Service Robot Statistics

World Robotics 2009 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.

Service robots for professional use: 63,000 units sold up to the end of 2008

With 20,000 units the service robots in defense, rescue and security applications, accounted for more than 30% of the total number of service robots for professional use sold up to the end of 2008. Thereafter follow field robots (mainly milking robots) with 23%, cleaning robots with 9%, medical robots and underwater systems with 8%, each.  Construction and demolition robots (7%), mobile robot platforms for general use (6%) and logistic systems (5%) come in the next ranges. Minor installation numbers were counted for inspection systems and public relation robots.

The total value of professional service robots sold up to the end of 2008 was $11.2 billion.

Service robots for personal and private use: about 4.4 million units for domestic use and about 2.8million units for entertainment and leisure sold up to end 2008

Service robots for personal and domestic use are recorded separately, as their unit value generally is 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 and lawn-mowing robots, and entertainment and leisure robots, including toy robots, hobby systems and education and training robots.

The market for robots for handicap assistance is still small, but is expected to double in the next four years.  Robots for personal transportation and home security and surveillance robots will also increase in importance in the future.

In 2008, about 940,000 vacuum cleaning robots were sold, almost 50% more than in 2007. More than 21,000 lawn mowing robots were sold in 2008.

Projections for the period 2009-2012: 49,000 new service robots for professional use to be installed

Turning to the projections for the period 2009-2012, the stock of service robots for professional use is forecast to increase to some 49,000 units. Application areas with strong growth are defence, rescue and security applications, field robots, logistic systems, inspection robots, medical robots and mobile robot platforms for multiple use.

Projections for the period 2009-2012: about 11.6 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) in the period 2009-2012 could reach some 4.8 million units.

The market for entertainment and leisure robots, which includes toy robots, is forecast at about 6.8 million units, most of which, of course, are very low cost.

More information:  www.worldrobotics.org