What the future holds
Ongoing advancements in AI/ML & autonomy, augmented reality, IoT, power generation, energy storage, sensors, 3D printing, and GPS-independent navigation continue to feed the insatiable needs of industry and the military. US DoD is already waist-deep pivoting from assumed air dominance conflict conditions to near-peer scenarios in multiple COCOM AORs, driving capabilities development in unmanned systems (swarming, ATR, interoperability) in multiple domains, often coordinated with key allies. For more scientific endeavors such as the search for life off Earth, robotic development efforts continue with missions to Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, Titan, Venus, and the ocean worlds of Europa, Enceladus, and Ceres. These efforts are also coordinated amongst participating space agencies, including NASA, ESA, JAXA, ROSCOSMOS, CSA, CNSA, KARI, and UAESA.
Back on Earth, there are actually multiple technology development races currently underway, including for autonomous cars, autonomous air taxis, drone delivery services, robotic satellite services (including orbit adjustment & on-orbit repairs), robotic lunar mining, and collaborative industrial robotics. Developers must solve the technical challenges of systems integration, safety, and security, while navigating all the expected business and regulatory challenges.