The Decade of Industrial Robotics and Upcoming Trends in 2020

Robots did not have a great time in the business sector.

13:23 11 February 2020

Over the past few years they have faced a lack of complex skill set and were often fired for interrupting business growth. The good news is that things have drastically changed since then. 

The robotics industry is expected to become one of the most influential businesses in manufacturing. The entire market is expected to reach a size of $34 billion by 2025. 

There are few trends that are worth keeping an eye on. Let’s go through the ones that will make a difference and an impact to your business. 

Cobots vs industrial robots battle is over 

The debate about cobots vs industrial robots will be over by the end of 2020, as technologies emerge in order for these types to collaborate. The decision on the user will be less about the type of robot they want and more to do with the application process. It will be assessed whether a human worker is needed to guide the process and how fast the process should be implemented. 

As a case study and an example of this, we will look at Japan's latest efforts in robotics for the upcoming 2020 Summer Olympics. Games will include assistive robotics for the country’s aging population. We expect to see many humanoid robots that will assist guests on the info about different venues, giving directions and serving refreshments. 

Stevie the robot is a recent example that shows how revolutionary this approach is in the health and day care sector. This robot starts a new era in the interaction between humans and robots. From helping the medical staff, to entertaining the residents and hosting bingo games- he is designed to be a reliable friend with a great sense of humour. Online bingo game providers and the rise of these new bingo sites that are rich and interactive in their content will definitely try to keep up with the novelty that this robot brings. 

The media will surely cover the positive and negative side of this news, but overall, we think robotics will get a boost in awareness thanks to this event. 

Cloud Robots 

Every step today is becoming integrated and automated, and robots are not an exception.

"The Cloud" is a term used to describe software and services on a global network, operating off the internet and allowing users to access information on any device. Servers are designed to store and manage data, run applications and deliver information. 

Cloud robotics allows higher levels of human-robot interaction and contributes to the digital transformation of companies. This level of human-robot assistance is called supervised autonomy. Being in the cloud enables the developers to support the platforms. They know everything about robots and can support customers globally at every moment. However, the supervised autonomy is giving the robot a task, not a direct command. The robot itself will figure out the optimal safe route for doing the task and will avoid obstacles along the way. Engineers don’t want people to have complete control over the robot for safety reasons. A human error or the abuse of power can make the difference between driving the robot into a wall or a person. 

Adoption of AI and sensors in manufacturing 

For years, engineers have invested a lot of money in sensor and data technology. This is a time where investments and advancements in analytics and AI would come together. For example, after years of research, trial and error, people can see driverless cars on the roads. AI can be applied to vehicles, drones and warehouse robotics. As robotic automation is gaining in popularity, the need for open automation architecture would increase. With this, companies would soon invest in a new type of infrastructure. 

For instance, driverless cars will need advanced laser scanners to navigate roads and streets, especially in winter when lanes may be covered in snow. Smart sensors can help utilize electricity more efficiently and gather useful data to help humans. Apart from all of this, the incorporation of sensors in 3D cameras would offer more precision on capacitive skins around robots, in order to make them more touch-sensitive. 

It is not rocket science to figure out that robotic automation would disrupt the manufacturing sector, but it would still take a few years to see robots operating with their full potential. However, with the implementation of these innovative and adaptive technologies such as cloud computing and AI, the future seems bright for industrial robotics, and their era has just begun.