Computer-based sensing market seen doubling by 2030

The Business Research Company says the global computer-based sensing market will rise from $59.48 billion in 2025 to $71.25 billion in 2026, then reach $147.81 billion by 2030. Growth is being driven by robotics, AI-enabled sensing, edge analytics and smart infrastructure, with North America leading now and Asia-Pacific expected to grow fastest.

Why it matters: - Computer-based sensing is moving from a niche industrial capability to a core layer of automation, robotics and real-time decision-making. - The market’s projected rise to $147.81 billion by 2030 signals strong demand for sensors that can turn physical signals into actionable digital insight. - The growth outlook matters for manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, smart infrastructure and autonomous systems.

What happened: - The Business Research Company published its Global Market Report 2026 on computer-based sensing. - The report puts the market at $59.48 billion in 2025 and $71.25 billion in 2026. - The report forecasts the market will reach $147.81 billion by 2030. - The company released a free sample and a full report online via the sample request page and the full market report.

The details: - The market is projected to grow at a 19.8% CAGR from 2025 to 2026. - The report projects a 20.0% CAGR through 2030. - Historical growth came from basic sensors in industrial systems, rising manufacturing automation, embedded systems in consumer electronics, real-time monitoring demand and machine vision in quality control. - Future growth is expected to come from AI-enabled sensing, autonomous vehicles, robotics, edge computing analytics, smart infrastructure and predictive maintenance. - Reported trends include sensor fusion systems, edge AI-driven sensing analytics, embedded vision, low-power miniaturized smart sensors and context-aware adaptive sensing frameworks. - Computer-based sensing combines physical sensors with computational intelligence, embedded computing, artificial intelligence and signal processing to convert raw sensor data into digital insights.

Between the lines: - Robotics adoption is one of the clearest demand signals because more machines need more sensing, perception and control. - The report ties market expansion to a broader industrial shift toward automation that reduces human oversight and improves operational accuracy. - The forecast also suggests sensing is becoming more software-driven, not just hardware-driven, as edge AI and adaptive frameworks gain importance. - In September 2024, the International Federation of Robotics reported about 4.28 million operational industrial robots globally in 2023, up 10% from 2022. - North America held the largest regional share in 2025. - Asia-Pacific is projected to be the fastest-growing region through the forecast period.

What's next: - The report expects continued investment in AI-enabled sensing, robotics, autonomous vehicles and smart infrastructure. - Market participants are likely to focus on lower-power sensors, embedded vision and real-time analytics at the edge. - The report covers Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, the Middle East and Africa. - The 2026 report package also includes market attractiveness scoring, TAM analysis, company scoring matrices, forecasting dashboards, hotspot infographics and updated graphics and tables.

The bottom line: - Computer-based sensing is positioned for rapid long-term expansion as automation and AI push sensing deeper into connected systems.