Robots have been the main force in factories for decades, but their use has expanded to other places, from warehouses and hospitals to retail. According to data from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), this trend continued last year. The epidemic of the new coronavirus has accelerated the demand for service robots in automated logistics, disinfection and delivery.
IFR, headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, said that between 2018 and 2019, global sales of professional service robots increased by 32% to $11.2 billion. The organization released a complete research report in the "2020 World Robot-Service Robot" report.
According to IFR data, in 2019, sales of medical robots accounted for 47% of total sales of service robots, setting a new record of US$5.3 billion, an increase of 28%. This increase was mainly driven by robot-assisted surgery systems. It is the most expensive type of robot in this field. By 2022, sales of medical robots may more than double to $11.3 billion. IFR stated that approximately 90% of medical robots come from North American and European suppliers.
The logistics robot market has doubled
According to IFR, the market value of logistics robot sales or leasing increased by 110% to US$1.9 billion. Almost all logistics robot sales come from service robots designed for indoor use. Autonomous mobile robots (AMR) were originally used in warehouses, but with the digitization of production, they have become part of today's smart factories. IFR speculates that it is possible that more than 40% of the annual sales of logistics robots will continue to grow strongly.
"In the manufacturing process, the investment in service robots for logistics can be quickly amortized." IFR President Milton Guerry said. "Assuming 24-hour operation, the investment in logistics service robots may be recovered within two to three years, and often faster. Considering the 15-year service life, the operating cost is about 5% of the annual investment. Highly developed systems often Can provide more than 98% operational availability."
In addition, IFR said that the trend toward a robot as a service (RaaS) business model can reduce barriers for customers to adopt service robots. The advantage is that there is no need to invest in hardware, so the company has no fixed capital, no fixed cost, and no need for robot operators.
The application of logistics systems in non-manufacturing industries has strongly promoted the warehousing solutions of major e-commerce companies. Hospitals can also find strong potential in running logistics with the help of professional service robots. In the field of such service robots, about 90% of sample logistics robots are produced in Europe and North America, and about 10% are produced in Asia.
The field robot market grows slightly
The field robot sector includes robots for agriculture, dairy, animal husbandry and other applications. Field Robot sales increased by 3% to 1.3 billion US dollars. The IFR pointed out that the COVID-19 pandemic may affect labor and demand for such robots.
For example, travel restrictions for Eastern European workers who usually travel to Western Europe during the harvest season have resulted in a shortage of labor supply. Farmers may make up for this deficiency by using field robots. The sales growth rate of agricultural robots is expected to exceed 30%.
Home service robot market reshuffle
Home service robots refer to robots for personal and family use produced for the mass market, mainly in the field of household robots, including vacuum cleaners and floor cleaning robots, lawn mowing robots or entertainment robots.
In 2019, the total sales of service robots used by individuals and households increased by 34%, with more than 23.2 million units sold, a 20% increase in value, reaching US$5.7 billion. In recent years, the unit prices of the two main areas of robot vacuum cleaners and toy robots have been declining.
IFR stated that the price of the basic robot vacuum cleaner is now less than $100. In 2019, 75% of sampled household service robots—vacuum cleaners and floor cleaners, lawn mowers, and other household robots—are produced by American companies, with Asian companies accounting for 19% and European companies accounting for 6%.
IFR said that assistive robots for the elderly or the disabled are another growth area, with an estimated sales value increase of 17% to US$91 million. National research projects in many countries are focusing on the potentially huge market of service robots. Compared with most entertainment robots, these robots are high-tech products. "We expect sales of professional and personal service robots to continue to grow strongly," Guerry said.