Service Robot Statistics

World Robotics 2011 Service Robots

This unique publication presents comprehensive global statistics on service robots, market analysis, case studies and international research strategies of service robots. The study is evaluated in cooperation with our partner the Fraunhofer IPA, Stuttgart, Germany.

The total number of professional service robots sold in 2010 rose by 4% compared to 2009 to 13,741 units. The value of sales increased by 15% to US$3.2 billion.   

With 6,125 units, service robots in defense applications accounted for 45% of the total number of service robots for professional use sold in 2010. Thereof, unmanned aerial vehicles are the most important application. The value of defense robots can only roughly be estimated. It was about US$ 696 million, 4% lower than in 2009. This is about 22% of the total sales of professional service robots. The total number of field robots - mainly milking robots - sold in 2010 was almost 4,200 units, accounting for a share of 30% of the total unit supply of professional service robots. The value of sales of field robots increased by 5% to US$744 million, accounting for about 24% of the total value of professional service robot sales. 75% of the total unit sales of professional service robots in 2010 were defense or field robots. 

Sales of medical robots increased by 14% compared to 2009 to 932 units in 2010, accounting for a share of 7% of the total sales of professional service robots. The most important applications are robot assisted surgery and therapy. The total value of sales of medical robots was up by 33% to US$1361 million, accounting for 43% of the total value of sales of professional service robots. Medical robots are the most valuable service robots with an average units price of about US$1.5 million, including accessories and services. 

More than 900 logistic systems were installed in 2010, 10% more than in 2009, accounting for 7% of the total sales of professional service robots. About 900 logistic systems were supplied, which are courier and mail systems as well as automated guided vehicles for factories.

Other professional service robots with lower units sales are construction and demolition systems, robots for professional cleaning, inspection and maintenance systems, rescue and security robots, mobile robot platforms and underwater systems. Underwater systems are among the most valuable professional service robots with a unit price of about US$850,000.

In 2010, about 2.2 million service robots for personal and domestic use were sold, 35% more than in 2009. The value of sales increased by 39% to US$538 million. 

Service robots for personal and domestic use are recorded separately, as their unit value is generally only a fraction of that of many types of service robots for professional use. They are also produced for a mass market with completely different pricing and marketing channels.

So far, service robots for personal and domestic use are mainly in the areas of domestic (household) robots, which include vacuum cleaning, lawn-mowing robots, and entertainment and leisure robots, including toy robots, hobby systems, education and research.

Up until now robots for handicap assistance robots have not yet taken off to the anticipated degree, given their potential with regard to both imaginable need and the existing technological level of the equipment. Some of the most apparent reasons for this are explained in the later chapter III. In a longer perspective, say in the next 5 to 10 years, and taking into account demographic shifts and advances in technology, assistive robots for disabled and handicapped persons as well as robotic prostheses are certain to be a key area for service robots. Some major research institutions are focusing on developing prototypes of this kind of robots and robotics-related devices.

Robots for personal transportation and home security and surveillance robots will also gain in importance in the future.

In 2010, it was estimated that 1.445 million domestic robots, including all types, were sold. The actual number might, however, be significantly higher, as the IFR survey is far from having full coverage in this domain. The value was about US$369 million.

As for entertainment robots, it is estimated that about 753,000 units were sold in 2010, 31% more than in 2009. It is expected that the cross-fertilization of PC, smart phones, home entertainment and robot technologies will become a very substantial business area in the near future. The total value of the 2010 sales of entertainment a robots amounted to US$159million. In 2010, these low-priced robots (unit prices between $100 and $1,000) were slightly cheaper on average than in 2009.

Projections for the period 2011-2014: 87,500 new service robots for professional use to be installed

Turning to the projections for the period 2011-2014, sales of professional service robots are forecast to increase by about 87,500 units. Thereof, more than 25,500 milking robots will be sold in the period 2011-2014. They are followed by service robots for defense applications with more than 22,600 units. This is probably a rather conservative estimate. These two service robot group make up 55% of the total forecast of service robots.

Projections for the period 2011-2014: about 14.4 million units of service robots for personal use to be sold

It is projected that sales of all types of domestic robots (vacuum cleaning, lawn-mowing, window cleaning and other types) could reach over 9.8 million units in the period 2011-2014, with an estimated value of US$4.3 billion.

Sales of all types of entertainment and leisure robots are projected at well about 4.6 million units, with a value of about US$1.1 billion

More information: www.worldrobotics.org