The global market value of industrial robot installations has reached an all-time high of $16.5 billion (U.S.), according to the International Federation of Robotics, or IFR. Future demand will be driven by a number of technological innovations, market forces, and new fields of business, it predicted.
Sales of professional service robots, including warehouse systems, have increased by 30% worldwide, reported the Frankfurt, Germany-based organization in October 2024. Similarly, 4 million industrial robots are operating in factories worldwide, doubling robot density, according to the IFR.
Last year, the IFR predicted more AI and machine learning, collaborative robots in new applications, increasing mobile manipulation, digital twins to optimize performance, and progress in humanoid robots. Today, it shared its forecast for the top five robotics industry trends for 2025.
1. Analytical, generative, and physical AI to aid robots
The trend towards artificial intelligencein robotics is growing, said the IFR. By using diverse AI technologies, robotics can perform a wide range of tasks more …