◎ Chen Qingyun
The 2026 Taiwan Robot and Intelligent Automation Exhibition has recently launched. The Taiwan Intelligent Automation and Robot Association has joined hands with the Industrial Research Institute to launch 16 innovative technologies, with a technology transfer output value of nearly 13.5 billion yuan. From industrial robots, quadruped robots to dual-arm collaborative robots, it not only demonstrates Taiwan's R&D energy, but also shows that robots are no longer just highlights at exhibitions, but are gradually entering factories, restaurants, hospitals and homes.
The 2026 Taiwan Robot and Intelligent Automation Exhibition is here. Robots are no longer just the highlight of the exhibition, but are gradually entering factories, restaurants, hospitals and homes. The picture shows the humanoid robot displayed by Shangyin. (File photo)
In fact, robots have already been integrated into daily life. Food delivery robots shuttle in restaurants to reduce the burden on service personnel; sweeping robots at home assist in cleaning; and robotic arms in factories are responsible for handling, welding and precision assembly. With the advancement of artificial intelligence, sensors and chip technology, robots can not only perform fixed actions, but also be able to recognize the environment, analyze situations and work collaboratively with people.
Taiwan is facing multiple challenges such as a declining birthrate, an aging population, and industrial labor shortages. The value of robots does not lie in completely replacing manpower, but in filling the manpower gap and undertaking repetitive, heavy, dangerous, or high-precision tasks. Let the machine do what it is good at, while people focus on judgment, communication, creativity and care. This is the true meaning of smart automation.
The application of robots is more related to public safety. When a fire, earthquake or industrial safety accident occurs, robots can first enter high temperature, dense smoke or collapse dangerous areas to search for trapped persons; underground pipelines, bridges and high-voltage power towers can also be inspected by robots to prevent frontline personnel from being exposed to risks. In the future, in the medical and long-term care fields, robots can also assist in transporting patients, delivering medicines and performing rehabilitation training, becoming a powerful assistant to medical staff.
Autonomous driving technology is also an important development direction. It not only allows the vehicle to drive on its own, but also reduces driver fatigue and human negligence. If it can be prioritized in closed areas, ports, industrial areas and logistics transportation, and safety standards and accident liability systems can be gradually established, both innovation and risk management can be taken into account.
Robots not only perform fixed actions, but can also recognize the environment, analyze situations and work collaboratively with people, replacing part of the human workforce. The picture shows the meal robot. (File photo)
Taiwan has a complete supply chain for semiconductors, information communications, precision machinery and components, which is the solid foundation for the development of the robotics industry. However, if the technology only stays in the research laboratory, it will be difficult to form an industrial scale. The government should strengthen industry-university cooperation, technology transfer and demonstration fields, assist small and medium-sized enterprises in introducing smart equipment, and establish application specifications for firefighting and disaster relief, medical care, autonomous driving, etc., so that new technologies can have a way forward.
At the same time, the government should expand the cultivation of artificial intelligence, electromechanical integration and software control talents to avoid a shortage of maintenance manpower. For workers who need to be transformed due to automation, on-the-job training and skill upgrading should also be provided so that technological dividends can be shared by all people instead of creating new employment anxiety.
Robots are not here to take people's jobs, but to help people do their jobs safer, more efficiently, and with more dignity. Relying on Taiwan's R&D strength and manufacturing advantages, as long as the government integrates resources and keeps up with regulations, the robot industry will not only solve the problem of labor shortages, but also have the opportunity to go global and become Taiwan's next national protector.
