Knowledge hub
Market data, Malaysia's policy landscape, safety standards and a glossary of the terms used across embodied AI and humanoid robotics.
Industry data
The numbers behind the shift
5M
Industrial robots operating in factories worldwide, more than double seven years ago.
IFR World Robotics 2026354,000
Industrial robots installed in China in 2025, 59% of the world total. Chinese brands supplied 55% of them.
IFR World Robotics 2026 (China)806,000
Annual robot installations IFR forecasts for 2029, up from about 655,000 in 2026.
IFR World Robotics 202655 → 195
Robots per 10,000 workers in Malaysia: 2019 level and the 2030 national target.
National Robotics Roadmap 2021–2030818
Robots per 10,000 employees in Singapore, second in the world after Korea.
IFR, April 2026 (via The Robot Report)8.0%
Share of Malaysians aged 65 and over in 2025. Malaysia is projected to become an aged nation by 2048.
DOSM; Ministry of FinanceRM103bn
Projected size of Malaysia's robotics market by 2030.
MRANTI, citing the National Robotics RoadmapWhy now
Why embodied AI is moving now
Foundation models reach the physical world
Models that combine vision, language and action let robots follow instructions and handle tasks they were not explicitly programmed for.
Better, cheaper components
BofA projects the bill of materials for a China-built humanoid to fall from about US$35,000 in 2025 to under US$17,000 by 2030.
Labour shortages and ageing
Many industries struggle to fill physically demanding roles, and populations across Asia are ageing.
A world built for people
Humanoid robots can use existing stairs, doors, tools and workstations without rebuilding facilities around them.
Policy
Malaysia's policy landscape
- 2024
National AI Office
In forceNational policy · 12 Dec 2024
Launched under the Digital Ministry to coordinate national AI policy, regulation and adoption.
- 2024
National Semiconductor Strategy
In forceNational policy · 28 May 2024
At least RM25 billion in fiscal support, a goal to attract RM500 billion of investment and to train or upskill 60,000 high-skilled engineers, building Malaysian chip design and advanced packaging firms.
- 2023
New Industrial Master Plan 2030
In forceNational policy · 1 Sept 2023
Mission-based industrial plan targeting manufacturing value-added of RM587.5 billion, 3.3 million jobs and 3,000 smart factories. 93 smart factories had been recognised by June 2026.
- 2021–2030
National Policy on Science, Technology and Innovation 2021–2030
In forceNational policy · 2021–2030
Sets national direction for science, technology and innovation, including a target of 3.5% of GDP for R&D spending by 2030.
- 2021–2030
National Robotics Roadmap 2021–2030
In forceNational policy · 2021–2030
Aims to make Malaysia a regional robotics hub in services, agriculture and manufacturing by 2030, raising robot density from 55 to 195 per 10,000 workers, through 5 strategic thrusts, 19 strategies and 24 initiatives.
Standards
Key international standards
Standards robot builders, integrators and users commonly work with. Humanoid-specific requirements are still being developed internationally.
| Standard | Scope | Relevant to |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 8373 | Robotics vocabulary and definitions | Everyone |
| ISO 10218-1 and -2 | Safety requirements for industrial robots, and for robot systems and their integration | Manufacturers, integrators, factories |
| ISO/TS 15066 | Collaborative robot operation, where people and robots share a workspace | Integrators, end users |
| ISO 13482 | Safety requirements for personal care robots, including mobile servant and person-carrier robots | Service and care robotics |
| ISO 13849 / IEC 62061 | Functional safety of machinery control systems | Manufacturers, integrators |
| ISO/IEC 42001 | AI management systems | Organisations developing or using AI |
Glossary
Terms used in this field
- EAI
Embodied AI
Artificial intelligence that perceives and acts through a physical body, learning from interaction with the real world.
- PAI
Physical AI
AI systems that understand physical properties and cause and effect, and control machines that act in the world.
- HMN
Humanoid robot
A robot with a body shaped like a human’s, usually with a torso, head, two arms and two legs or a wheeled base.
- DOF
Degrees of freedom
The number of independent ways a robot can move. A full humanoid typically has dozens across its joints.
- VLA
Vision-language-action model
An AI model that takes camera images and natural-language instructions and outputs robot actions.
- S2R
Sim-to-real transfer
Training a robot in simulation and then transferring the learned behaviour to real hardware.
- DT
Digital twin
A virtual model of a physical robot, process or facility, kept in sync with real data for testing and optimisation.
- SWG
Strain wave (harmonic) gear
A compact, high-ratio gearbox using a flexible spline, common in robot joints.
- PRS
Planetary roller screw
A screw that converts rotation into linear motion with high load capacity, used in humanoid linear actuators.
- COB
Collaborative robot (cobot)
A robot designed to work safely in a shared space with people, often with force limits and contact sensing.
- AMR
Autonomous mobile robot
A robot that navigates its environment on its own using sensors and maps, without fixed tracks.
- RD
Robot density
The number of robots in operation per 10,000 workers, a common measure of automation.
Sources
- IFR World Robotics 2026. ifr.org
- IFR World Robotics 2026 (China). ifr.org
- National Robotics Roadmap 2021–2030. theedgemalaysia.com
- IFR, April 2026 (via The Robot Report). therobotreport.com
- DOSM; Ministry of Finance. dosm.gov.my
- MRANTI, citing the National Robotics Roadmap. mranti.my