Robots in 2022: Six Robotics Predictions from Industry Leaders
Over the past five years, robots have evolved from an emerging technology in some sectors into an indispensable tool supporting operations at a large number of enterprises.
Logistics, manufacturing, loading and unloading, inspection, healthcare: the list of sectors that have become "robotized" in a short time is truly long, and as industries such as construction and delivery reach a critical point, it cannot be denied that we are in the midst of a robot revival.
However, we are also at a critical moment. Automation technologies are advancing, developers are combining and standardizing engineering approaches, and technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine vision are converging to open a new wave of opportunities and efficiency.
In other words, this is an exciting moment in robotics. ZDNet surveyed some of the most respected and innovation-driven executives shaping the world of automation about their expectations for 2022 and beyond. The predictions come from the front lines of the robotics world, and while challenges clearly exist, the future looks truly bright.
No. 1. Interoperability is the next big hurdle
“As the world of collaborative robotics matures, a logical inflection point is arriving with end users, which I am increasingly seeing. Industries such as healthcare, e-commerce, logistics, manufacturing and others are all moving into the second or third wave of robots. And in most cases, these robot purchases differ from those already in place. Interoperability is the next big challenge in robotics. If a robot from vendor A does not exchange data with a robot from vendor B, the end user will face a problem”
According to him, the company has been solving this problem since 2018 at a medical facility in Singapore, as well as through the Open-RMF initiative. It is important not only that robots from different companies can exchange data with each other, but also that the "robot language" extends to other devices, such as smoke detectors, elevators and much more.
No. 2. Creativity in robotics will flourish
“In the coming years, I look forward to seeing more creativity and innovation in industrial robotics. We are on the threshold of a revival of industrial robotics, driven by software-first solutions, cheaper sensing and large volumes of data”
According to her, when more developers and entrepreneurs are also able to use advanced tools for artificial intelligence, perception and simulation, things that were previously impossible may become highly practical, and those that no one even imagined will become very plausible. It will be an exciting decade, as industrial robots are reimagined in the context of our work and lives.
No. 3. Robots really deliver
Dr. Robin Murphy believes that 2022 will be the year when robot delivery finally takes off.
“Our analysis showed that during the first year of the pandemic, drones were used for medical purposes in cities, carrying samples and reagents from hospitals to laboratories faster than cars could drive across the city. Overall, performance and safety should convince skeptics that this can work not only in rural areas but also in cities”
No. 4. Technological recycling
“2022 will be the year when waste recycling truly approaches a tipping point, thanks to AI, robotics and data collection, as well as a broader understanding of the environmental and economic implications of conserving resources in use. Both consumers and corporations have begun to insist on wider use of recyclable materials, and in 2022 we expect this to combine with the capabilities of new technologies to begin transforming the recycling industry”
The AMP CEO notes that these technologies strengthen existing infrastructure and enable the development of new infrastructure to maximize the volume and quality of recycled raw materials at a lower cost than was previously possible, creating value for companies in the circular economy.
No. 5. Robots hit the sidewalks
Ali Kashani expects self-driving cars to be commercialized in 2022 and sidewalk robots to be deployed at scale in major cities.
“After more than a decade of research and development, we are for the first time realizing the economic value of autonomous mobility as the marginal cost of robotic delivery, reducing rising labor costs”
No. 6. Risks
“When OTTO Motors sold its first autonomous mobile robot in 2015, AMRs simply did not exist before, and our first customers were betting on the future of our industry. Seven years later, thousands of AMRs have been successfully deployed, and today's buyer has far greater savvy about what to look for in an autonomous robotic manipulator”
According to him, the most common questions today concern the complexity of robot software, system-level reliability and the total cost of ownership of an installation. In the early stages of installation, the risk was adopting new technology. Today, the risk is choosing proven technology from the wrong vendor. Downtime is "the hidden killer of return on investment".
