3 Key Robotics Applications

Inspection robots, unlike humans, are designed to maneuver through tight spaces and operate in hazardous settings with high pressure or temperature.

FREMONT, CA: The worldwide robots market is predicted to surpass 100 billion dollars in the next five years, outpacing projected growth rates year after year.The growth in demand is being fueled by falling prices, improved safety and performance, and more compatible components and software. Furthermore, advances in other fields, such as machine vision, haptics, and speech technology, are converging with robotic technology, broadening the range of applications and activities that robots may accomplish.

Robots and artificial intelligence will become an ever more fundamental part of people's daily lives as they continue to permeate new industries. Understanding these novel use cases, as well as the technologies that enable them, provides insight into the expected future paths and challenges for firms aiming to lead the robotics revolution.

The main segments within robotics are as below:

1. Field Robots

Field robot sales have increased by 8 percent in the past year, accounting for approximately 4 percent of all professional service robot sales. Drones can be used to survey fields from above to assess crop yields and health, or to herd or search for animals in this segment. Meanwhile, harvesting robots use advanced vision algorithms and statistical analytics to evaluate crop loads, cultivate, and harvest produce, including grapevine pruning, lettuce thinning, and berry picking automation.

1. Inspection Robots

Robotic inspection and maintenance solutions have grown in popularity in recent years, driven mostly by the demand for transportable, automated examination of high-value infrastructure in the oil and gas industry. Inspection robots, unlike humans, are designed to maneuver through tight spaces and operate in hazardous settings with high pressure or temperature. They can also take photos from structures in real time, allowing for more proactive maintenance and outage planning.

1. Medical Robots

Medical robots account for 30 percent of the industry's revenues, with a market value 3.7 billion dollars, although accounting for a modest percentage of professional service robot sales. Surgical robots provide for minimally invasive access to difficult-to-reach anatomical areas. They can also be more exact than surgeons and reduce fatigue, especially when performing repetitive activities such as suturing, resulting in fewer errors.

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