Industrial robots are increasingly prevalent in production environments, storage facilities, and assembly lines globally. These sophisticated, programmable automatons are revolutionizing industrial activities, enhancing efficiency, and altering the employment landscape across numerous industries.

The deployment of industrial robots has surged notably in the past few years. Reports by Statista indicate that the international market for industrial robots is valued at an impressive US$55 billion, with over 2

Robotic systems are increasingly prevalent in global manufacturing hubs, storage facilities, and production lines. These sophisticated, programmable entities are revolutionizing the way industries operate, enhancing efficiency, and altering the employment landscape across various sectors.

The industrial robot sector has seen a significant surge in recent years. Reports by Statista indicate that the industry is valued at an impressive US$55 billion, with over 2.7 million robots active in production settings worldwide. While China dominates the market with 52% of the world’s robot installations, other major economies such as the United States, Germany, Japan, and South Korea are rapidly integrating robots into their industries.

The automotive sector has been instrumental in propelling the growth of industrial robotics, with car manufacturers heavily depending on these machines for welding, painting, and assembling vehicles. However, the influence of robotics extends beyond automotive to electronics, semiconductor production, food processing, logistics, and even certain construction tasks.

The warehousing and logistics domain, in particular, has witnessed a robotics boom. Robots are now integral to managing inventory, sorting orders, stacking pallets, and streamlining repetitive operations throughout the supply chain. Online retail behemoths like Amazon are leading this charge, pouring investments into robotic-driven distribution centers to meet the increasing demands of online consumers.

Amazon disclosed last year that it began piloting humanoid robotic technologies at its R&D facility aimed at automating monotonous tasks. Building on its prior ventures into robotics, the company initiated trials with Digit, a bipedal robot capable of handling and lifting objects, developed through its collaboration with Agility Robotics. Initially, Digit is being tested to relocate empty storage bins, a task characterized by its high repetitiveness.

Amazon and Agility Robotics: Warehouse robotics

Amazon has initiated trials of anthropomorphic robotic systems at its robotics R&D facility, where over three-quarters of a million robots are in operation. These advanced robots are designed to handle monotonous duties and to assist human workers by working alongside them.

“Digit can move, grasp, and handle items in spaces and corners of warehouses in novel ways,” Amazon said in a statement. “Its size and shape are well suited for buildings that are designed for humans.

“We believe there is a big opportunity to scale a mobile manipulator solution, such as Digit, which can work collaboratively with employees.”

Agility Robotics has developed a humanoid robot named Digit, which exhibits more fluid and dynamic movements compared to typical robots. Equipped with a bipedal structure and a multitude of sensors, Digit is adept at traversing intricate settings. Its dimensions and configuration are particularly tailored for tasks in the logistics sector.

“We built Digit to solve difficult problems in today’s workforce like injuries, burnout, high turnover and unfillable labour gaps, with the ultimate vision of enabling humans to be more human,” said Damion Shelton, co-founder and CEO of Agility Robotics. “When you’re building new technology to make society better, the most important milestone is when you’re able to mass produce that technology at a scale where it can have a real, widespread impact.”

The increasing integration of industrial robots into various sectors is becoming more prevalent.

The increasing utilization of industrial robots can be attributed to various influences. Improvements in sensor technology, computational abilities, and artificial intelligence have enhanced the proficiency, adaptability, and ease of use of robots. Additionally, the scarcity of labor and escalating salaries in several nations are prompting businesses to increase automation of their operations. The COVID-19 pandemic has also underscored the robustness and productivity advantages of robots, hastening the adoption of automation across a wide range of sectors.

Furthermore, the recent progression in deep learning technologies has empowered robots to undertake more intricate functions. A growing consensus among industry experts suggests that the robotics sector is on the brink of a significant expansion.

“We have many partners developing applications using AI to allow our robots to perform more complex and diverse functions,” comments Anders Billesø Beck, Vice President of Strategy and Innovation at Universal Robots. “For example, AI allows robots to have human-like perception, handle variation, move parts precisely, adapt to changing environments, and learn from their own experience.

“With time, these capabilities will lead to unprecedented flexibility, quality and reliability in manufacturing.”

Robotics and the workforce

The rise of industrial robotics also raises important questions about the future of work. As robots take on an expanding range of manual and cognitive tasks, there are concerns about job displacement, particularly for low-skill workers. Governments and businesses will need to grapple with the social and economic implications, including the need for retraining and reskilling programs.

But proponents argue that industrial robotics will also create new types of skilled jobs, from robot programming and maintenance to data analysis and process optimisation. They say robots can free up human workers to focus on higher-value, more rewarding tasks. And by boosting productivity and competitiveness, robotics could help secure a country’s manufacturing base and create new economic opportunities.

The general consensus is that robots will work with, rather than against, humans. However, the need for robust training and upskilling programmes for human employees is still a must for businesses.

As robots become increasingly more developed, businesses must have a clear AI strategy in place. Likewise, all employees must fully understand the strategies and corporate goals in place in order to work better alongside robots.

According to Chris Roberts, Head of Industrial Robotics at Cambridge Consultants, the landscape today is less as robotics changing the workforce, and more that the workforce is changing robotics.

“Previously we’d only see robotics and automation deployed where the tasks were extremely repetitive – and hence easy to automate – and done at a large scale (so high volume) because this was the only point where the cost of automation outweighed the cost of cheap labour.

“Now, though, with the rise of the digital economy, people are choosing not to take up jobs that are dirty or exhausting – for example, people who would previously work as migrant labour in the fields are now employed in call centres, fulfilment, or similar warm, dry environments.  This means there is more of a financial incentive to tackle harder, more expensive automation challenges. The choice is less “shall we do this with people or robots?” and more “shall we do this with robots or not at all?”.

“This change in the available workforce is driving robots to become more sophisticated, capable of more complex tasks and deployed in a wider variety of environments.   The impact on the human workforce is likely to be disruptive, as new tasks get automated, and while that might cause short term pain, as previous opportunities get closed off, long term, I see this as an overall positive, as the jobs we need people to do become more creative and fulfilling, whereas automation handles the dangerous and the drudgery.  By playing to the individual strengths of people and machines like this, we inevitably increase productivity, achieving more with the same number of people.”