Report: Global use of service robots for professional use up 25%

Sales value of servicerobotsfor professional use grew 14% to a record $4.6 billion while the total number of robots sold increased by 25% in 2015.

In the latest report from theInternational Federation of Robotics(IFR), the organization says that by 2019, sales could increase to a total value of $23 billion in the period 2016-2019, with logistic systems making up 53% of the total forecast of service robots in the segment.

"The demand for service robots is seeing a historic breakthrough", says Joe Gemma, President of the International Federation of Robotics, "In addition to the already established business with professional service robots the personal and domestic segment is increasingly dynamic. Growth forecasts between 2016 and 2019 are just excellent.”

Within the service robots for professional use fields, robots were used in applications includingmedical,agricultural, logistics, and defense. In all three of the top groups, growth is expected from 2016-2019. In the medical segment—which includes diagnosis, surgical assistance, and rehabilitation—sales value is expected to rise to $7.2 billion. In agriculture, particularly aided by the rise in usage of milking robots, an increase of up to $5.7 billion is expected. In logistics—with automated guided vehicles accounting for the majority share—a sales value of $5.3 billion is expected. Overall, from the period 2016-2019, the market for professional use service robots is expected to rise to a total of $23 billion.

On the service robots for personal and domestic use side, robots are typically being deployed for household cleaning and entertainment, as well as toys and hobbies. Household robots—including vacuum cleaners, lawn mowers, and window cleaners—make up the largest segment. In 2015, 3.7 million of these robots were sold, which represented an 11% increase compared to 2014. From 2016-2019, sales are expected to reach 31 million units, which would be a sales value of $13 billion for the period. Additionally, entertainment robots are expected to see a growth in sales from 1.7 million units in 2015 to 11 million units from 2016-2019, for a sales value of approximately $9 million.

View the IFRpress release on the figures.

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