Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

ABI Research

Collaborative robotics evolving into billion-dollar market

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Cognitive systems are fueling the future of the robotics industry, while the collaborative robotics sector is “morphing into a billion-dollar market”, according to ABI Research.

There is a growing interest within the robotics industry as to the benefits of cognitive systems and how they can improve robotic solutions, both in the incremental sense of improving productivity and the strategic sense of adding entirely new capabilities that broaden the use-cases for robotics in the traditional parameters of the industry and beyond.

The innate value of cognitive systems run concomitant to the development of collaborative robotics, says ABI, which provides strategic guidance on transformative technologies.  [Read more…] about Collaborative robotics evolving into billion-dollar market

‘Growing confidence in robotics’ leads to $2.7 billion in venture capital funding, says report

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2017 was a bumper year for robotics investment, with even more funds to come, according to a report by ABI Research

The robotics industry continued to go from strength to strength as 2017 represented the largest year of investment, with the total amount adding up to $2.7 billion, according to ABI Research, a market-forecast advisory firm.

Rian Whitton, research analyst at ABI Research, says: “While the growth in investment from 2016 to 2017, at 23.2 per cent, slowed from growth between 2015 and 2016, this was affected by applying a narrower understanding of robotics, leaving out categories like autonomous cars.

“Had the same definition of robotics been used as in previous years, total investment would have exceeded $5 billion.”  [Read more…] about ‘Growing confidence in robotics’ leads to $2.7 billion in venture capital funding, says report

Industry analysis: 8 technologies that will transform manufacturing

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Advisory firm ABI Research has listed what it regards as the most transformative technologies in manufacturing.

The company outlines how the technologies fit together with each other in its report Smart Manufacturing.

The eight transformative technologies the report highlights are:

  1. Additive manufacturing
  2. Artificial intelligence and machine learning
  3. Augmented reality
  4. Blockchain
  5. Digital twins
  6. Edge intelligence
  7. Industrial Internet of Things platforms
  8. Robotics

The manufacturing sector has already seen increased adoption of IIoT platforms and edge intelligence, says ABI.  [Read more…] about Industry analysis: 8 technologies that will transform manufacturing

Research: Consumer robotics market to rise to $23 billion by 2026

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The consumer robotics market is evolving rapidly and covers a wide array of products, from homecare systems to children’s toys to smart ‘humanoid’ robots that provide personal and social engagement.

According to ABI Research, a market-foresight advisory firm providing strategic guidance on the most compelling transformative technologies, the entire consumer robotics market will reach 100 million shipments and US$23 billion in revenue by 2026.

Home-care robots are already the primary driver of revenue for the wider consumer robotics market. This trend is expected to increase, following a banner year of revenue and shipment growth from floor care market leader iRobot.

[Read more…] about Research: Consumer robotics market to rise to $23 billion by 2026

Robotics-as-a-Service to reach $34 billion by 2026

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New research suggests ‘Robotics-as-a-Service’ (RaaS), where robotics providers rent or lease their products with solutions to customers as a full service, will be the next stage of market development.

ABI Research estimates that the installed base for RaaS will grow from 4,442 units in 2016 to 1.3 million in 2026. The yearly revenue from RaaS providers is expected to increase from US$217 million in 2016 to nearly US$34 billion in 2026.

“This will make the yearly revenue of RaaS providers (including all payments for services) greater than the shipment revenues for industrial robots, which currently accounts for the lion’s share of the robotics industry in terms of revenue,” explained Rian Whitton, Research Analyst at ABI Research.

[Read more…] about Robotics-as-a-Service to reach $34 billion by 2026

New research: Massive rise in warehouse robots predicted

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A recent report from ABI Research estimates that shipments of global commercial and collaborative robots in e-commerce fulfilment will reach 443,000 units in 2026, 20 times more than current shipments in 2018.

This includes squat mobile platforms in goods-to-person systems, autonomous mobile robots with manipulators, last mile delivery robots, and collaborative robots.

Two major types of customers in e-commerce fulfilment are the major-e-retailers and third-party logistics service providers who engage in the contract logistics business. Currently, warehousing, order processing, and last mile delivery are all extremely labour intensive.

[Read more…] about New research: Massive rise in warehouse robots predicted

Markets and politics contributing to the rise of Chinese robotics companies

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Commercial opportunities and government directives are coalescing to create a vibrant robotics and automation industry in China, according to a new report by ABI Research

Historically, the industrial robotics space has traditionally been dominated by Japanese and European vendors, while the commercial robotics has been the stronghold of robot startups from the United States and Europe.

However, recent developments suggest that Chinese vendors are staking a claim in the robotics territory, says ABI Research, a market research and advisory company.

Lian Jye Su, principal analyst at ABI Research, says: “The top four Chinese industrial robotics vendors reported a topline growth of 20 per cent year-on-year in 2016 and a similar figure is expected for next few years.  [Read more…] about Markets and politics contributing to the rise of Chinese robotics companies

Cobots set to become fastest growing robotics sector

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ABI Research, a market-foresight advisory firm providing guidance on the most transformative technologies, has identified collaborative robotics as one of the fastest growing segments of robotic systems.

Small-to-medium sized businesses are driving the increased demand for collaborative robots, as cobots provide solutions that allow for a more flexible kind of manufacturing that makes no assumptions as to volume levels or types of products being manufactured.

From 2016 to 2025, the global revenue of collaborative robotics shipments is set to enjoy a compound average growth rate of 49.8 per cent, compared to 12.1 per cent for Industrial robots and 23.2 per cent for commercial robotics.

[Read more…] about Cobots set to become fastest growing robotics sector

Commercial and industrial robotics market to see ‘rapid growth’ over the next eight years, says report

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The commercial and industrial robotics market is expected to see rapid growth over the next eight years, according to the latest forecasts from ABI Research.

Different research companies segment the robotics and automation industry in different ways, so it’s up to readers to decide how to piece together the various reports to build up a complete picture.

But according to ABI Research, what it calls the “commercial and industrial robotics market” will see revenues increase from $15 million in 2017 to over $48 million in 2025.  [Read more…] about Commercial and industrial robotics market to see ‘rapid growth’ over the next eight years, says report

Massachusetts robotics companies employed 4,700 workers and generated $1.6 billion in revenue

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Massachusetts Robotics Cluster report identifies “world-class companies and research centers driving innovation”, outlines opportunities for future growth

New research released today by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative cites 122 companies that now comprise the Commonwealth’s robotics cluster and that these firms employed over 4,700 workers and generated over $1.6 billion in revenue in 2015 alone.

The report also identified 33 new robotics startups that were created in Massachusetts over the past five years, an increase of 31 percent.

In addition to an assessment of the current state of the industry, the Massachusetts Robotics Cluster Report also outlines the key robotics sub-sectors where the Commonwealth is taking a global leadership role, including marine robotics, ecommerce logistics technologies, and collaborative robotics.  [Read more…] about Massachusetts robotics companies employed 4,700 workers and generated $1.6 billion in revenue