The rise and rise of industrial robotics

28 November, 2022

GlobalData’s report notes that improvements in AI are enabling the implementation of industrial robots, but further advances are needed in certain AI technologies—including computer vision, conversational platforms and context aware computing—to take industrial automation and industrial robotics to the next level. Raveni believes AI is pivotal to enhancing robot performance, enabling them to access and seamlessly process large amounts of data. She considers that more advancements are needed within AI before robotics can proceed much further, and there is still far to go. That said, Raveni believes the foundations are in place. “Advances will be made over the coming years, especially as investors are pouring funds into AI start-ups such as Covariant and Realtime Robotics, which aim to make robots more intelligent, independent, and better able to function in unstructured environments.”

Customisable robots will be the future of automation, according to GlobalData, as tailored robotic solutions can address multiple use cases. Furthermore, the lightweight design of the new generation of robots enables greater mobility and optimised maneuverability. Raveni makes the point that the idea behind the expansion of industrial robots is to prevent human workers from doing repetitive or dangerous tasks. Moreover, in countries where the workforce is aging, like Japan, co-bots and logistic robots increasingly populate factories. So, move over Terminator – industrial robots have arrived.

Ed Holden, editor