Release time：2024-02-19
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The latest IFR report shows that the global inventory of operational robots has reached a new record of approximately 3.9 million units. This demand is driven by a series of exciting technological innovations.
Trend 1: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning
The application trend of artificial intelligence in the fields of robotics and automation is constantly growing. The emergence of generative artificial intelligence has opened up new solutions. This subset of artificial intelligence is specifically designed to create new things from what is learned through training and has been popularized by tools such as ChatGPT. Robot manufacturers are developing interfaces driven by generative artificial intelligence, allowing users to program robots more intuitively using natural language rather than code. Workers will no longer need specialized programming skills to select and adjust robot movements.
Another example is predicting artificial intelligence to analyze robot performance data to identify the future state of the device. Predictive maintenance can save manufacturers' machine downtime costs. According to a report by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, unplanned downtime per hour is expected to result in a loss of $1.3 million in the automotive parts industry. This indicates that predictive maintenance has enormous potential for cost savings. Machine learning algorithms can also analyze data from multiple robots performing the same process for optimization. Generally speaking, the more data a machine learning algorithm obtains, the better its performance.
Trend 2: Collaborative robots expand into new application areas
Human robot collaboration remains the main trend in robotics technology. The rapid development of sensors, vision technology, and intelligent grippers enables robots to respond in real-time to changes in the environment, enabling them to work safely alongside humans.
Collaborative robot applications provide humans with a new tool to alleviate and support them. They can assist in completing tasks that require weightlifting, repetitive movements, or working in hazardous environments.
The range of collaborative applications provided by robot manufacturers is constantly expanding.
Due to the lack of skilled welders, there has been a significant increase in the application of collaborative robot welding recently. This demand indicates that automation has not caused a shortage of labor, but rather provided a means to solve this problem. Therefore, collaborative robots will complement (rather than replace) investments in traditional industrial robots, which operate much faster and remain important for improving productivity to cope with tight product profits.
New competitors are also entering the market, with a particular focus on collaborative robots. Mobile robotic arms are a combination of collaborative robot arms and mobile robots (AMRs), providing new use cases that can significantly expand the demand for collaborative robots.
Trend 3: Mobile robotic arm
Mobile robotic arms (MoMas) are automating material handling tasks in industries such as automotive, logistics, or aerospace. They combine the mobility of robot platforms with the dexterity of robotic arms. This enables them to navigate complex environments and manipulate objects, which is crucial for manufacturing. These robots are equipped with sensors and cameras to perform inspection and maintenance tasks on machinery and equipment. One of the significant advantages of mobile robotic arms is their ability to collaborate and support humans. The shortage of skilled labor and the lack of factory workers may result in demand.
Trend Four: Digital Twins
Digital twin technology is increasingly being used as a tool to optimize the performance of physical systems by creating virtual replicas. Due to the increasing digital integration of robots in factories, digital twins can use their real-world operational data to run simulations and predict possible outcomes. Due to the fact that twins exist purely as computer models, they can be subjected to stress testing and modification without posing any security risks, while also saving costs. All experiments can be checked before coming into contact with the physical world. Digital twins bridge the gap between the digital world and the physical world.
Trend 5: Humanoid Robots
Robotics technology has made significant progress in humanoid robots, which can perform a wide range of tasks in various environments. Designed like a human, with two arms and two legs, the robot can be flexibly used in the work environment created for humans. Therefore, it can be easily integrated into existing warehouse processes and infrastructure.
The Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology recently announced detailed targets for mass production of humanoid robots by 2025. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology predicts that humanoid robots may become another disruptive technology, similar to computers or smartphones, and may change the way factories produce goods and the way humans live.
The potential impact of humanoid robots on various fields makes them an exciting area of development, but their mass market applications remain a complex challenge. Cost is a key factor, and success will depend on their return on investment, competing with mature robotic solutions such as mobile manipulators.
Summary
Marina Bill, President of the International Federation of Robotics, said, "The five complementary automation trends of 2024 indicate that robotics is a multidisciplinary field where technology is converging to create intelligent solutions for a wide range of tasks. These advances will continue to shape the merging industrial and service robotics industries, as well as future jobs.
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