Top 5 Robotics Trends for 2022 and Beyond

According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), the operational stock of industrial robots hit a new record of about 3 million units worldwide – increasing by 13% on average each year (2015-2020). To get more news about Robots as a Service, you can visit glprobotics.com official website.

The demand for robotic systems is growing in many sectors because companies are looking for new ways to increase their productivity in a post-pandemic world, according to Milton Guerry, President of the IFR:Automation has indeed helped businesses during the pandemic, and has also helped many companies get back to business after the crisis and prepare for the next one, explained Dr. Susanne Bieller, General Secretary of the IFR:

According to the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), robot orders in the United States in the third quarter of 2021 were up 35% compared to the same period in 2020. Over half of the orders were from non-automotive sectors, while the applications of automation systems have traditionally been in the automotive industry.

New markets that are quite new to automation such as retail, logistics and e-commerce are currently adopting mobile robots. For example, thousands of units are being deployed in warehouses worldwide today which was not the case five years ago.

Of course, COVID-19 has had an impact. The pandemic accelerated e-commerce and this trend won’t be stopping in 2022. According to ABI Research, over half a million mobile robots are expected to be shipped to waterhouses globally by 2030.
It is not surprising that Boston Dynamics’s newly released Stretch is specifically designed for warehouse and distribution operations. And it is also not surprising that all units have already sold out for 2022! It is a sign that the demand for automation solutions is increasing in this segment.

The use of automation systems could also increase this year to address labor shortages in certain industries. Businesses that rely on service workers, such as restaurants, and that are unable to fill job openings, could invest in humanoid waiters. Pepper robots are for example being deployed in the hospitality industry and working very effectively.
02. Robots Will Be More Affordable and Easier to Use
A few years ago, implementing programmable robots meant investing a lot of money and time. But democratization is accelerating. New generations of robots that are smaller and more affordable are being developed with the aim of easing implementation. ABB’s SWIFTI™ and Universal Robots’s cobots are good affordable solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Manufacturers are also developing new types of robots with either simple setup and installation or even no programming at all. For the IFR, “there is also a clear trend towards user interfaces that allow simple icon-driven programming and the manual guidance of robots.” KUKA, for example, has been developing Ready_2 that can be taught instead of being programmed, such as. By eliminating the need for any special training in code or programming, such solutions contribute to removing many of the barriers that previously prevented companies from investing in robots.
04. Robots Will Play a Role in the EV Revolution
The electric vehicle revolution is about to bring massive changes to the automotive industry. While producing combustion-engine vehicles requires traditional linear manufacturing, manufacturing EVs will necessitate moving to a more modular, flexible production process to meet customers’ demands and expectations.
05. Robotic Training Will Be Increasingly Necessary
As the use of robots is undoubtedly increasing in the workplace, whether it is in a factory, a hotel or a hospital, the IFR believes human workers will need to be trained to work alongside them. In order to build a successful automated future, providing automation education to students at an early stage will be key.

Several manufacturers like ABB, FANUC and KUKA have already engaged in and developed robot classes that gather between 10,000 and 30,000 participants from 30 countries every year.