Material Handling Robots Industry: Transforming Logistics And Supply Chain Efficiency

Material handling robots industry data book covers automated guided vehicles, autonomous mobile robot and collaborative robots markets. Global material handling robots market was estimated USD 7.34 billion in revenue in 2021, which is expected to reach USD 31.07 billion by 2030, growing at a cumulative rate of 17.4% over the forecast period.

Access the Global Material Handling Robots Industry Data Book from 2023 to 2030, compiled with details by Grand View Research

Automated Guided Vehicles Market Growth & Trends

The global automated guided vehicle market size was valued at USD 3.81 billion in 2021 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.2% from 2022 to 2030. Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) have transformed the way materials can be moved within the manufacturing and distribution facilities. In a production environment where several operations are carried out simultaneously, these vehicles ensure a predictable and reliable transfer of raw materials and manufactured products from one point to another within the facility, thereby eliminating any potential disruption in production.

These vehicles can operate safely around structures, machinery, and employees, as they are equipped with accessories, such as camera vision and LiDAR sensors, which help detect junctions, identify floor signs, and avoid collisions with any obstacle. For instance, in November 2021, Quanergy Systems, Inc., a U.S.-based company that offers an AI-powered LiDAR platform, launched the new M1 Edge 2D LiDAR sensors for automation. The newly launched LiDAR sensor is light in weight, broad 360°, with a sensing capability of up to 200 meters used in mobile robotics, AGVs, warehouse logistics applications, and port automation.

Several manufacturing plants and warehouses deploy material handling equipment for various activities, such as locating stock, picking orders, and moving products and raw materials. Transportation and logistics firms are mainly focusing on deploying such equipment to boost the efficiency of their operations in line with the growing demand for their services. For instance, in March 2023, MasterMover Ltd, a prominent manufacturer of electric tug and tow solutions, announced a collaboration with BlueBotics, a navigation, robotics, and industrial automation company.

The partnership intends to offer best-in-class Autonomous Navigation Technology (ANT) technologies for MasterMover's range of AGVs. In February 2021, Scott (Transbotics Corporation), a prominent solution provider for AGVs, partnered with KUKA AG, a German manufacturer of robots, to coordinate the industrial robots of KUKA AG into material handling systems. Further, these robots would also benefit the warehouse team in assembling, packaging, welding, storing, and shipping. Also, material handling solutions are used to increase transportation efficiency, decrease physical damage to the material, and reduce overheads by limiting the number of employees.

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Autonomous Mobile Robot Market Growth & Trends

The global autonomous mobile robot market size was valued at USD 2.52 billion in 2021 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.8% from 2022 to 2030. AMRs have triggered a paradigm shift in the way tasks, such as material picking, handling, and sorting, that are commonly associated with manufacturing and distribution are performed. These robots can ensure the reliable handling of raw materials and manufactured items within distribution and production facilities, thereby eliminating disruptions in operations.

These robots are typically equipped with different sensors, such as LiDAR sensors, to navigate equipment and worker safety. For instance, in May 2022, Qualcomm introduced the Robotics RB6 platform, a high-end hardware development kit that can serve as the brains for commercial drones, autonomous robots, and delivery robots. It also unveiled a brand-new RB5 reference design, based on the RB5 platform used in millions of systems, that includes all the hardware and sensors needed to develop AMRs.

Manufacturing and distribution facilities aggressively deploy material handling automation systems for tasks such as picking & packing, moving and sorting items. Incumbents of the transportation & logistics industry are leading the deployment of AMRs to boost production and distribution operations, in line with the increasing demand. With the fast-developing e-commerce business driving direct delivery trends, order fulfillment productivity has become a priority for warehouse operators.

AMRs benefit warehouse operators by reducing the workload for order pickers and improving safety by eliminating forklift accidents and musculoskeletal diseases. For instance, in December 2021, at the India Warehousing Show (IWS), Addverb Technologies Private Limited, a worldwide robotics business, announced the introduction of Veloce, a multi-carton picking mobile robot. The new picking robot boosts storage efficiency by increasing capacity and utilizing vertical spaces, enabling clients to save vital costs on warehouse space and associated pricey rentals.

Collaborative Robots Market Growth & Trends

The global collaborative robots market size was valued at USD 1.01 billion in 2021 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 31.5%, from 2022 to 2030. The growth can be credited to the growing inclination of industries toward collaborative robots or cobots to automate manufacturing processes.

Over the past few years, the growing interest in robot technology across various industries has positively impacted the collaborative robots industry. Unlike conventional industrial robots, cobots are developed to operate at par with their human counterparts. They are mobile and can be easily moved from one area of a manufacturing facility to another. Moreover, they can be programmed with ease, are more cost-effective than their fixed counterparts, and can be used in a wide range of low-speed, repetitive applications.

The increasing need for highly efficient and user-friendly robots that do not require highly skilled experts for deployment and functioning has created a significant demand for software platforms. These platforms allow the integration of robots, motion control, and the generation of an interface that enables the programming of such robots. For instance, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation has launched a cobot named MELFA ASSISTA equipped with RT VisualBox, the company’s engineering software. This software allows the intuitive creation of operating sequences by connecting block diagrams in a chain of events, including linking with other devices, such as cameras and the hands of the robot.

The increasing demand from industrial customers, researchers, and engineers further strengthens the outlook of the collaborative robots industry. These robots are being deployed across various industries and have been highly influential in addressing the challenges faced by the logistics sector, such as complex work processes, and managing several tasks in different combinations and compact spaces.

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Competitive Landscape

Key players operating in the Material Handling Robots Industry are –

• Swisslog Holding AG • Egemin Automation Inc. • Bastian Solutions, Inc. • Daifuku Co., Ltd. • Dematic • ABB Group • Bleum • Boston Dynamics • Clearpath Robotics, Inc. • GreyOrange • IAM Robotics • Epson Robots • F&P Robotics AG • Fanuc Corporation • Precise Automation, Inc. • Yaskawa Electric Corporation • Techman Robot Inc. • DENSO Robotics • AUBO Robotics • BALYO

Grand View Research’s material handling robots’ industry data book is a collection of market sizing information & forecasts, competitive benchmarking analyses, macro-environmental analyses, and regulatory & technological framework studies. Within the purview of the database, all such information is systematically analyzed and provided in the form of presentations and detailed outlook reports on individual areas of research.