ROBOTS – NO LONGER TOOLS BUT CO-WORKERS

A machine capable of sharing workspace with humans and simultaneously working on the same workpiece represents the opening of a new industrial era. The collaborative robot’s age has begun.

In late 2010, the robotics industry was in the early stages of a fundamental change. Where and how will the robots be used in the future? One signal of that change was a rise in the number of U.S. patent filings that referenced robots.

A second signal was the nature of the intellectual property those patents sought to protect. A significant number focused on improving a robot’s ability to interact with its surroundings spontaneously. In other words, they represented steps toward endowing robots with situational awareness.

A machine capable of sharing workspace with humans and simultaneously working on the same workpiece represented the opening of a new industrial era. Robots were seen less as tools and more as a co-worker. In recent years, it has become apparent to all those following the industry that the collaborative robot’s age has begun.

For the present, suffice it to say robotic professionals distinguish among five types: industrial robots found on assembly lines; professional service robots, most of which are surgical assistants; domestic service robots that vacuum rugs and clean storm gutters; military robots that fire weapons and defuse bombs; and security robots that roam warehouses and office corridors.

The increasing trend toward automation and digitalization in the manufacturing industry is a significant factor fueling the robotics technologies market.

Robotics technologies have high growth prospects as they can improve work practices and increase safety, security, and work efficiency levels.

The use of these machines is increasing rapidly, and robots with advanced technologies will be commercialized in the future. In the future, robots can be used as human assistants and also as co-workers.

As robots enter new work environments, additional technologies are needed to allow iron-collar workers to coexist among the human workforce. The more closely robots become meshed with blue- and white-collar workers, the more important appearance becomes.

With fewer exceptions than one might expect, there is no reason for robots to resemble humans. The mental image of a bank of anatomically accurate arms wielding welding torches on an assembly line is the stuff of nightmares.

Designing robots that move like humans is an entirely different endeavor, and critical to accepting collaborative robots as members of the 21st-century workforce.

Increased acceptance of collaborative robots as a replacement for labor and, in some cases, earlier generation robots will increasingly drive demand for these machines.

The market growth outlook for robotics is strongly positive, with significant growth potential for robotics in the automotive, electrical, and electronics industries, construction, healthcare, and defense.

There is mounting pressure from end-user industries globally; however, to further reduce prices, improve the features, efficiency, operability of robotics, and maximize the return on investment. At the same time, increasing investment in the modernization of production facilities in emerging markets contributes to market growth.

The automotive manufacturing segment accounted for the largest share of the global robotics technologies market. The highest growth is projected to come from the construction segment. CAGR.

Major factors for this growth include rapidly increasing greenfield infrastructure projects. Asia-Pacific is the largest region in the robotics technologies market. Europe and North America follow it. The market is challenged by restraints such as high investment costs, rising raw material prices due to higher import tariffs, and safety concerns.

Industrial robots accounted for the largest share of the robotics technologies market in 2017. The industrial robot market will be driven by increasing demand from the electrical/electronics manufacturing industry across the globe. The professional service robot market is expected to record the highest CAGR.  

The primary factor supporting this growth will be professional service robots’ deployment in various sectors, such as healthcare, construction, and telecom.

Automation & Telecom Industry:

By its scale and continued growth, the telecom industry is a perfect playfield for highly sophisticated Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation technologies. Leveraging this disruptive technology, telecom companies can dramatically cut down their operating costs while improving their quality and speed of services and customer experience. Machines have already started reading the network content that determines how to route the network traffic. The next frontier would be self-optimizing networks based on the existing conditions, pre-set goals, and limits. However, we are just at the beginning. The telecom industry is poised to see even more significant changes, driven by AI, with the ultimate goal of delighting the customers.

Techwave is a global leader in Engineering Field & Design Services, Network Operations & Data Transformation. Techwave partners with clients to design the next generation of networks and systems to help them stay agile and competitive through Engineering & Technology solutions by enhancing the quality, reliability, and performance of products, assets, and services.

Industries served include but are not limited to – Aerospace & Defense, Automotive, Communications, Energy, Geospatial, Industrial, Medtech & Healthcare, Rail, Semiconductor, and Utilities.