Without human assistance, mobile robots (also known as mobile robotics) are employed in production and distribution facilities to pick, move, and sort things. Moving raw materials and produced items inside the facility is one of the many tasks mobile robotics can carry out thanks to their vision cameras, onboard sensors, facility maps, and warehouse execution software (WES).
Due to the numerous advantages that mobile robots may provide, including the ability to minimize product damage, lower labor costs, increase productivity, and automate procedures, they are widely sought. According to MRFR, the Mobile Robotics Market will expand at a CAGR of 21.40% from 2021 to 2030.
Market dynamics:
Businesses already benefiting from mobile robotics include automotive, food and beverage, transportation, and logistics sectors. To improve their material handling processes, warehousing and retailing enterprises are working with technology firms and suppliers of automation solutions. To supply automated material handling and sortation equipment to its clients in the industrial, transportation, and retail sectors, for instance, Tompkins Robots, a U.S.-based manufacturer of mobile robotics, teamed up with PULSE Integration, a WEPCO Company, in October 2019.
Recent development in the market:
In order to expand their warehousing operations, big e-commerce corporations are now concentrating on acquiring vendors of autonomous robots. Shopify Inc., a Canadian company that offers reliable tools for retail enterprises and a multi-channel commerce platform, acquired 6 River Systems, Inc in 2019. This U.S. company offers mobile robotics fulfillment solutions. The deal entails expanding Shopify Inc.’s Shopify Fulfillment Network to include 6 River Systems’ cloud-based software and collaborative mobile robots. In order to concentrate on automating various parts of e-commerce fulfillment, Amazon.com, Inc. finalized the acquisition of the American warehouse robotics start-up business Canvas Technology in April 2019.
A partnership between the American automation business Alert Innovation and the Japanese industrial automation company Murata Machinery, Ltd. was announced in August 2019. According to the agreement, Murata Machinery, Ltd. will transmit technical expertise on the Alphabot picking solution system to Alert Innovation, Inc. as a strategic partner. The cooperation also gives Murata Machinery, Ltd. the only right to design, develop, produce, and maintain systems based on Alphabot across Japan. Additionally, Alert Innovation has revolutionized supermarket retail by leveraging Alphabot technology in creating the new grocery store design known as NOVASTORE, allowing its consumers to access the requested items automatically by Alphabot.
As they are created to address specific issues related to traditional industrial contexts, mobile robots are integral to lean operations across a larger category of industrial scenarios. These robots are made to move around in naturally dynamic situations, like building sites. Robots working safely in these situations are positioned for tremendous economic potential as manufacturing facilities pursue leaner operations and thus become more dynamic. Additionally, autonomous robots enable production and warehousing facilities to automate processes without needing to change the current working environment.
Mobile robotics lacks a driver since each robot is steered along a predetermined course by sensors and software. Mobile robotics thus offers better tracking and dependability of material transportation. As a result, improved tracking, safety, and dependability are realized. To make effective judgments in urgent circumstances, the robots collect data via laser scanners, 3D cameras, accelerometers, gyroscopes, and wheel encoders.
Robots can effectively navigate and have the environmental awareness to avoid humans and other objects in their way. Mobile robotics with AI feature strategically positioned cameras that function like extended robot sensors. Mobile robots learn to alter their behaviour by gathering knowledge before approaching a specific location. This entails that they research activities and steer clear of potential hazards like heavy traffic during periods, such as when supplies are frequently delivered and transported by truck or when there is a lot of human interaction during breaks or shifts.
Regional analysis:
Due to the substantial demand for material handling equipment from the established players in the manufacturing industry, Europe was the dominating regional market in 2019. It accounted for about 31.7% of the worldwide revenue share. Continued process automation in other industries and industry verticals will drive the regional market further. Autonomous mobile robots have been implemented in several production and distribution facilities across numerous geographies for various tasks, including selecting and packaging, transporting, and sorting products within the inventory system. In order to meet the demand for services, the transportation and logistics sector primarily focuses on using mobile robotics to expand its production and distribution activities.
