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Robotics
Overview of the global foundry and forging robots market
Market research analysts at Technavio have predicted that the global foundry and forging robots market will grow steadily at a CAGR of more than 7% by 2020. This market research analysis identifies the growing need to reduce the overall operational costs of companies as one of the primary growth factors for this market. The adoption of industrial robots, such as foundry and forging robots, is an excellent technique to reduce operational costs as they do not require additional expenditures like training, healthcare, and compensations. Also, the margin of error is virtually low, which reduces wastage of resources. Moreover, the robots can function in harsh conditions with minimum heat and lighting, which helps in reducing the overall requirement of energy. They are faster in the production process and can also ensure the assured and prompt delivery of goods and services.
The demand for multipurpose robotic systems is considered to be one of the major trends that will gain traction in this market in the coming years. End-users are already seeking efficient devices that can execute numerous variable functions. Multipurpose robots that are capable of several activities such as welding, machine tending, assembling, packaging, dispensing, material handling, and material removing will not only reduce the overall expenditure but will also improve production and ensure a higher efficiency.
Competitive landscape and key vendors
The market is characterized by the presence of several established international robot manufacturers who generate revenues through both direct and indirect sales. Indirect sales take place with the help of local representatives, certified distributors or dealers, contractors
Outlook of the global R&D spending in the robotics industry
Technavio’s market research analyst predicts the global R&D spending in the robotics industry to grow at a CAGR of around 17% during the forecast period. Recently, it has been observed that robots have become necessary in every industry that uses production processes and systems. Consequently, government and manufacturers from across the globe are increasing their R&D spending to develop technologies that will enhance the functionality and efficiency of these robots. In the healthcare and defense sectors, the demand for sophisticated robotics technology is rapidly increasing. This increase in the demand for sophisticated robotics technology will augment the total R&D spending, which in turn will result in market growth during the forecast period.
In terms of geography, the APAC region dominates this market and is envisaged to grow at a CAGR of around 5% during the forecast period. The high adoption rate of robots in industries like automotive, electricals and electronics, and food and beverage will bolster the overall R&D spending in this region.
Segmentation by vendor type and analysis of R&D spending in the robotics industry
- Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)
- Venture capitalist
In this market study, analysts have estimated the OEM segment to account for more than 60% of the total market share during the forecast period. The OEMs invest about 4%-12% of their overall sales revenue in R&D for specific or generic research. The extensive use of robots in various industries has pushed manufacturers to invest extensively in the R&D of application-specific products.
End-user segmentation of R&D spending in the robotics industry
- Defense
Overview of the global packaging robots market
Technavio’s market research analyst predicts the global packaging robots market to grow at a CAGR of more than 9% by 2020. Packaging robots, such as selective compliance assembly robot arm (SCARA) and Delta robots, are flexible and can be quickly programmed to adapt to new production lines. The use of these robots enable less margin of error in operations compared to manual labor and they do not require any supervision. Also, these robots reduce product failure and wastage, and their adoption enables companies to minimize direct and overhead costs. The technological growth and ROI make packaging robots an attractive investment for the organization. Packaging robots help the industries to improve their production process by minimizing wastage and downtime of the plants. These robots are best suitable for dull, repetitive and dangerous jobs, and can operate at a faster pace than humans.
According to this market analysis, one of the most interesting trends gaining popularity in the market is the growing use of collaborative robots or cobots in packaging applications. Cobots are inexpensive and economical as they provide automation in packaging solutions and are designed to operate collaboratively with humans. These robots are flexible to operate, easier to train and can function in isolation without any infrastructure. Cobots are equipped with advanced sensors to acknowledge the presence of a person and his location, so when the person moves away, the robot automatically resumes normal operation. Collaborative robots are lightweight, easy to program and control, and they cost considerably less than their traditional counterparts.
