According to the latest IFR report, the global inventory of operating robots has reached a new record of about 3.9 million units. This demand is driven by a range of exciting technological innovations.
There is a growing trend in the use of artificial intelligence in robotics and automation. The advent of generative AI has opened up new solutions. This subset of AI is dedicated to creating something new from what has been learned through training and has been popularized by tools like ChatGPT. Robot manufacturers are developing generative AI-powered interfaces that allow users to program robots more intuitively by using natural language instead of **. Workers will no longer need specialized programming skills to select and adjust the robot's movements.
Another example is AI analyzing robot performance data to identify the future state of a device. **Sexual maintenance can save manufacturers money on machine downtime. In the auto parts industry, unplanned downtime per hour is estimated to cost $1.3 million, according to the Information Technology & Innovation** Conference. This shows that there is a huge potential for cost savings in the most important maintenance. Machine learning algorithms can also analyze data from multiple robots that perform the same process for optimization. In general, the more data a machine learning algorithm gets, the better it performs.
Human-robot collaboration continues to be a major trend in robotics. Rapid advances in sensors, vision technology, and smart grippers have enabled robots to respond to changes in their environment in real time to work safely alongside humans.
Cobot applications provide humans with a new tool to mitigate and support them. They can assist with tasks that require heavy lifting, repetitive movements, or working in hazardous environments.
The range of collaborative applications offered by robot manufacturers continues to expand.
Due to the lack of skilled welders, there has been a significant increase in the use of collaborative robot welding recently. This demand shows that automation is not creating a labor shortage, but rather providing a means to solve it. As a result, cobots will complement (rather than replace) investments in traditional industrial robots, which run much faster and are therefore still important for increasing productivity to cope with tight product margins.
New competitors are also entering the market, with a particular focus on cobots. Mobile manipulators are a combination of collaborative robot arms and mobile robots (AMRs) that offer new use cases that can dramatically expand the demand for cobots.
Mobile robots (MOMAS) are automating material handling tasks in industries such as automotive, logistics or aerospace. They combine the mobility of a robotic platform with the dexterity of a robotic arm. This allows them to navigate complex environments and manipulate objects, which is essential for manufacturing. These robots are equipped with sensors and cameras to perform inspection and maintenance tasks on machinery and equipment. One of the significant advantages of mobile manipulators is their ability to collaborate and support humans. There may be a shortage of skilled labor and a lack of employees for factory work.
Digital twin technology is increasingly being used as a tool to optimize the performance of physical systems by creating virtual replicas. As robots are increasingly digitally integrated in factories, digital twins can use their real-world operational data to run simulations and maximize possible outcomes. Because the twin exists purely as a computer model, it can be stress-tested and modified without creating safety hazards while also saving costs. All experiments can be examined before exposure to the physical world. Digital twins bridge the gap between the digital and physical worlds.
Robotics has made significant advances in humanoid robots that can perform a wide range of tasks in a variety of environments. The human-like design, with two arms and two legs, allows the robot to be used flexibly in the work environment created for humans. As a result, it can be easily integrated into existing warehouse processes and infrastructure.
China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology recently unveiled detailed targets for mass production of humanoid robots by 2025. MIIT**, humanoid robots could become another disruptive technology, similar to computers or smartphones, that could change the way factories produce goods and the way humans live.
The potential impact of humanoid robots on various fields makes it an exciting area of development, but their mass-market application remains a complex challenge. Cost is a key factor, and their success will depend on their return on investment, competing with proven robotic solutions such as mobile manipulators.
Marina Bill, President of the International Federation of Robotics, said: "The five mutually reinforcing automation trends of 2024 show that robotics is a multidisciplinary field where technologies are converging to create intelligent solutions for a wide range of tasks. "These advancements will continue to shape the convergent industrial and service robotics industry and the future of work. ”