Global robot sales up 32%, report finds
The sales of professional service robots increased by 32% - amounting to an industry worth $11.2 billion (€9.53 billion) - for 2018-19, with 2020 forecast to increase market share further, according to a report by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR).
The report aggregates industry data from over 40 countries broken down into areas of application, customer industries, types of robots and other economic applications.
According to the report, medical robots accounted for 47% of all professional robotic turnover for 2019. This was primarily driven by robotic surgery systems, which are the most expensive type in this sector. Sales went up by 28% to a total of $5.2 billion (€4.42 billion).
Roughly 90% of all medical robotic systems comes from US and European suppliers.
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic is expected to further increase demand for robots in the workplace as automation can be used to ensure worker safety demands are met.
Higher demand for robotics disinfection solutions, logistics robotics in factories and warehouses or robots for home deliveries are just some examples of this trend.
The total for logistics robots that were sold or leased was up 110% to $1.9 billion (€1.61 billion) across the same period.
Increased digitalisation in the workplace has increased demand for logistics robots, and that majority of applications were for indoor facilities such as warehouses. The IFR predicts that the long-term effects of the pandemic will only increase the demand in this sector as social distancing measures continue to be adhered to and companies wish to increase overall worker throughput by supplementing a human workforce with an automated one.
According to the report, a 40% growth per year is possible for the sector.
IFR President Milton Guerry said: "The investment in service robots for logistics in manufacturing processes is amortised rapidly. Assuming 24-hour operation, the investment in service robots for logistics may be repaid within 2‐3 years and often much quicker.
"Given a 15 year lifetime, operating costs are around 5% of the annual investment. Highly developed systems often provide operational availability in the 98% plus range.”
Robotics service - or subscription - models supposedly lower the barrier for entry for automation. According to the IFR, the primary benefit of this model is not having to invest in hardware, so the companies have no fixed capital, no fixed costs and no need for robotics operators.
The report adds that field robotics, mainly applying to the agrifood sector, accounted for a significantly smaller, but still increasing, market share. The sector saw a 3% increase between 2018-19 and it is expected that this sector will boom following the pandemic owing to travel restrictions on cheaper workers calling for automation to supplement the labour shortage.
The report predicts a 30% growth in this sector over the next year.
Household robots account for a significant market share over the same two-year period, rising by 34% - shipping more than 23 million units in 2019 alone.
Their value shot up by 20% to a total of $5.7 billion (€4.85 billion). The prices for the two major robotics components for this sector, robot vacuums and toy robots, have been declining in recent years, and domestic robots are becoming more and more affordable with each passing year.
Basic robot vacuums are available for under $100. 75% of the market share for domestic bots - vacuum and floor cleaners, lawnmowers and other domestic robotics - were developed by American manufacturers, with Asia accounting for a 19% market share and Europe 6%.
One market ripe for growth is in the use of robots for elderly or handicapped persons. Estimated sales in this sector grew by 17% in 2019 and numerous national and international ventures have attempted to capture this market. In contrast to entertainment robots, the machines in this sector are particularly high-tech owing to a need for increased functions and automation.
Mr Guerry said: “We expect sales of both professional and personal service robots will continue to increase strongly."
The IFR is a non-profit organisation founded in 1987 with the goal of spreading awareness of automation and robotic integration in both professional and personal scenarios.
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