4 Transformative Ways Robotics and AI Will Shape Industries in 2024

The year 2023 marked a remarkable year in the realm of robotics and AI, and we can expect further developments in these categories in the year ahead. The rise of technologies such as generative AI garnered widespread interest thanks to the likes of ChatGPT, Gemini, and AI Search; and the field of robotics continues to break ground in many industries like healthcare, education, and even entertainment. As such, we ask ourselves how robotics and AI will shape industries in the coming year.

AI to Set a New Pace and Standard for Robotics Development

AI is revolutionizing the landscape of software development, ushering in an era of increased affordability, speed, and efficacy. As a cornerstone of automation, software plays a pivotal role in streamlining operations, and AI empowers developers to craft tailored, optimized solutions for a myriad of tasks and challenges.

Numerous partnerships are already fostering the development of AI-driven applications, enabling robots to undertake increasingly complex and diverse functions. From achieving human-like perception to adeptly handling variation and precise part manipulation, AI equips robots to adapt to dynamic environments and learn from their own experiences. Over time, these capabilities promise unparalleled levels of flexibility, quality, and reliability within the manufacturing sector.

Advancements in Robotics Software Will Help Facilitate and Increase Sharing and Reusability

At the center of users and mechanical counterparts is robotics software. Without it, there will not be a “digital” bridge to connect individuals with their beloved robots beyond mere physical and superficial interactions.

With the ongoing software advancements that aim to propel sharing and reusability, we can expect that there will be enhanced collaboration among users, developers, and manufacturers of robotic technology in 2024. Simply put, developers would seek to reinvent existing software and solutions instead of creating an entirely new one from scratch to plug in and use in robots. These existing software assets can stem from components, interfaces, and algorithms from diverse applications and robots.

This principle already forms the foundation of our UR+ partner ecosystem, fostering innovation streamlining processes, and reducing time-to-market. Through sharing and reusability, we can expect the advancements in the robotics and tech industry to accelerate.

More Industries to Integrate IT and OT to Improve Operations

The future and progress of manufacturing industries rely heavily on the integration of IT and OT, leveraging data for business operations. By embracing existing and new cloud-based software solutions, manufacturing industries can expect quality, cost-effective, and more advanced capabilities in their logistics systems. While there are businesses and industries that still take cloud-based software with a grain of salt, manufacturers must soon realize how these tools can help streamline complex processes, help in making informed decisions, and ultimately create a transformative leap in operation efficiency.

Companies in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) space underscore this progress, promising heightened efficiency and reduced downtime through Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) visualization and predictive maintenance. Integrating IT and OT can also help make advances in optimized costs, creating resilient supply chains, analyzing competitive data utilization, and forming sustainable objectives.

Logistics Operations to be the Center of Robotics

When Interact Analysis examined the projected growth rates in robot shipments across industries, the standout area was a CAFR for collaborative robots (cobots) at 46% for 2023-2027. This tells us that there’s a rapid expansion of non-industrial applications for robots.

Similar to manufacturing industries, many logistics businesses are challenged by labor shortages, growing demands of customers, and the complex multi-channel supply chains that come with them. As a response, more logistics companies and distribution centers are turning to automation from robots to help enhance operational services, speech, and accuracy.

One great example and an indication that robots have been and will continue to shape the logistics industry is the challenge of surging e-commerce demands. One logistics company reported that since working with cobots, they experienced a 500% surge in efficiency and order accuracy. Said automation system enabled a single robot to manage up to 4,400 orders in a single day with the help of a small crew for replenishment.

Final Note

With everything said, one can see how the trajectory from the past year is setting our expectations on the shifts and influencers robots and AI can do to many industries this coming year. From manufacturing to logistics, and many other industries, robots and AI that utilize data are on the brink of revolutionizing various systems and operations. We wonder, what other trends in robotics are in store in 2024?