Industrial robots getting smarter and driving economic growth

Industrial robots are becoming more like humans in their ability to "think," a trend on full display at the ongoing China International Industry Fair (CIIF) in Shanghai.

As these machines move beyond simple, programmed tasks to become intelligent tools, they are unleashing immense productivity and pushing China's industrial robotics market into the "US$100-billion" territory in 2029, said IDC China analyst Li Junlan.

She also expects the market to be on track to reach trillion dollars in the future.

At the five-day fair, companies showcased the latest innovations driving this intelligence boom.

Startup Micro Intelligence and Agilebot launched their new Tron system, a key robotics platform for applications in consumer electronics, automotive manufacturing and new energy industries. The system is designed to transform robots from tools into "intelligent agents that can understand, adapt and make autonomous decisions," said Micro Intelligence CEO Zhang Zhiqi.

Micro Intelligence is also expanding its global footprint. The Chinese firm is now working with more than 30 Fortune 500 companies and has secured direct orders in Europe and the United States, with plans to expand into Japan, Singapore and Malaysia.

Meanwhile, Flexiv highlighted its own advancements with 12 innovative applications for its "adaptive robots" at the fair. The company's co-founder and CEO, Wang Shiquan, emphasized that Flexiv is focused on providing an open partner ecosystem to help accelerate the intelligent transformation of the manufacturing sector.

One of its featured applications demonstrated a robot performing complex tool changes for computer numerical control (CNC) machines with extreme precision, showing its ability to handle delicate tasks with a high degree of flexibility.

The growing capabilities of robots were also on display in the intelligent elder care robotics zone, which made its CIIF debut.

Around a dozen robots were showcased, designed to meet a wide range of needs of China's aging population, from in-home care and mobility assistance to community services. The exhibition, which ends on Saturday, highlighted the role of technology in supporting the "silver economy."

Despite these advancements, a new report from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) suggests that the adoption of industrial robots is still not keeping pace with the demand for manufacturing automation. While the global industrial robot stock reached 4.28 million units in 2023 and is projected to grow to 9 million by 2030, the IFR notes that the rate of adoption still lags significantly behind industry needs.