Collaborative robots pioneer automation revolution
March 2025
Motion Control & Drives
Collaborative robots (cobots) are a versatile, cost-effective robot form factor that is demonstrating value across many industry verticals. According to a new report from global technology intelligence firm ABI Research, revenue from cobots will increase from $970 million in 2023 to $7,2 billion by 2030, a CAGR of 28%. Safety, lower average selling prices and accessibility will drive collaborative robot sales.
“Cobots are at the forefront of the robotics revolution. They have the potential to democratise automation and bring robots into new markets, working side-by-side with human workers to unlock economic growth,” says George Chowdhury, robotics industry analyst at ABI Research. “Cobots have a synergy with artificial intelligence. Enterprises have leveraged the two technologies combined to automate tasks which have until now been exclusively reserved for human workers. Moreover, the more affordable cost and safety of cobots create an opportunity for SMEs to adopt robotics, unlocking major productivity advantages for broad sectors of the economy.”
Cobots will play a large part in global reshoring initiatives. Geographically, cobot shipments will grow to 64 000 per year in North America by 2030, a CAGR of 29%. China will become the main adopter in the APAC region, growing to 130 000 annual shipments at the end of the decade, with suppliers enjoying a CAGR of 41%. Within industrial manufacturing, the automotive segment will drive the cobot uptake, with shipments growing from 13 000 in 2023 to 115 000 by 2030. Growth in use cases, including palletisation and inspection, will have a knock-on effect on attachment sales, including cameras. 3D cameras and stereo cameras with the ability to judge object depth, will be attached to 59% of cobot deployments by 2030.
While traditional robotics OEMs such as Fanuc, Kuka, ABB, Omron and Kawasaki have developed cobot product lines, Universal Robots continues to control the highest market share via its innovative partners. Nvidia will also play a critical part in the further adoption of cobots. Nvidia’s GPUs, coupled with software products such as Isaac Manipulator, will deliver AI-augmented solutions to the robotics market, enabling new cobot use cases.
“Collaborative robots are the flagship form factor for democratisation and automation expansion into new markets, notably via SMEs. Cobots can revolutionise industries from medicine to agriculture by augmenting human workers with AI value adds,” concludes Chowdhury.
Further reading:
Solving common automation challenges with Festo’s servo drive and servo motor solutions
Festo South Africa
Motion Control & Drives
Automation projects face challenges that include limited installation space, the need for precise and repeatable linear motion, rising cycle-speed demands, and seamless integration with existing control architectures. Festo’s servo portfolio directly addresses these issues with compact, modular drive and motor solutions designed for specific applications.
Read more...
Inside the Giant Magellan Telescope with mechanical engineering at astronomical scale
Motion Control & Drives
Construction of the Giant Magellan Telescope, set to become the world’s largest Gregorian optical infrared telescope, is well underway. While its scientific mission is to transform astronomy, its performance depends heavily on advanced mechanical, hydraulic and pneumatic engineering.
Read more...
Filtration as a reliability driver in motion control systems
Parker Hannifin - Sales Company South Africa
Motion Control & Drives
This article highlights the importance of filtration in motion control systems, how contamination affects performance, and what fleet managers, operators and maintenance teams in southern Africa can do to reduce downtime, avoidable wear and costly repairs, aided by Baldwin Filters.
Read more...
Supporting construction of next-gen floating offshore wind turbines
Motion Control & Drives
While windy locations naturally make ideal spots for offshore wind farms, they bring challenges when it comes to assembling wind turbines, particularly in ports. Mammoet was approached by Euroports to support with the marshalling and assembly of the components that make up the three turbines at Port-la-Nouvelle in France.
Read more...
Rollers excel where profits balance on a knife edge
igus
Motion Control & Drives
Polymer component specialist manufacturer, igus has developed a range of lubrication-free long-life knife edge rollers designed to improve the transfer of products between conveyor belts in high-speed production environments.
Read more...
Bringing physical AI to the factory floor by deploying humanoids in industrial operations
Siemens South Africa
Motion Control & Drives
Siemens and Humanoid have marked a landmark milestone in the journey to bring physical AI from vision to industrial reality. Humanoid’s humanoid robothas been successfully tested in operations at Siemens’ electronics factory in Germany, performing autonomous logistics tasks.
Read more...
Next-generation oil-free motor systems with active magnetic bearings
WEG Africa
Motion Control & Drives
WEG and SpinDrive are collaborating to integrate SpinDrive’s AMBs and built-in IoT condition monitoring into WEG’s market-leading electric motor offering, creating an oil-free, maintenance-free drive solution.
Read more...
Rising demand for advanced coolant technology
Motion Control & Drives
As modern engines become smaller, more powerful and increasingly complex, coolant technology has undergone a fundamental transformation.
Read more...
Addressing cost, supply and disease pressures in Africa’s feed industry
Motion Control & Drives
Feed producers across Africa are operating in an increasingly complex and volatile environment. The pressures are forcing producers to rethink how they operate, balancing cost control, production efficiency and the need for greater flexibility in an unpredictable market.
Read more...
Rapid headframe replacement for Canada’s biggest potash mine
Motion Control & Drives
Mammoet has supported Ledcor with the construction of BHP’s new Jansen potash mine.
Read more...
printer friendly version