From Niche to Mainstream
Basic factory robots have already been around for 40 years, but in the past they have been limited by their relatively high costs and restricted capabilities. However, a continued rise in computing power, along with a fall in computing costs, have meant that robots today are faster, more flexible and cheaper than ever before.
These advances have led automation and robotics to the cusp of widespread adoption across a vast range of manufacturing, commercial and consumer applications. We strongly believe we have just passed the chasm. In the next decade, we will see the mass of early adopters increasing exponentially.
Industry 4.0
Industrial Revolution
1800
Transportation
Revolution
1920 -1960
Computer & IT Revolution
1960 - 2010
Robotics,
Automation & AI Revolution
2010s - ?
3D Printing
Additive Manufacturing, (3D printing) has an increasing significance in the industrial manufacturing process. Over time, printers have evolved to become more efficient and sophisticated, allowing the ability to add color, various materials and vary the flexibility within the 3D printed object. RoboCap focuses on:
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3D Metal printing, which has been extensively used in jet and rocket engine manufacturing; and
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3D Plastic printing, which has been used in healthcare to create models of patient organs pre-surgery to assist surgeons in visualizing in anticipation of the procedure.
Associated photo: Carbon 3D printer shown during a TED conference.
Agricultural Robotics
Agriculture is one of the most interesting end markets for Robotics and Automation. Many tasks are repetitive and have low levels of deviation and variance, such as picking apples from an orchard or ploughing fields in different weather conditions.
The real complications comes with the 'selective' harvests, where to replicate a human, a robot would need to use sensors to individually choose which fruits are ready for harvest. We believe technologies to rival human labour are 5 to10 years away.
You can start seeing various systems of cameras integrated onto tractors or drones capable of inspecting fields to find sick leaves or weeds. This would enable the farmer to treat the plants before the sickness spreads, or target the weeds individually. This can reduce the use of pesticide for the farmer and yield healthier products for the consumer.
Associated photo: Case IH autonomous tractor from Autonomous Solutions Inc.
Artificial Intelligence
We believe there is a strong misunderstanding and a misuse of the term, a great disparity between the idea and what we actually see.
Most of the time, we are looking at machine learning (ML) and not AI. ML compares and optimizes a solution from huge datasets. This yields solutions for very complex problems that humans alone, or traditional algorithms struggle with. ML algorithms however are limited to the specific domains they were built for.
ML and AI are being introduced into the workforce as a collaborative role. They are not the final decision makers, but are used as another tool in a toolkit. For example, ML and computer vision has been extensively applied to radiology, and offers physicians more data and insight into making well informed decisions.
Associated photo: Microsoft AI Cloud Material
Autonomous Vehicles
One of the biggest robotics led economic and social changes in the near future will be the arrival of the fully autonomous (self-driving) vehicle. A world full of self driving cars, planes and boats is around the corner. The potential benefits are huge, ranging from a vast cut in automotive accident rates to more efficient cars themselves and greater mobility options for people of all ages at costs significantly reduced compared to today's price.
Billions are currently being invested into making autonomous cars and trucks a reality. Both traditional car makers such as BMW and Toyota and new entrants like Dyson and Apple are trying to catch the train currently led by Tesla and Google.
There are investment opportunities not only with the OEM's, but also with the new technology supply chain in software and artificial intelligence systems used to control the vehicles.
Associated photo: Waymo Jaguar Land Rover partnership autonomous vehicle
Collaborative Robots
Aka "Co-Bots" are smaller, lighter and cheaper than typical industrial robots, as they are made to work alongside humans.
You no longer need a programmer to set up these machines, you simply show the co-bot what you expect to be done. The co-bot then using its sensors reproduces the movements and even has capacity to take into consideration small variations of the task.
Most importantly co-bots have safety systems incorporated which allow them to work side-by-side with a human without the need for safety barriers. These properties make robotics a viable alternative even for small companies.
These robots are a perfect example of new systems that will be implemented in factories. Previously, manufacturers had to make a choice. Either, the high production process with no flexibility handled by machines, or the low production with a high flexibility handled by humans. Now they have an intermediate solution.
Associated photo: ABB YuMi collaborative robot
Consumer Robotics
Consumer robotics started entering our houses slowly 10 years ago. In 2010, home automation, a.k.a. domotics, became very popular, the concept of a connected home becoming increasingly appealing. It varied from having a control panel for your whole house, to a robot vacuum.
