More robotics have actually signed up with the labor force in non-automotive markets.
Marijan Murat through Getty Images
More robotics are signing up with the labor force.
A record variety of robotics, 35,880 systems, delivered to North American business in 2018, according to stats released Thursday by the Robotic Industries Association (RIA). Nearly half of the robotics went to non-automotive business, consisting of locations like food and durable goods, plastics and rubber, life sciences and electronic devices.
“While the automotive industry has always led the way in implementing robotics here in North America, we are quite pleased to see other industries continuing to realize the benefits of automation,” stated Jeff Burnstein, president of the Association for Advancing Automation, which owns RIA. “Small and medium-sized companies are using robots to solve real-world challenges, which is helping them be more competitive on a global scale.”
However, deliveries to the automobile market have actually slowed. Only 19,178 systems were delivered to North America in 2015, a reduction of 12 percent, compared to 21,732 systems delivered in 2017. Still, the automobile market represented 53 percent of overall robotic deliveries to business in North America.
In January, a report from the Brookings Institution stated 25 percent of United States employees, approximately 36 million tasks, will deal with “high exposure” to automation in the next couple of years. Another 36 percent, 52 million tasks, will deal with “medium exposure.”
The report likewise stated there’s not truly a field that will not be impacted by automation and expert system.
