IDC predicts 35% of leading organisations in the logistics, health, utilities and resources sector will explore the use of robots to automate operations by 2019.
The IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Robotics 2017 Predictions report highlighted 10 predictions and major robotics trends that are set to present opportunities and challenges to IT leaders in 2017 and beyond. They include:
1. Robot as a service: by 2019, 30% of commercial service robotic applications will be in the form of a robot-as-a-service business model, reducing costs for robot deployment
2.Introduction of the chief robotics officer role: 30% of leading organisations will implement a chief robotics officer role and/or define a robotics-specific function within the business by 2019
3.Evolving competitive landscape: companies will have a greater choice of vendors as new players enter the US$80 billion IT market to support robotics deployment by 2020
4. Robotics talent crunch: by 2020, robotics growth will leave 35% of robotics-related jobs vacant while the average salary increases by at least 60%
5. Robotics will face regulation: by 2019, governments will begin implementing robotics-specific regulations to preserve jobs and to address concerns of security, safety, and privacy
6.Software defined robot: 60% of robots will depend on cloud-based software to define new skills, cognitive capabilities, and application programs, leading to the formation of a robotics cloud marketplace by 2020
7. Collaborative robot: in two years, 30% of all new robotic deployments will be smart collaborative robots that operate three times faster than today's robots and are safe for work around humans.
8. Intelligent RoboNet: over the next four years, 40% of commercial robots will become connected to a mesh of shared intelligence, resulting in 200% improvement in overall robotic operational efficiency.
9. Growth outside the factory: 35% of leading organisations will explore how robots can be used to automate operations in the logistics, health, utilities and resources sectors
10. Robotics for e-commerce: by 2018, 45% of the 200 leading global e-commerce and omnichannel commerce companies will deploy robotic systems to streamline their order fulfilment warehousing and delivery operations.
“Technological development in artificial intelligence, computer vision, navigation, microelectromechanical systems, and semiconductor technologies continue to drive innovation in the capability, performance, autonomy, ease of use, and cost-effectiveness of industrial and service robots,” said Jing Bing Zhang, research director for Worldwide Robotics and Asia Pacific Manufacturing Insights at IDC Asia/Pacific. “We encourage end-user companies to embrace and assess how robotics can sharpen their company's competitive edge by improving quality, increasing operational productivity and agility, and enhancing experiences of all stakeholders.”
Share this story