Robotyka a światowe trendy w gospodarce

Globalizacja, specjalizacja, kurczące się zasoby energii. Ochrona środowiska i ochrona zdrowia. Dzięki tym trendom robotyka staje się jedną z najważniejszych technologii XXI wieku.

Globalizacja
Niegdyś, ze względu na koncentrację przemysłu w Japonii, Stanach Zjednoczonych i Europie Zachodniej, robotyka miała szansę na rozwój przede wszystkim w tych wymienionych krajach. Obecnie takie kraje jak Chiny, Indie, Korea czy Europa Wschodnia są bardzo perspektywiczne jeśli chodzi o rozwój robotyki, gdyż powstało tam wiele fabryk zajmujących się produkcją i montażem.

Ponadto, wiele krajów odnajduje nietypowe, jak by się dotychczas wydawało, zastosowania robotyki nie związane z przemysłem produkcyjnym. Korea Południowa aktywnie promuje od jakiegoś czasu roboty usługowe w opiece nad osobami starszymi. Stany Zjednoczone rekrutują roboty do zastosowań militarnych, aby ochraniały amerykańskich żołnierzy na polu bitwy. Europejskie przedsiębiorstwa przekwalifikowują roboty na produkcję paneli solarnych. Roboty prezentują zatem wielki potencjał, mimo światowego kryzysu ekonomicznego.

Energy
The growth of China, India, Brazil and other once developing countries has placed a huge demand on energy resources. Having consistent and reliable access to electricity is a huge concern, one that we became especially aware of when RIA led a group of members to India in the fall of 2008. Companies can’t count on having power all day every day, which makes manufacturing a challenge.

Additionally, there is concern that the world is running low on oil and the prices will continue to rise. So, we’re seeing an explosion in demand for alternative energy sources, such as solar power, wind, fuel cells and more.

Robots already play a key role in making solar panels. Research shows that robots can be instrumental in making fuel cells and wind turbines. We know these will be growing markets and the use of robots should grow along with them.

Hybrid and electric cars will play a much more prominent role in the future of the auto industry. Assembling these new cars requires new and often complex processes that robots are ideally suited for. As a result, new opportunities will emerge in the automotive and transportation industries, not just in North America, but throughout the world.

Environmental and Health Issues
A closely related trend to the need for alternative energy resources is the need for manufacturing processes and technologies that are good for the environment. Whether or not you or I believe in global warming as a consequence of man’s actions, the fact is that nations and companies are moving in the direction of “green" at a rapid pace, one that is likely to accelerate in the decades ahead. Just think about the images you remember from the Olympic Games in Beijing last summer. As spectacular as the Olympics were, the smog and haze from the polluted air cannot be ignored. The same is true in major cities around the world, such as Los Angeles, Mexico City, and Mumbai.

Health care and related issues will be at the top of everyone’s mind in the remainder of this century. I’ve already mentioned how Korea and others are interested in using robots for elder care. And, we’ve all seen the great developments taking place in using industrial robotics for surgical procedures. One you may not have thought about is how robots are used to make our food supplies safer, which is especially timely as I write this due to a salmonella outbreak related to tainted peanut butter products.

Many food-borne illnesses are caused by people coming into contact with the food. The fact is that robots are cleaner than people. As a result, we’re seeing more of them used in the production and packaging of food. And, going forward, we’re likely to see robots handling food in restaurants (we’ve already seen examples of robotic sushi-makers!).

In moving toward a greener world, demand will increase for cars that pollute less, product packaging that is recyclable, and foods that are safer. Again, these are all areas that present enormous growth opportunities for robots.

There are many other trends I could discuss such as miniaturization and mass customization that create new opportunities for robotics. Suffice it to say that there’s good reason that most people predict robotics will be one of the most important technologies of the 21st Century!

by Jeff Burnstein, President , Robotic Industries Association
Robotic Industries Association

Źródło: http://www.robotics.org; Robotics and the Big Trends, Jeff Burnstein, Robotic Industries Association