Competitive landscape and key vendors
The packaging robots
Overview of the global parallel robots market
Market research analysts at Technavio have predicted that the global parallel robots market will grow steadily at a CAGR of almost 6% by 2020. Originally developed for low payload applications such as packaging, Delta robots are now being employed in the food processing industry as they can sort and pack all kinds of foods, including fine chocolates and pizzas. Delta robots with larger multi-axis are more suitable for picking eggs, chocolates, candies, and small pieces of meats from conveyors belts. They are smaller and faster than Cartesian robot and will soon find more applications in the upstream processes of food and beverage manufacturing plants. Moreover, as these robots are easy to clean and maintain, they offer enhanced productivity, strictly adherence to hygiene standards, and can also use sharp knives with high precision, which are significant features for their increased deployment in the food processing industry.
Delta robots are currently used in the manufacturing industry as advanced control arms with limited sensing capabilities to carry out structured and repetitive tasks. However, technological advancements in the future and the development of advanced sensors, hardware, and software will result in the introduction of delta robots that are more intelligent and autonomous in their capabilities. The adoption of the Internet of Things (IOT) will enable manufacturers control and monitor the operation of delta robots through smart devices from remote locations. This in turn, will result in the increased speed of operations, decreased manufacturing costs, improved product quality
Global outlook of the smart robots market
Market research analysts at Technavio have predicted that the global smart robots market will grow significantly at an impressive CAGR of about 21% by 2020. Countries around the globe are witnessing a rapid decrease in the availability of agricultural and unskilled industrial labor, which has led to an exponential increase in human labor costs. Countries such as China are on the verge of crossing the Lewis Turning Point. The year-on-year growth rate for minimum monthly wage in China was estimated to be about 25% and this contributed to the adoption of robotic systems such as industrial robots across numerous manufacturing plants in the region. In the coming years, industries across the globe are expected to concentrate on reducing production costs and this will lead to an increased adoption of factory robots and the implementation of IIoT (industrial internet of things).
E-commerce and logistic companies are constantly deducing techniques to reduce product delivery cost and time. Companies such as Amazon and DHL have started implementing UAV or drone delivery system for product delivery. Additionally, DHL is making steady advancements in the drone delivery system and is currently testing drones for different applications, such as medication delivery, flying blood samples across a river, and a parcel delivery system that can deliver packages in less than ten minutes. Advancements in technology will lead to the development of efficient
Outlook for the global entertainment robots market
According to Technavio’s market research analysts, the global market for entertainment robots will grow profoundly at a CAGR of over 20% during the estimated period. Robots that have been developed for utilitarian purpose in domestic settings to entertain humans, especially children, elderly, guests, or clients are known as entertainment robots. Much of this market’s growth can be attributed to the ability of entertainment robots to teach and reinforce science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) skills to children. Since these robots have been developed to impart critical-thinking, problem-solving, reasoning, and spatial skills to children, their demand among parents and trainers will increase significantly over the next few years.
The development of entertainment robots with high artificial intelligence (AI) will be the key trend driving the growth prospects for this market. High R&D investments in the field of robotic technology have led to the development of robots with AI. Recently, many manufacturers have been trying to develop humanoid robots with advanced technologies as they can connect with humans easily. As a result, technologies like voice recognition and proprietary algorithms that can detect the human's emotions from their expression are being implemented in robots. With the help of such algorithms, robots can learn to respond to preset commands as well as adapt to responses as required.
Product-based segmentation and analysis of the entertainment robots market
- Robotic toys
- Educational robots
- Robotic companion pets
In this market research, analysts have estimated the robotic toys product segment to be the largest market segment during the forecast period. The ability of robotic toys to mimic human perception, and perform activities like dancing, moving,
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Robotics as a technology has emerged primarily in the industrial, healthcare, consumer, and defense sectors. Thanks to enhancements in robotics technology and the development of industry-specific robots, this equipment is now accepted to varying degrees in all major sectors.
Recently, healthcare has emerged as the most promising sector for the robotics industry. Robotics are predominately used in drug manufacturing, material handling, patient and drug monitoring, physical therapy, and clinical procedures. The precision and accuracy with which these robots handle clinical procedures has paved the way for the development of patient-specific service robots in the healthcare sector.
