Technology is changing our world more so each year. Included in this broad field of transformative technology is automation and robotics. Automation is a tool being more widely adopted in a variety of sectors.
There are factors like bottlenecks caused by the pandemic, Brexit and the resultant skills shortage, and sustainability objectives that are also urging a move towards more automated processes.
The competitive advantage that automation and robotic technologies offer also helps, and that robots need fewer coffee breaks than humans…
As the world of automation and robotics continues to evolve, what can we expect to see more of over 2023?
More robot workers
Because of labour shortages in Europe – thanks to the B word – organisations are seeking labour through other means. Turning to robot workers, businesses can keep themselves running, despite the obstacles posed by Brexit. Robot workers may also be a useful aid during the time of economic crises – providing more cost-effective and quicker labour. However, that’s not to say robotics technology is a low-cost solution; it’s something that is going to have to be evaluated depending on each business.
From home delivery services to security guards to healthcare, autonomous mobile robots may just begin to create the next generation of our workforce. This will then perpetuate the growth of the global service robotics market.
Hyperautomation will become more mainstream
As a combination of robotics, AI and innovative software engineering, hyperautomation can easily integrate into workflows to simplify and duplicate these workflows. Hyperautomation is expected to:
Help the workforce: Hyperautomation may actually open a space for new jobs, not result in people losing them. A rise in automated systems can create more specialised job opportunities. It’s just a theory though, as we can’t be sure where automation will really take us.
Reinvigorate human workers: Automation is admired for its ability to free humans of the menial and repetitive tasks within their role. With hyperautomation offering the chance to take over those laborious tasks, people can use their valuable time and energy elsewhere.
Provide an increase in low-code/no-code tools: While more businesses want and need automated systems, not all have the technical skills in-house to develop these systems. Nor do they have affordable tech experts to hand to solve any problems they do face. Luckily, more hyperautomation tools are becoming available that offer no-code or low-code options, making these solutions more inclusive and accessible.
It’s expected that the hyperautomation market will value at approximately $46.4 billion by 2031. And, there are trends within the hyperautomation market, such as mass adoption, process mining, and low-code/no-code mentioned above, that are also predicted to prevail next year.
Digital twins
An automation and robotics trend that is predicted to shape the market next year is the use of digital twins. It’s not a holographic version of the sibling you’ve always wanted, but a virtual representation of a real-world entity or process.
Take a wind turbine for an example. There are sensors within a wind turbine that generate important data such as temperature and energy output. Paired with a digital twin, the virtual model can then run simulations to monitor performance and test possible outcomes or improvements. This testing can then be relayed back to the wind turbine to optimise the way it functions and generates energy.
A digital twin is not just a digital replication of its physical counterpart, but a virtual clone that evolves, updates and changes as its twin does. Digital twins are used already in a variety of sectors – including healthcare, manufacturing and retail – and can help to reduce risk by enabling better testing protocols. This ultimately improves an organisation’s processes and products.
Cobots
Collaborative robots, or cobots, are set to make more of an appearance in 2023. Designed to work alongside humans as opposed to replace them, cobots use cutting-edge sensors and algorithms to effectively respond to their human colleagues. Cobot sales are accelerating across the world, and they are offering flexibility to work across multiple applications – unlike industrial robots.
We’re not sure how good they are at making cups of tea just yet.
Robots as a Service
You’ve heard of SaaS, but have you heard of RaaS? Robots as a Service is providing a new business model for companies to manage and maintain their robots in an economically viable way. Limitations such as cost, and the effort of build and maintenance, have typically restricted organisations wanting to use robotics.
Now, RaaS provides a more efficient, scalable and responsive way for businesses to use robots in their operations. This kind of cloud-based robotics model can help to enhance performance and is more accessible for smaller businesses.
The economy and skills shortages will slow some automation progressions down
According to Forrester, “economic uncertainty [will] slow some automation trends”. There’ll be a bit less of a focus on innovation, with businesses shifting their attention to working on resiliency and efficiency.
While skill shortages in some areas is causing the need for more automated tools, the shortage of skills in the world of automation is a hinderance in itself – a catch 22. There’s going to be a shortage of trained project managers and analysts for automation projects. In a discipline that’s constantly shifting, the skills needed to drive growth can’t quite meet the demand.
In summary
While there’s going to be a dampening of automation next year alongside global economic uncertainty, it seems automation and robotics technologies will still be increasingly prevalent in many industries and business processes.
We can expect robots to become more integrated into the mainstream, or even as our new colleague…
If you’re looking for automated technologies to improve your processes with the lab, Lumi can assist. A computer-vision empowered camera able to capture operational data, Lumi extracts valuable insight from existing data and captures new perspective – making more meaning from your experiments.
Get in touch today to find out more about Lumi or to book a demo.