EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Robot mobility is a game-changing set of technologies that are enabling new industry business models, improving efficiency and sustainability, and making work safer and more rewarding in a wide range of industry sectors.

Rapid advances in hardware and software are leading to a boom in mobile robots in a number of industry sectors.

There are rapid developments in Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs), which are able to navigate and perform other functions autonomously. AMRs may consist of a mobile base; a mobile base with a robot arm or; a complete mobile application with a tailored user interface.

AMRs are changing how work is done in a variety of key industry sectors. This paper focusses on the primary use cases for AMRs in manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, retail, and public environments.

? AMRs help manufacturers in high-mix / low volume environments to rapidly adjust production to meet demand. AMRs are enabling new business models aimed at supporting flexible production. They also provide data that can be used for performance improvement of individual processes and to establish a real-time overview of production.

? There is a booming market for AMRs in logistics, where they are used for transporting goods throughout a warehouse. There are developments in hardware and software to enable AMRs to identify and correctly handle non-standard shapes. There are also a number of start-ups in ‘last mile’ delivery to the recipient’s door.

? AMRs are used in healthcare for transporting linens, materials and medications in hospitals and care facilities; cleaning and disinfection; and dispensing of medication. There are significant developments in assistant robots for healthcare workers.

? AMRs are used in retail in order fulfilment, stocktaking and customer service. There are developments in robot picking-for-order fulfilment.

? AMRs have an increasingly wide application in public environments such as airports, hotels and shopping malls. Applications include: information robots; delivery – such as hotel room service; cleaning and disinfection and; security.

AMRs frequently act as the ‘glue’ that links otherwise disconnected parts of an overall process, generating data that can be used to gain a real-time overview of performance across the entire process. The benefits are less waste in factories, increased efficiency in factories and warehouses, and better quality and safety in production and healthcare. AMRs are enabling new business models in manufacturing and logistics that help companies to remain competitive in an environment of low-volume, high mix production.

AMRs improve work – taking on dangerous, unergonomic and tedious tasks – and make our daily lives better in many ways, from improved healthcare to better product availability.

Developments in hardware and software are enabling rapid advances in autonomy, navigation, vision and sensing, fleet management, interoperability, edge /cloud computing models and locomotion. Lighter materials, robot skins, grippers and wheels are making robots lighter and more agile – reducing costs and increasing functionality.

Developments in mobile robots are proceeding at a fast pace. One reason is that these technology advances are applicable in many different industry sectors – so a solution for an application in one sector can be quickly adapted to another. Developers are turning their sights to assistive systems that help set up and manage processes including the integration of mobile robots in automation systems, and robot programming. This reduces the overall cost of implementing and running robots, which will spur adoption. Finally, new leasing models give companies greater flexibility in the financial planning of automation.