Lattice Semiconductor is highlighting low-power FPGAs as critical infrastructure for the next generation of intelligent robots.
In an interview, the company's Karl Wachswender explains that programmable hardware enables robots to handle real-time perception and motor control at the edge rather than relying on cloud processing, while also providing security and the ability to upgrade capabilities after deployment.
As manufacturers invest heavily in robotic systems expected to last for years, the flexibility and power efficiency of FPGAs are becoming central to keeping robots functional and adaptive as requirements change.
What happened
Lattice Semiconductor, an Oregon-based chip maker founded in 1983, is positioning low-power field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) as essential infrastructure for intelligent robots. Karl Wachswender, senior principal system architect at Lattice, argues that FPGAs enable parallel processing, real-time sensor fusion, motor control, and hardware security in robots operating under strict power, size, and thermal constraints.
Why it matters
As robots move toward edge processing instead of relying solely on cloud computing, manufacturers need hardware that can handle time-sensitive tasks—depth processing, sensor fusion, object tracking—without round-trip cloud latency. FPGAs also let robots evolve after deployment through reprogrammable logic, extending their operational life and protecting industrial investments. Wachswender emphasizes that security must start at the hardware layer with FPGAs acting as a hardware root of trust from power-on, which matters as robots connect to enterprise networks and work near people.
What to watch
Market projections show humanoid robotics expanding from a $6 billion global market projection for 2035 to $38 billion (per Goldman Sachs revision cited by Wachswender), while the global industrial automation market is expected to grow to $623.25 billion by 2035 at a 9.13 percent compound annual growth rate, and the surgical robotics market is forecast to exceed $27 billion by 2030. Wachswender also notes certain regional autonomous mobile robot markets are expected to triple in size by 2030.
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The interview reflects a broader shift in robotics architecture: as robots become more autonomous and connected, the burden of processing is moving from centralized cloud systems toward edge devices on the robot itself. This shift is not merely about speed; it is about reliability, latency, and safety. Wachswender argues that tasks requiring sub-microsecond determinism—the kind of real-time responsiveness needed for motor control and depth perception—cannot tolerate the latency of a cloud round-trip. In consequence, robots need hardware that can handle multiple workloads in parallel while consuming minimal power and space.
Lattice's emphasis on programmability reflects an industry-wide anxiety among manufacturers: expensive robotic systems must remain useful for years, even as hardware and software models evolve. Fixed-function chips become liabilities in this context; programmable logic allows the same physical device to support new algorithms and protocols after installation. This flexibility has become a competitive advantage as enterprises seek to protect capital investments.
Security emerges as a persistent concern underlying the entire discussion. As robots connect to enterprise networks and operate alongside human workers, the attack surface expands. Wachswender positions FPGAs as a solution by enabling hardware-level security from the moment power is applied, rather than relying on an operating system that takes time to boot. This framing aligns with broader industry trends toward hardware security roots and zero-trust architectures, though the article does not cite third-party validation of these claims.
The market projections Wachswender cites—humanoid robotics growing from $6 billion to $38 billion by 2035, industrial automation reaching $623.25 billion by 2035, and surgical robotics exceeding $27 billion by 2030—suggest substantial opportunity for semiconductor vendors across multiple sectors, not just humanoids. This context supports Lattice's diversified focus on industrial robots, autonomous mobile robots, and healthcare robotics alongside the high-profile humanoid segment.
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