An expansive market study, conducted by HowToRobot in partnership with the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), reveals a trend of diversification in the U.S. robotics and automation industry. The research highlights that beyond traditional manufacturing, a substantial number of suppliers in the U.S. are now servicing a variety of sectors such as logistics, healthcare, energy, aerospace & defense, construction, and agriculture.
“The findings of this study confirm a market trend that robots and automation are expanding their reach beyond factories and are poised to transform an array of new industries,” commented Søren Peters, CEO of HowToRobot.com.
Beyond Factory Floors: Robots for Diverse Applications
The study published today provides a glimpse into the current U.S. market for robotic and automation suppliers. It underscores not only the range of sectors these technologies are infiltrating, but also the diversity in the types of solutions being proposed.
New applications include robots for mapping construction sites, robots capable of identifying weeds and administering targeted doses of herbicides, strawberry picking robots, crop monitoring robots, among others. While data about robot adoption in these areas is limited, the existence of suppliers for these new and increasingly diverse solutions signals an expanded footprint of automation technologies.
Alex Shikany, Vice President of the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), noted, “This report offers a crucial snapshot of the contemporary robotics supplier landscape. It’s a fascinating revelation about the diverse industries likely to be influenced by robotics in the forthcoming years.”
Manufacturing Still Leads in Robotic Adoption
Despite the increasing diversification, manufacturing remains the leading sector driving robotics sales in the U.S. The year 2022 marked a record year for robot sales in North America, with a total of 44,196 units ordered, an 11% increase over 2021 – the previous record, according to A3. The automotive industry alone accounted for more than half of the total orders.
The Study in Detail
This research forms part of the report “2023 Market Study of Robot and Automation Companies in the U.S.” by HowToRobot in collaboration with A3. The report collates data from 1,658 robot and automation companies, including manufacturers, integrators, sub-component suppliers, distributors, and advisors. It presents detailed statistics on suppliers, including solution types, target industries, robot brands, and more.
You can download the report here
