Vision-guided robot trends impacting manufacturing

Vision-guided robots, from industrial robotic arms to autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), are a quickly growing segment of robotics. Typically, robots equipped with advanced vision systems are far more capable and flexible than robots that operate blind. This makes them highly desirable in a wide range of industrial applications.

According to a report from Technavio, the market for vision-guided robots is expected to reach a value of $5.90 billion by 2021, up from $3.40 billion in 2016. During that time period, the market is expected to grow at a 12% compound annual growth rate (CAGR). The logistics segment will be one of the largest buyers of vision-guided robots as demand for automatic and autonomous mobile robots in the warehouse grows. Beyond the logistics sector, vision-guided robots are in demand in a wide range of market segments because of their advancing capabilities.

Three vision-guided robot technology trends

The technology behind vision-guided robots has been evolving quickly over the past few years. Three trends have emerged as the most impactful so far.

• 3-D vision: improving depth perception has been a major development in the robotics industry with far-reaching impacts, from robotic bin picking of random parts to autonomous navigation.
• Visual simultaneous localization and mapping (VSLAM): VSLAM technology is a method of autonomously navigating an unknown environment. VSLAM involves mapping the surrounding area while finding the camera’s/vehicle’s location at the same time. This has been an important innovation for mobile robots.
• Increased adoption: a wider range of industries will continue to adopt vision-guided robots in the near future.

Improving capabilities, falling prices, and better return on investment (ROI) have been driving this significant trend. Each of these trends are contributing to the overall prevalence of vision-guided robots in the industrial sector. As these trends continue, vision-guided robots will expand their capabilities in a wider array of applications. Whether its industrial, collaborative, or logistics robots, vision-guided robotics are expected to continue growing in demand for the foreseeable future. 

This article originally appeared on the Robotics Online Blog. Robotic Industries Association (RIA) is a part of the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), a CFE Media content partner. Edited by Chris Vavra, production editor, Control Engineering, CFE Media, cvavra@cfemedia.com.

Original content can be found at www.robotics.org.

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