Today, World Robotics 2018 Industrial Robots and Service Robots are published. Both reports show the successful development of the robot market in the past years as well as promising forecasts. A new record high of 381,000 units of robots were shipped globally in 2017 – an increase of 30 percent compared to the previous year. This means that the annual sales volume of industrial robots increased by 114 percent over the last five years (2013-2017).

Dear readers,

Industrial robots are a crucial part of the progress in manufacturing industry. Robots continue to evolve thanks to an array of cutting-edge technologies, such as vision recognition, skill learning, failure prediction utilizing AI, new concept of man-machine-collaboration plus easy programming and so on. These developments will help improve productivity of manufacturing and expand the field of robot application. The IFR outlook shows that in 2021 the annual number of robots supplied to factories around the world will reach about 625,000 units.

Service robots have successfully entered our daily lives at home, in shops, in hospitals, in barns and fields, in museums and other public areas. Prospects for service robots remain positive, as it is also a primary field for start-ups.

This week, we are participating at the World Robot Summit in Tokyo, a challenge and an expo. Under the theme “Robotics for Happiness”, it brings together Robot Excellence from around the world, to promote a world where robots and humans successfully live and work together. It strives towards achieving a society where humans and robots cooperate and coexist.

Robots have certainly transformed industrial manufacturing. And without a doubt, the acceptance of robots as assistants in factories and in our daily lives is also on the rise.

Best wishes,

Junji Tsuda