Industrial mobile robotics has become a powerful automation tool and the deployment of industrial manufacturing robots continues to increase. The latest report provided by the IFR ‘World Robotics - Industrial Robots 2023', presents very positive results for industrial robotics in terms of annual sales volume. Its statistics show that, in 2022, the annual sales volume of robot units grew by 5% (+ 553,052 industrial robots sold) more than in 2021. According to the same report, the stock of operational robots increased to 3,903,633 units, 12% more than in2021, and the value of robot installations grew to $15.8 billion, 4% more than in 2021.

1️⃣ TOP INDUSTRIES ADOPTING INDUSTRIAL ROBOTS IN 2024

The current moment of unprecedented social transformation and technological evolution at a global level entails changes in the manufacturing and supply processes of goods, products and services. Therefore, although the sectors that have historically acquired the most industrial robots remain the same, there is an increase in new industries that are betting on robotics as an automation tool.

The sectors with the greatest demand for industrial robots worldwide are the automotive, electronics and metal sectors, mainly to automate handling and welding operations.

Although these are historically the most automated industries, 2022 also saw strong growth in the chemical and plastics industries, as well as the food and beverage industry.

Throughout Robotnik's history in the industrial robotics sector, it is perceived that more and more new industries are starting automation processes using mobile robotics. An example of industrial robots in emerging sectors such as last mile delivery, e-commerce, agriculture or inspection and surveillance.

2️⃣APPLICATIONS OF MOBILE INDUSTRIAL ROBOTS: FROM MANUFACTURING TO AGRICULTURE
It is a fact that today's companies not only want to be competitive but also sustainable.

The Robotnik team continues to work to develop increasingly intelligent and flexible mobile industrial robots so that companies can adapt to fluctuating changes in demand. In addition, industrial manufacturing robots reduce the operational footprint, help reduce waste and are a tool for energy efficiency, thanks to their adaptability.

The range of applications of industrial robots is expanding year after year, as related technologies are enhanced. These are some examples of industrial robotics applications:

◼️Inspection and Maintenance: Mobile robots equipped with high-precision sensors such as RB-WATCHER perform precise inspections in industrial environments, identifying anomalies in equipment, infrastructure or products. They can also continuously monitor environmental conditions, such as temperature, humidity or pollution levels.
◼️Transportation of materials: One of the most common industrial robot applications is material transport in manufacturing or warehouse logistics environments, both indoors and outdoors. These robots can transport heavy loads along predefined routes or dynamically adapt to changes in plant layout.
◼️Mobile Manipulation: The main advantage of mobile handling robots is the possibility that the industrial robotic arm can perform part and material handling tasks at different locations within the same facility. This mobility makes for flexibility and avoids the costly fixed installations of industrial robotic arms.
◼️Last Mile Delivery: Autonomous robots streamline package distribution in urban areas, navigating sidewalks and streets with precision. They integrate tracking and route planning systems to guarantee fast deliveries. Its ability to deliver directly to end recipients improves logistics efficiency. Industrial automation and robotics in this final stage of the supply chain significantly optimize the customer experience.
◼️Agriculture: Another example of industrial robots occurs in the agricultural sector. Autonomous robots automate tasks such as planting, harvesting, watering and pest control. Accurate monitoring of the state of the crop contributes to more sustainable and profitable production. Equipped with specialized tools, such as robotic arms and vision systems, they operate with precision on uneven outdoor terrain.
◼️Construction and Infrastructure: The automation in the construction industry has increased in the last 3 years. Construction robots perform tasks such as pouring concrete, cutting and welding of materials or inspection of civil infrastructures. They operate in hazardous or difficult-to-access environments, reducing the risk to human workers. They streamline the construction process and accelerate project completion time. Here You can find industrial robot types for construction environments.


3️⃣INNOVATIONS IN INDUSTRIAL MOBILE ROBOTS: AI AND AUTOMATION
Industrial mobile robotics keeps advancing both in terms of innovation and efficiency, driving not only manufacturing automation but in almost every sector.

The annual reports ‘World Robotics - IndustrialRobots'record annual sales growth rates of 7%. Taking into account the adverse socioeconomic factors of recent years (Covid 19 pandemic, chip shortage, economic crises, etc.), the fact that industrial robotics continues to grow is a clear indicator of its potential.

Innovation in industrial robotics involves smarter, faster, more efficient and, most importantly, more accessible.

◼️Advanced Perception: Recent advances in perception technologies, such as computer vision and 3D image processing, have significantly improved the ability of mobile robots to understand their environment. This allows them to detect and recognize objects, avoid obstacles and plan optimal routes more accurately.
◼️Autonomous Navigation: Autonomous navigation algorithms have evolved to allow mobile robots to make real-time decisions while moving in complex and dynamic environments.
◼️Integration of Multimodal Sensors: Multimodal Sensor Integration: industrial robot design already includes multimodal sensors that do not rely solely on one type of sensory input (such as vision or sound) but can combine data from different types of sensors to gain a more complete understanding of their environment.
◼️Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: The integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms allows industrial manufacturing robots to automate tasks in a more intelligent and reasoned way. This includes the ability to automatically optimize your movement trajectories, improve precision in manipulation tasks or perform predictive diagnostics.


4️⃣THE FUTURE OF INDUSTRIAL ROBOTICS: EMERGING APPLICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGIES
The main challenge of industry 4.0 robots is the human-robot collaboration.

More and more applications use collaborative robotic arms or collaborative mobile platforms. Although some of these applications are not yet commercially robust, much of the R&D work is focused precisely on this.

Innovation in sensors and vision technologies give rise to intelligent safety systems that allow robots to respond in real time to changes in their environment and thus work safely alongside human workers.

Some examples of Collaborative applications of robotics in manufacturing include assembly, machine feedings, painting, gluing, welding, injection, screwing, stamping, labeling, Pick and Place or polishing.

In addition, collaborative robotics is more accessible to companies of any size: it makes the automation of small or variable production runs economically viable and helps large manufacturers who must respond to a demand for personalized production.

◼️The trend that prevents IFR data shows that process automation through industrial mobile robotics continues to be profitable for companies, especially for factory automation, helping to optimize processes, speed up times and provide valuable help to workers.
◼️The use and advancement of Artificial Intelligence offers the robotics industry an important opportunity to respond more efficiently to customer needs.
◼️The evolution of vision, spatial perception, software and even end-effector technologies for a diversified range of tasks is increasing the return on investment for manufacturers.
◼️The digitalization of production is a key requirement that responds to the new production logic, moving away from the traditional assembly line.
◼️Sustainability will also be a boost for today's robotics: modern robots are energy efficient, thus directly reducing the energy consumption of production. Thanks to its greater precision, errors and waste are minimized, which has a positive impact on the relationship between the contribution of resources and production.