This group of technologies includes robots and other machines that perform tasks on their own with limited guidance from humans. It also includes satellites and systems that precisely measure position, navigation or timing data.
We have updated the data in this list since we first published it in 2021. Find previous datasets in the National Library of Australia’s Trove website archive.
These technologies can be used for:
Australia’s research strengths in critical technologies underpin new economic opportunities and sovereign capabilities.
From 2022 to 2024, Australia’s research trends are consistent across critical technology fields. Autonomous systems, robotics, positioning, timing and sensing saw a slight increase in publications.
Research quality increased slightly from 2022 to 2024. We define quality as the percentage of publications in the top 10% most cited publications in the field.
Research specialisation decreased from 2022 to 2024. We define quality as the percentage of publications in the top 10% most cited publications in the field.
Australian research publications for autonomous systems, robotics, positioning, timing and sensing technologies field, 2022–2024.
| 2022 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Publications | 3072 | 3220 |
Intellectual property (IP) rights are vital to supporting translation of critical technology research outcomes into products, businesses and new capabilities.
Autonomous systems, robotics, positioning, timing and sensing (standard) patent applications nearly doubled from 2017 to 2022.
Autonomous systems, robotics, positioning, timing and sensing technologies (standard) patent applications in Australia, 2017–2022.
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | % growth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patent applications | 672 | 821 | 923 | 999 | 1096 | 1111 | 65.33 |
Autonomous systems, robotics, positioning, timing and sensing (standard) patent applications by Australian applicants tripled from 2017 to 2021, with a slight decrease in 2022.
Autonomous systems, robotics, positioning, timing and sensing technologies Australian applicant (standard) patent applications in Australia, 2017–2022.
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patent applications | 33 | 46 | 68 | 72 | 98 | 84 |
Venture capital (VC) investment data can help assess Australia’s critical technology capability. The data acts as a real-time signal of where private investment is supporting innovation.
Overall VC investment in Australian autonomous systems, robotics, positioning, timing and sensing critical technology firms has decreased since 2022.
Venture capital investment in Australian autonomous systems, robotics, positioning, timing and sensing technologies firms, 2014–2024.
| Year | VC investment in $millions |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 0.09 |
| 2015 | 1.66 |
| 2016 | 36.25 |
| 2017 | 29.25 |
| 2018 | 72.42 |
| 2019 | 60.94 |
| 2020 | 138.02 |
| 2021 | 124.92 |
| 2022 | 243.38 |
| 2023 | 95.8 |
| 2024 | 39.61 |
| Total | 842.34 |
Autonomous technologies can help Australia:
However, there are some risks with social acceptance for these technologies, particularly the perceived threat of robots taking Australians’ jobs. We can reduce these risks and capture the benefits of autonomous technologies through public education, guidance and good governance.
CSIRO collected all publication data from Web of Science systems and covers 2022 and 2024.
We sourced all patent data from IP Australia. The data covers 2017 to 2022 for standard patent applications filed in Australia. It does not include innovation patents, following a 2022 review phasing them out. We note innovation filings were on the rise during this period, which led to a spike in the years leading up to ceasing.
DISR collected all VC data in March 2025 using Pitchbook and covers 2014 to 2024.
