-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- design007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueMechatronics
Our expert contributors discuss the advent of mechatronics in PCB design, the challenges and opportunities this creates for circuit board designers, and the benefits—to the employee and the company—of becoming a mechatronics engineer.
Creating a Culture of Collaboration
PCB designers could learn quite a bit from NASA and the private companies that develop spacecraft: Every one of these vehicles is a testament to the value of collaboration among disparate stakeholders. Without a collaborative culture, the rocket might never get off the ground.
Breaking High-speed Material Constraints
Do you need specialty materials for your high-speed designs? Maybe not. Improvements in resins mean designers of high-speed boards can sometimes use traditional laminate systems. Learn more in this issue.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - design007 Magazine
Staff Shortage Boosts Service Robots – Sales Up 48%
October 12, 2023 | IFREstimated reading time: 2 minutes
The total number of service robots sold for professional use hit 158,000 units in 2022 - an increase of 48%. Shortage of staff is a strong driver for companies to automate.
“The service robot industry is developing at a fast pace,” says Marina Bill, President of the International Federation of Robotics. “Shortage of skilled workers and a lack of staff applying for service jobs boosts demand. IFR identified almost 1,000 service robot suppliers worldwide delivering autonomous services.”
Five top applications for professional service robots by units sold
Mobile robot solutions in transportation and logistics established a strong market share: more professional service robots were built for the transportation of goods or cargo, than any other function. Sales grew by 44% with more than 86,000 units sold in 2022. Robot sales for open indoor environments with public traffic were up 78% and reached almost 37,300 units. Many of these robots are intended for food and beverage delivery in restaurants.
Hospitality robots enjoy growing popularity: More than 24,500 units (+125%) were sold in 2022. Robots for mobile guidance, information, and telepresence account for most of these robots.
Sales of medical robots were down 4% to about 9,300 units. Almost 4,900 surgery robots (+5%) were sold, but sales of robots for rehabilitation and noninvasive therapy were down 16% to less than 3,200 robots.
Robotics sales in agriculture grew by 18% with almost 8,000 units shipped in 2022. More than 5,800 robots (+9%) were sold for agricultural tasks like milking and barn cleaning. The lack of human workforce in agricultural regions and demand for more sustainable agriculture make service robots a key player in this market.
The market for professional cleaning robots grew by 8% and reached almost 6,900 units sold. The main application is floor cleaning with 4,900 units sold – up 10%. This represents more than 70% of shipments in this application group.
Service robots for consumer use
Service robots for consumer use are produced for a mass market, which makes it a very different segment compared to service robots for professional use. Sales of robots for consumer use reached about 5.1 million units in 2022 vs. 158,000 units sold for professional use.
Today, we find the strongest consumer demand in areas of domestic household robots. Almost 4.9 million robots were sold in 2022. The most used application is indoor domestic floor cleaning with about 2.8 million robots sold. Robot vacuums are common in private households for many years now. Apart from cyclical volatility, IFR´s statistical department predicts growth potential in the low double-digit range over the next few years.
Like robot vacuums, gardening robots are already familiar in people´s daily live: Sales of lawn mowing robots reached 1.1 million units in 2022.
Social interaction and education robots are the second largest consumer application group with 157,000 units sold in 2022. While sales of education robots reached almost 104,000 units, shipments of social interaction and companion robots were reported with about 53,000 units.
Suggested Items
Celestica Announces Q2 2024 Financial Results
07/26/2024 | CelesticaCelestica Inc., a leader in design, manufacturing, hardware platform and supply chain solutions for the world's most innovative companies, announced financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2024 (Q2 2024)†.
Amphenol Reports Record Q2 2024 Results and Announces Dividend Increase
07/26/2024 | Amphenol CorporationThe Company continues to deploy its financial strength in a variety of ways to increase shareholder value. During the quarter, the Company purchased 3.1 million shares of its common stock for $190 million and paid dividends of $132 million, resulting in total capital returned to shareholders of more than $320 million.
Looking For That Perfect Job? Check Out jobCONNECT007
07/25/2024 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamThere are a lot of open positions in this industry today. But where do you begin to look? We have the answer: jobCONNECT007, your guide to career opportunities in the electronic industry. In jobCONNECT007, you’ll find job openings that span the entire circuit board supply chain. Whether you’re involved in design, fabrication, assembly, test, or material development or distribution, this handy resource can help you get on your way to a new gig.
Boeing Provides Digital Flight Operations Solution for Ryanair
07/25/2024 | BoeingBoeing and Ryanair, Europe's largest airline group, are elevating efficiency across Ryanair's fleet of primarily 737s with the addition of Boeing's Jeppesen FliteDeck Pro 5.0 electronic flight bag (EFB) solution.
Cicor Group Grows Significantly and Shows Robust Operational Performance in a Challenging Environment
07/24/2024 | CicorCicor Group has continued to grow significantly in the first half of 2024, advancing into the top tier of European electronics manufacturers. Net sales reached CHF 231.3 million, an increase of 16.1% compared to CHF 199.2 million for the first half of 2023.