Tech

Professional service robots ‘earned’ $2.6bn in 2015-Report

Professional service robots are now replacing human workers around the world, as revenue from service robots reached $2.6 billion,  according to a new report from IHS Markit, a world leader in critical information, analytics and solutions.

The report reveals professional service robots had about 20,000 units shipped in 2015 as it is increasingly doing jobs formerly handled by human workers.

The emerging market for professional service robots is forecast to increase very quickly, with a unit-shipment compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 46 percent, from 2015 to 2020, the report stated.

According to the latest IHS Markit Service Robots and Drones Report, automated agricultural machinery is gradually replacing the work formerly handled by farmers. Demand for service robots has increased considerably, especially for agricultural processes like seeding, planting, harvesting, pruning, weeding, picking, sorting, spraying and materials handling.

After 2020, the global market for professional service robot markets will grow even faster, with more robots moving from prototype to commercialization in various applications, according to the IHS Markit report.

Wilmer Zhou, senior analyst, manufacturing technology, IHS Markit said, “The various demands on the professional service applications are multi-billion dollar opportunity for the professional service robot markets. The agriculture industry, logistics, medical and care, and domestic help are the early adoption industries for professional service robots.”

According to the latest IHS Markit Service Robots and Drones Report, automated agricultural machinery is gradually replacing the work formerly handled by farmers. Demand for service robots has increased considerably, especially for agricultural processes like seeding, planting, harvesting, pruning, weeding, picking, sorting, spraying and materials handling.

In the logistics sector, the report says service robots have been largely deployed in automatic warehouses. Exemplified by Amazon’s recent acquisition of Kiva Robotics, large companies are very active in investing in logistics and automated warehouse applications, to reduce the number of workers and increase efficiency.

The medical and healthcare industries are making great progress in service robot deployment, according to the report. It says that with surgical robot prices falling, and their use in medical operation tasks growing, the medical industry will continue to be one of the fastest growth sectors for robots.

As the global population ages especially in Japan, Germany and other developed countries, demand for domestic help robots is also growing, the report added.

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Ihesiulo Grace

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