revenue and Forecast (2032-2032)
9.1.4. Hybrid
9.1.4.1. Market Revenue and Forecast (2032-2032)
Chapter 10. Global Unmanned Ground Vehicles Market, By Size
10.1. Unmanned Ground Vehicles Market, by Size, 2023-2032
10.1.1. Small
10.1.1.1. Market Revenue and Forecast (2032-2032)
10.1.2. Medium
10.1.2.1. Market Revenue and Forecast (2032-2032)
10.1.3. Large
10.1.3.1. Market Revenue and Forecast (2032-2032)
10.1.4. Very Large
10.1.4.1. Market Revenue and Forecast (2032-2032)
10.1.5. Extremely Large
10.1.5.1. Market Revenue and Forecast (2032-2032)
Chapter 11. Global Unmanned Ground Vehicles Market, By Mode of Operation
11.1. Unmanned Ground Vehicles Market, by Mode of Operation, 2023-2032
11.1.1. Autonomous
11.1.1.1. Market Revenue and Forecast (2032-2032)
11.1.2. Teleoperated
11.1.2.1. Market Revenue and Forecast (2032-2032)
11.1.3. Tethered
11.1.3.1. Market Revenue and Forecast (2032-2032)
Chapter 12. Global Unmanned Ground Vehicles Market, By System
12.1. Unmanned Ground Vehicles Market, by System, 2023-2032
12.1.1. Payloads
12.1.1.1. Market Revenue and Forecast (2032-2032)
12.1.2. Navigation System
12.1.2.1. Market Revenue and Forecast (2032-2032)
12.1.3. Controller System
12.1.3.1. Market Revenue and Forecast (2032-2032)
12.1.4. Power System
12.1.4.1. Market Revenue and Forecast (2032-2032)
12.1.5. Others
12.1.5.1. Market Revenue and Forecast (2032-2032)
Chapter 13. Global Unmanned Ground Vehicles Market, Regional Estimates and Trend Forecast
13.1. North America
13.1.1. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Application (2032-2032)
13.1.2. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mobility (2032-2032)
13.1.3. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Size (2032-2032)
13.1.4. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mode of Operation (2032-2032)
13.1.5. Market Revenue and Forecast, by System (2032-2032)
13.1.6. U.S.
13.1.6.1. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Application (2032-2032)
13.1.6.2. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mobility (2032-2032)
13.1.6.3. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Size (2032-2032)
13.1.6.4. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mode of Operation (2032-2032)
13.1.6.5. Market Revenue and Forecast, by System (2032-2032)
13.1.7. Rest of North America
13.1.7.1. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Application (2032-2032)
13.1.7.2. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mobility (2032-2032)
13.1.7.3. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Size (2032-2032)
13.1.7.4. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mode of Operation (2032-2032)
13.1.7.5. Market Revenue and Forecast, by System (2032-2032)
13.2. Europe
13.2.1. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Application (2032-2032)
13.2.2. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mobility (2032-2032)
13.2.3. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Size (2032-2032)
13.2.4. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mode of Operation (2032-2032)
13.2.5. Market Revenue and Forecast, by System (2032-2032)
13.2.6. UK
13.2.6.1. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Application (2032-2032)
13.2.6.2. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mobility (2032-2032)
13.2.6.3. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Size (2032-2032)
13.2.7. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mode of Operation (2032-2032)
13.2.8. Market Revenue and Forecast, by System (2032-2032)
13.2.9. Germany
13.2.9.1. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Application (2032-2032)
13.2.9.2. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mobility (2032-2032)
13.2.9.3. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Size (2032-2032)
13.2.10. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mode of Operation (2032-2032)
13.2.11. Market Revenue and Forecast, by System (2032-2032)
13.2.12. France
13.2.12.1. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Application (2032-2032)
13.2.12.2. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mobility (2032-2032)
13.2.12.3. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Size (2032-2032)
13.2.12.4. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mode of Operation (2032-2032)
13.2.13. Market Revenue and Forecast, by System (2032-2032)
13.2.14. Rest of Europe
13.2.14.1. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Application (2032-2032)
13.2.14.2. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mobility (2032-2032)
13.2.14.3. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Size (2032-2032)
13.2.14.4. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mode of Operation (2032-2032)
13.2.15. Market Revenue and Forecast, by System (2032-2032)
13.3. APAC
13.3.1. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Application (2032-2032)
13.3.2. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mobility (2032-2032)
13.3.3. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Size (2032-2032)
13.3.4. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mode of Operation (2032-2032)
13.3.5. Market Revenue and Forecast, by System (2032-2032)
13.3.6. India
13.3.6.1. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Application (2032-2032)
13.3.6.2. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mobility (2032-2032)
13.3.6.3. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Size (2032-2032)
13.3.6.4. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mode of Operation (2032-2032)
13.3.7. Market Revenue and Forecast, by System (2032-2032)
13.3.8. China
13.3.8.1. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Application (2032-2032)
13.3.8.2. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mobility (2032-2032)
13.3.8.3. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Size (2032-2032)
