From: Jurriaan Bendien (adsl675281@telfort.nl)
Date: Mon May 12 2008 - 07:02:51 EDT
Worldwide: almost 1 million robots The IFR Statistical Department estimates that there are now over 951,000 robots in operation worldwide. Almost 50% of these are in Asia, a third in Europe, and 16% in North America. Australasia and Africa each share about 1% of the total. 2007: growth of 10% The IFR Statistical Department forecasts that in 2007, around 10% more industrial robots will be sold worldwide than in 2006. In Europe, rising demand has already been registered, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe, Germany and Italy. Investments by the automotive industry have rebounded after two years of restraint. The trend towards further automation is also noticeable in all other industries. Competition within the automotive industry will drive robot sales to this sector in North America. Robot sales in Japan should also increase. In China, demand will continue to increase, though at a slightly more moderate rate. Demand in India, the ASEAN countries, and South America will increase at an above average rate, however, a stagnation in sales is expected in the Republic of Korea. The Future: robust growth Between 2008 and 2010, robust growth of around 4% per annum is anticipated. Growth in sales to the automotive industry will slow, however, the efforts by robot producers to provide robotics solutions to industries outside the automotive have already led to increased demand from general industry, and this will surely continue in the next few years. At the end of 2010 it is thought that the total number of operational robots will reach 1.2 million units worldwide. Service Robots Up to the end of 2006 about 40,000 service robots for professional use were installed worldwide. With more than 9,000 units the service robots in defense, rescue and security applications accounted for the highest share of the total number of service robots for professional use installed up to the end of 2006. The unmanned aerial and ground-based vehicles for military use are the most established professional robots. Thereafter follow milking robots, underwater systems, pool cleaning robots, demolition systems for the construction industry, robot assisted surgery and mobile platform for general use. Turning to the projections for the period 2007-2010, the stock of service robots for professional use is forecast to increase by some 35,500 units. Application areas with strong growth are military applications, field robots, cleaning robots, medical robots and mobile robot platforms for multiple use. About 3.5 million service robots for personnel/domestic use were sold up to 2006. So far, service robots for personal and domestic use are mainly in the areas of domestic (household) robots, which include vacuum cleaning and lawn-mowing robots, and entertainment and leisure robots, including toy robots, hobby systems and education and training robots. Robots for handicap assistance have not yet taken off as could be expected given their potential in regard to both the supposable need and the existing technological level of the equipment. In a longer perspective, say in the next 10 years, and taking into account demographic shifts and advances in technology, assistive robots for disabled and handicapped persons are certain to be a key area for service robots. Important research institutions are focussing on developing prototypes of this kind of robot. It is projected that sales of all types of domestic robots (vacuum cleaning, lawn-mowing, window cleaning and other types) in the period 2007-2010 could reach some 1.34 million units. The market for entertainment and leisure robots, which includes toy robots, is forecast at about 2.2 million units, most of which, of course, are very low cost. Robots are coming! Robots are everywhere: Industrial robots - a key to automation - are establishing in all industries. Service robots already entered our home. Service Robots are establishing in many non-industrial branches. The World Robotics 2007 survey is now available for download (partly free of charge) online at www.worldrobotics.org. A printed version as well as different levels of access can be ordered from the website. Front-end access is provided to a database containing information on robot installations and inventories from 1993 to 2006, categorised by countries, applications and industrial sectors. http://www.ifrstat.org/index.php http://www.ifrstat.org/downloads/20071023_Pressinfo.pdf _______________________________________________ ope mailing list ope@lists.csuchico.edu https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/ope
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