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#News(General) [ via IoTForIndiaGroup ]
The International Federation of Robotics estimated the number of robots in use worldwide was 1.83 million in 2016. That number, the organization said in its 2017 executive summary, is expected to reach 3.05 million by 2020. In North and South America, the number of industrial robots sold has risen every year since 2009 except for a slight dip in 2012, including 41,000 sold in 2016.
The skyrocketing rate of adoption is “the confluence of a lot of factors,” says Jay Douglass, chief operating officer for the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Institute in Pittsburgh. “Among the economic factors is that hardware, software and implementation is getting cheaper. Technologically, robots are reaching new levels of functionality with vision, perception and manipulation,” Douglass continues.
“The social factor is that the economy is reaching full employment. In the area of advanced manufacturing, there’s a big skills gap.” The purpose of the institute is to develop solutions to close that gap through training programs such as apprenticeships, as well as research into new applications of robotics.
Every manufacturing robot requires some computer skills because operators must be able to adjust the programming of a robot. But that doesn’t eliminate the need for the traditional machine shop skills, says Leo Hickey. “Computer skills are important. What I like is a guy that knows welding because he knows what kind of joint he wants and he knows where he wants to position the torch,” he says
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