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If you’re interested in robotics as a real business, not just a fancy, broad, science fiction-esque idea, I don’t think investors need Tesla(NASDAQ: TSLA) to get that exposure during the next few years.
Tesla has talked openly about robots and automation. However, most of its actual results are still to come, and the company’s revenue and earnings come from selling cars, energy products, and software tied to those businesses. The robot narrative is more promise than near‑term reality in my opinion, and that makes it hard to judge how much of today’s valuation you’re really paying for robotics versus everything else.
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There’s another way to play this theme. You can own companies that already sell robots, automation platforms, and machine‑vision technology to factories and warehouses, offering new robotics capabilities and artificial intelligence (AI) to established customer bases. That’s what Teradyne (NASDAQ: TER), Zebra Technologies(NASDAQ: ZBRA), and Rockwell Automation(NYSE: ROK) are doing right now. To me, these companies are more likely to drive measurable growth in robotics during the next couple of years than Tesla’s still‑developing humanoid projects.
1. Teradyne: Robots where work actually happens
Teradyne describes itself as a provider of automated test equipment and advanced robotics, and it has been busy turning that robotics label into real deployments. In 2026, the company highlighted its Teradyne Robotics unit, unveiling a wide range of “production‑ready physical AI applications” at the Automate trade show and expanding a partnership with Flex to scale intelligent automation across global manufacturing. It also opened a new office in India to deepen its support for semiconductor and electronics manufacturers, hinting at more robots and automation being installed in one of the world’s fastest‑growing manufacturing regions.
Teradyne’s robots are already tied into real manufacturing workflows, and its presence is growing in regions where new factories are being built. When buying this stock, keep in mind that the shares have already climbed about 200% during the past year, while some planned insider selling could add pressure.
If you’re averaging into Teradyne, it may make more sense to wait for dips rather than go all in at current prices. The company continues to benefit from strong demand for semiconductor testing equipment, especially as AI and memory chips continue to drive growth.
