While humanoid robots became a hot topic at this year's Computex, collaborative robots (Cobots) remain the real players in the robotics industry, driving the practical application of AI and supporting the operation of smart factories.
As the global manufacturing industry faces the triple challenges of labor shortage, cost pressure, and transformation and upgrading, collaborative robots, with their advantage of "human-machine collaboration," are replacing traditional industrial robotic arms and becoming the preferred tool for small and medium-sized enterprises and smart factories to introduce automation.
According to a 2024 report released by market research firm MarketsandMarkets, the global collaborative robot market is projected to grow from US$2023 billion in 17 to approximately US$2028 billion in 70, a compound annual growth rate of 32.5%. ABI Research, another research firm, also noted in its report that year that, thanks to factors such as Europe's Industry 4.0 initiative, Made in China 2025, and Taiwan's manufacturing upgrade policies, collaborative robots have been widely adopted in diverse applications such as metal processing, food packaging, logistics and warehousing, and electronics assembly, becoming a key pillar of smart manufacturing.
Universal Robots (UR), which holds over half of the global collaborative robot market share, is actively promoting the widespread adoption of collaborative robots, developing products tailored to the diverse needs of over 40 industries. UR states that the introduction of collaborative robots does not replace human labor, but rather serves as an extension and complement to it, significantly lowering the barrier to entry for businesses adopting automation.
As technologies such as AI, visual sensing, and real-time data analysis become increasingly mature, the application scenarios of collaborative robots will become more diversified in the future, especially in scenarios that require precise control and high loads. Enterprises can not only balance efficiency and safety, but also reduce dependence on manpower and replace highly repetitive work, becoming an important driving force for the transformation of the manufacturing industry.
Universal Robots' recent launches of collaborative robots, such as the UR15, UR30, and UR20, have become crucial tools for the manufacturing, automotive, and electronics contract manufacturing industries. In terms of application scenarios, collaborative robots can assist Taiwanese manufacturing with precision manufacturing, heavy-duty logistics, AI-powered inspection, and modular wiring.
In electronics manufacturing plants, collaborative robots can perform detailed assembly tasks while collaborating with human operators, significantly shortening line changeover times and reducing human error. It is foreseeable that with the continued integration of AI and automation, collaborative robots will become more than just production tools; they will become strategic partners in companies' transformation to smart manufacturing.
