Exoskeleton market for industrial and medical use
Michael Joseph · Founder, Iapyx Labs
Updated September 7, 2026
Exoskeletons remain a much smaller and slower-compounding market than humanoids, with the key 2026 unlock being reimbursement rather than technology. Updated sizing published August 5, 2026 puts the total exoskeleton market at $3.7B in 2026 growing to $20.3B by 2035, while medical-only estimates from other firms are two orders of magnitude smaller, a scope discrepancy worth flagging before any of these numbers are used. The most material recent change is Medicare Advantage coverage additions for personal exoskeletons in the US.
Key findings
- Roots Analysis (updated Aug 5, 2026): global exoskeleton market valued at USD 2.9B in 2025, projected to reach USD 3.7B in 2026 and USD 20.3B by 2035, a 20.8% CAGR over 2026-2035; lower-body devices hold roughly 45% share and powered devices the largest share by mode of operation.
- Roots Analysis: in March 2026 Lifeward reported that Aetna, Humana and UnitedHealthcare had added Medicare Advantage coverage for the ReWalk Personal Exoskeleton, extending potential access to approximately 16 million covered individuals in the US.
- Roots Analysis: in January 2026 Ekso Bionics Holdings completed a $5.852 million private placement with institutional and accredited investors to fund medical and industrial exoskeleton development; in December 2025 it signed a distribution agreement with MediTouch.
- Scope discrepancy to flag: Fortune Business Insights sizes the global medical exoskeleton market at just $99.5M in 2025 and $112.2M in 2026, reaching $239.3M by 2034 (9.9% CAGR), far below whole-market estimates, so segment definitions must be checked before comparison.
- MarketsandMarkets: powered exoskeletons are expected to register the highest growth of any segment at a 32.4% CAGR, driven by AI integration, lightweight materials and advanced sensors and actuators.
- Fact.MR (May 2026): hardware holds 50% share in 2026 due to high manufacturing costs of structural frames and powered actuation, and China is forecast to expand at a 19.8% CAGR to 2036; reimbursement expansion and industrial injury cost reduction are named as the principal adoption drivers.
Sources
- https://www.rootsanalysis.com/reports/exoskeleton-market.html
- https://www.rootsanalysis.com/reports/medical-exoskeleton-market.html
- https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/medical-exoskeleton-market-115112
- https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/exoskeleton-market-40697797.html
- https://www.factmr.com/report/exoskeleton-robots-market