
Autonomous delivery robots market for warehouse management to boom
The global warehouse automation market, says the firm, is expected to expand from $14 billion in 2019 to $27.2 billion by 2025, led by automated robotic solutions such as automated storage and retrieval systems. The automated guided vehicles (AGV) segment is forecast to hit $4.6 billion while the autonomous mobile robot (AMR) segment is expected to reach $6.8 billion.
The COVID-19 pandemic, says the firm, will impact the industry differently by region and by vertical sector. In developed countries such as the US and China, the recovery time is expected to be much faster due to strong positions in technology development and adoption of warehouse automation solutions.
“The warehouse industry across the globe is experiencing transformation at a rapid pace,” says Doraiswamy Bharath Sunderraj, TechVision Research Analyst at Frost & Sullivan, “with the increasing adoption of different types of autonomous and automated robotic solutions such as automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS), goods-to-person technology (G2P), automated guided vehicles (AGVs), automated guided carts (AGCs), autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), unmanned aerial vehicles, and articulated robotic arms.”
“Further,” says Sunderraj, “AS/RS have the highest adoption rate because of their promising features such as increased inventory storage density, reduced labor costs, and increased inventory-picking accuracy. Advancement in navigation technology is one of the prominent drivers of autonomous delivery robots. Autonomous robotic solutions using LiDAR with AI and machine learning are the currently available advanced navigational solutions.”
Factors hindering the growth of the autonomous delivery robots market, says the firm, include high implementation and maintenance costs, the requirement of skilled personnel for maintenance, and lack of adaptability. However, increasing mergers and acquisitions in research and development (R&D) and the industry’s strong emphasis on smart automation solutions and autonomous robots are expected to boost market expansion.
Vendors, says the firm, should focus on unlocking the following growth opportunities:
- Start-ups offering autonomous robotic solutions should mainly focus on technology development and improving brand value to compete with large OEMs.
- For technology developers, cost model planning will be crucial to gain a competitive edge among other key companies.
- Software developers should partner with technology and hardware developers to provide the required software support to their clients.
- Market players should invest in the development of the autonomy of robotic solutions, which can include enhanced navigation and obstacle detection solutions by using multiple types of sensors.
- They must be prepared to offer solutions in the future that can perform several tasks at the same time.
For more, see “Opportunities of Autonomous Delivery Robots in Warehouse Management.”
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