We are now encountering much more sophisticated systems. Some systems learn our behavior, and are capable to adapt from it, i.e. managing the temperature of your home with Nest. It allows us to reduce our electricity consumption and to increase our quality of life.
2017 Amazon made the news with the Amazon Key, a system that would automatically open the door for the person delivering your packages. Of course they have made sure this system is secured and involves a camera and a digital lock for your house.
Associated photo: iRobot Braava m6 autonomous mopping robot
Drones
The most common way we usually envision drones are for delivery of various goods and delivery in the medical industry.
Drones became known for the breathtaking cinematography they have enabled. However, they have other commercial and industrial applications. Our advisor and world renown expert, Dr. Mirco Kovac, sees a future where they will perform inspection, surveying and construction.
They will come in all shapes and sizes that can be deployed in water or in the air. They will work autonomously in environments which may be difficult to reach and/or are dangerous for humans to work in.
Dr. Kovac is envisioning a future where a swarm of robots could 3D print buildings. He is also working on drones capable of working both under water and in air. They will be used for construction, to monitor pollution and sea temperature or even help conduct search and rescue missions.
Associated photo: Cinematography drone, photo by Ville Hyvönen
Industrial Robotics
Robotics have and will continue to drive manufacturing costs down.
Worldwide about 10% of manufacturing tasks are automated with an average of 66 robots per 10,000 workers. This compares to the South Korean automotive industry who invested strongly in automation and has over 2,800 robots per 10,000 employees (International federation of Robots, data 2021).
The call for robotics and automation in the manufacturing industry is very strong. Modern industry faces rising wage bills, a shortage of skilled labour and the perennial need to cut waste and increase efficiency. With the falling cost of computing power and their increasing ability to adapt and perform more complicated tasks, robots are the long-term answer to many of the headwinds.
Associated photo: Tesla Model S automated factory line
Healthcare Robotics
Robotics is already making a big impact in the medical sector. Innovation ranges from robotic assisted surgical procedures, to automated pharmacies, to the use of AI in helping to diagnose and predict disease.
The global medical robotic systems market size was valued at USD 21.2 billion in 2022 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.9% from 2023 to 2030, according to Grand View Research.
They are already making a big impact with robotic assisted surgical systems such as Intuitive Surgical's Da Vinci System. This system takes the input from a surgeon at a console to manipulate robotic arms which can then perform minimally invasive operations. It has proven to result in faster recovery rates, fewer complications and fewer errors. There have been well over 3 million robot assisted surgeries before 2016. Every 15 seconds a procedure is started using a Da Vinci Robot.
The newer models have automated features. These include simple task, such as removing blood or stitching.
Associated photo: Da Vinci Xi laparoscopic surgical robot
Logistics
Industries around the world are seeking to increase the levels of automation within their supply chains, to decrease costs, increase flexibility and in some cases even offer customers a completely new set of services. Robotics and automation systems will be increasingly used in logistics from warehousing and order fulfilment to delivery.
The concept of automation in a warehouse is nothing new with various systems having been around for 30 years. However today's technology along with internet based ordering systems pioneered by companies such as Amazon and Ocado have seen an explosion in online shopping over the last 10 years. The concept has now firmly moved to food retail which accounts for 50% of retail spending globally but which brings its own unique challenges such as the need for refrigeration.
Associated photo: Ocado automated warehouse
Key Components
As in the industrial revolution, changes are sometimes scary, but they are always based on a new technology and are in need of new tools. As the number of autonomous systems increases rapidly throughout the world so does the need for components critical to their success.
As we have seen, many of the autonomous vehicles are using various sorts of sensors. One of the most popular is the Laser Radar or "lidar" (associated photo).
These technologies are not only used in autonomous vehicles. They are also used in areospace, drones, super computers and more.
Associated photo: Luminar Lidar
Software
You might wonder why we are talking about software when we spoke earlier about AI. We decided to make a differentiation between the 2 mainly because of the market size, the applications and the R&D investment level. You can find many cases of software that helps automate a company without any use of AI.
As soon as you add some level of AI it becomes a completely different product. If we take the example of a supermarket, a bar code and a scanner allowed to automate the cash register and to reduce the errors made when typing a price. Today, we find shops appearing without a cashier or a cash register. You can simply walk in, pick up the goods you would like and walk out. This is only one example.
Associated photo: Dassault Systems Solidworks computer aided design software with engine model