13.3.8.4. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mode of Operation (2032-2032)
13.3.9. Market Revenue and Forecast, by System (2032-2032)
13.3.10. Japan
13.3.10.1. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Application (2032-2032)
13.3.10.2. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mobility (2032-2032)
13.3.10.3. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Size (2032-2032)
13.3.10.4. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mode of Operation (2032-2032)
13.3.10.5. Market Revenue and Forecast, by System (2032-2032)
13.3.11. Rest of APAC
13.3.11.1. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Application (2032-2032)
13.3.11.2. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mobility (2032-2032)
13.3.11.3. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Size (2032-2032)
13.3.11.4. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mode of Operation (2032-2032)
13.3.11.5. Market Revenue and Forecast, by System (2032-2032)
13.4. MEA
13.4.1. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Application (2032-2032)
13.4.2. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mobility (2032-2032)
13.4.3. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Size (2032-2032)
13.4.4. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mode of Operation (2032-2032)
13.4.5. Market Revenue and Forecast, by System (2032-2032)
13.4.6. GCC
13.4.6.1. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Application (2032-2032)
13.4.6.2. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mobility (2032-2032)
13.4.6.3. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Size (2032-2032)
13.4.6.4. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mode of Operation (2032-2032)
13.4.7. Market Revenue and Forecast, by System (2032-2032)
13.4.8. North Africa
13.4.8.1. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Application (2032-2032)
13.4.8.2. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mobility (2032-2032)
13.4.8.3. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Size (2032-2032)
13.4.8.4. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mode of Operation (2032-2032)
13.4.9. Market Revenue and Forecast, by System (2032-2032)
13.4.10. South Africa
13.4.10.1. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Application (2032-2032)
13.4.10.2. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mobility (2032-2032)
13.4.10.3. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Size (2032-2032)
13.4.10.4. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mode of Operation (2032-2032)
13.4.10.5. Market Revenue and Forecast, by System (2032-2032)
13.4.11. Rest of MEA
13.4.11.1. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Application (2032-2032)
13.4.11.2. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mobility (2032-2032)
13.4.11.3. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Size (2032-2032)
13.4.11.4. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mode of Operation (2032-2032)
13.4.11.5. Market Revenue and Forecast, by System (2032-2032)
13.5. Latin America
13.5.1. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Application (2032-2032)
13.5.2. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mobility (2032-2032)
13.5.3. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Size (2032-2032)
13.5.4. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mode of Operation (2032-2032)
13.5.5. Market Revenue and Forecast, by System (2032-2032)
13.5.6. Brazil
13.5.6.1. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Application (2032-2032)
13.5.6.2. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mobility (2032-2032)
13.5.6.3. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Size (2032-2032)
13.5.6.4. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mode of Operation (2032-2032)
13.5.7. Market Revenue and Forecast, by System (2032-2032)
13.5.8. Rest of LATAM
13.5.8.1. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Application (2032-2032)
13.5.8.2. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mobility (2032-2032)
13.5.8.3. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Size (2032-2032)
13.5.8.4. Market Revenue and Forecast, by Mode of Operation (2032-2032)
13.5.8.5. Market Revenue and Forecast, by System (2032-2032)
Chapter 14. Company Profiles
14.1. BAE Systems
14.1.1. Company Overview
14.1.2. Product Offerings
14.1.3. Financial Performance
14.1.4. Recent Initiatives
14.2. QinetiQ
14.2.1. Company Overview
14.2.2. Product Offerings
14.2.3. Financial Performance
14.2.4. Recent Initiatives
14.3. Rheinmetall AG
14.3.1. Company Overview
14.3.2. Product Offerings
14.3.3. Financial Performance
14.3.4. Recent Initiatives
14.4. Teledyne FLIR
14.4.1. Company Overview
14.4.2. Product Offerings
14.4.3. Financial Performance
14.4.4. Recent Initiatives
14.5. ECA Group
14.5.1. Company Overview
14.5.2. Product Offerings
14.5.3. Financial Performance
14.5.4. Recent Initiatives
14.6. Lockheed Martin
14.6.1. Company Overview
14.6.2. Product Offerings
14.6.3. Financial Performance
14.6.4. Recent Initiatives
14.7. General Dynamics
14.7.1. Company Overview
14.7.2. Product Offerings
14.7.3. Financial Performance
14.7.4. Recent Initiatives
14.8. Leonardo S.p.A.
14.8.1. Company Overview
14.8.2. Product Offerings
14.8.3. Financial Performance
14.8.4. Recent Initiatives
14.9. Autonomous Solutions Inc.
14.9.1. Company Overview
14.9.2. Product Offerings
14.9.3. Financial Performance
14.9.4. Recent Initiatives
14.10. Northrop Grumman
14.10.1. Company Overview
14.10.2. Product Offerings
14.10.3. Financial Performance
14.10.4. Recent Initiatives
Chapter 15. Research Methodology
15.1. Primary Research
15.2. Secondary Research
15.3. Assumptions
Chapter 16. Appendix
16.1. About Us
16.2. Glossary of Terms