Bergur Thormundsson
Research expert covering technology in the Nordics, AI and smart cities
Service robots worldwide - statistics & facts
Service robots, while evoking the image of humanoid robotic assistants, are a diverse group of robotic designs. Their main function, as the name would suggest, is to enable simpler and more efficient service tasks, as well as replacing human workers in some cases. For instance, there are already pioneer programs with service robots as waiters and waitresses worldwide. These are highly likely to increase in number as their designs become more efficient and the labor crunch in Europe and the United States continues to drive up demand for workers.
Collaborative robots with their own distinct flair
Service robots would qualify under the umbrella of collaborative robots. That is to say, they are expected to work around human coworkers without the need for safety lines and demarcated areas. That is in stark contrast to their industrial robot counterparts, which require the absence of humans to function, as they are not designed to care about anything other than their routine process. Service robots are a far softer version of collaborative robots. Many of them work around coworkers but also in areas with customers and bystanders, meaning they need an even finer touch than the average warehouse robot. This means they are likely to have some sort of sensory apparatus to ensure they do not run into humans.One for consumers, others for businesses
Service robots are further divided into commercial and consumer service robots. Commercial service robots might be the automatic greeters on the way into a supermarket or robotic servers at restaurant chains. This market is expected to grow beyond 18 billion U.S. dollars globally in 2024. By contrast, consumer service robots are slightly different. While the new Tesla robot might suggest a highly advanced class of robots, most consumer service robots are of more humble design. The simplest, and likely among the more recognized, is the humble robotic vacuum cleaner. It was forecast that in advanced and developed economies, nearly ten percent of people owned such robots in 2023.Growing steadily but not fast
Service robots are likely to continue to grow in demand and specialization in the coming years. They are, however, less quick to grow than industrial or collaborative robots as each is designed for more specific tasks in mind. Innovation continues and more modular and multitasking service robots could revolutionize the market in unforeseen ways.
