Why manufacturing robots are getting smarter. This infographic explores the market forces creating demand for more agile robots and asks what this means for human beings...

1. Agile
Automation Why manufacturing robots are getting
smarter and what it means for humans
An infographic from
The use of robots in
manufacturing is booming
This chart shows the steady growth of robotics shipments worldwide.
Annual robot shipments (m)
1992 2013
200
150
100
50
0
Source: IFR Statistical Department
Car manufacturing is the most
robot-friendly industry
The automotive industry bought the most industrial robots in 2013.
Industrial robots sales by sector, 2013
80,000
70,000
60,000
50,000
40,000
30,000
20,000
10,000
0
Pharmaceuticals Food Rubber and
Automotive
and cosmetics
Source: IFR Statistical Department
plastics
Metal Electrical/
electronics
And China is the most voracious
market for industrial robots
China bought the most robots in 2013, followed by Japan and the US.
Industrial robot sales, 2013
40,000
35,000
30,000
25,000
20,000
15,000
10,000
5,000
0
China Japan United
States
Republic
of Korea
Germany
Meanwhile, the global consuming
class is growing rapidly
Global consuming class (billions)
1950
1970
1990
2010
2025
The number of people with disposable
income to spend on products will
increase by
1.8 billion
between 2010 and 2025, thanks to
growing wealth in developing
economies.
Source: McKinsey Global Institute
.3
.9
1.2
2.4
4.2
That growing market requires a
greater variety of products, with
shorter life cycles
For example, car manufacturers are producing more models that
don’t last as long.
Change in number models vs product life cycles, 2002-2011
-20 0 20 40 60 80 100 120
Change in number of models Change in product life cylce (months)
Source: McKinsey Global Institute
‘Mass customisation’ will help
manufacturers compete in
global markets
The market for customised clothes, manufactured to each
customer’s particular needs, is predicted to reach 27.2 billion, or 5%
of the global clothing makers, by 2020.
Predicted global clothing market, 2020
Customised clothes
Other
Source: Custom Nation, Anthony Flynn and Emily Flynn Vencat
Both of these call for more
sophisticated robots
So-called "cobots", robots
designed to collaborate with
humans, allow manufacturers
to combine the agility of
humans with the speed and
reliability of robots.
What does this mean for
human employment?
The International Federation of Robotics believes that for
every robot deployed , 3.6 jobs are created to help build,
operate and maintain them.
With 200 million robots predicted to ship in 2014,
that could mean 720 million new jobs around the world.
But experts can’t decide what
impact robots and AI might
have on jobs
A recent poll of nearly 2,000 technology experts found that they
are split down the middle on the issue.
1,896
experts
Yes
48%
No
52%
Source: Pew Research
What impact do you
think smarter robots
will have on the
manufacturing industry?
Share your thoughts on the Future Realities
LinkedIn group:
http://lnkd.in/FutureRealities
Sponsored by
Source: IFR Statistical Department
Will networked, automated, artificial intelligence (AI)
applications and robotic devices have displaced more
jobs than they have created by 2025?