In recent years, robotics has flourished in a variety of industries, particularly in Industry 4.0. Multiple robots for various purposes have been built using a combination of cutting-edge technology such as robotics, artificial intelligence, IoT, and others. Because of various robotics pioneers, robotics education and research are growing at a rapid pace. Their robotics knowledge is substantially contributing to the robotics area in order to better and advance robots. Let's take a look at some of the top robotics specialists to keep an eye on in 2022, based on their in-depth understanding of the field.

Meanwhile, current robotic trends such as AI integration, rapid design, and ubiquitous IoT usage have intensified in the last two years. At the same time, increased demand for manufacturing robots was driven by additional challenges such as fluctuating worker availability, supply chain interruptions, and persistent pandemic fears.

The next 12 months will set us on a course that will be difficult to reverse. The current changes are moving us forward, and it's unlikely that we'll ever return to where we started. Here are five industrial robotics trends to watch in 2022 and beyond, as well as how they will impact various industries.

Maintenance Robots on the Rise

Maintenance is one of the most crucial responsibilities for any industrial facility, as it allows for the prediction and prevention of malfunctions rather of having to respond to them. According to a report from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), maintenance expenditures range from 15% to 70% of the cost of items produced, with a positive return on investment for using predictive maintenance strategies.

Maintenance jobs are by their very nature repetitive, making them ideal candidates for automation. Furthermore, the AI tools included in these advanced devices can assist in the transition of maintenance from a human-centric to a highly autonomous activity. With time, AI and robotics may transform maintenance from a ‘best practises’ preventive check-list to more proactive predictive actions decided by identifying possible problems through regular data analysis—more of a ‘repair before the problem exists’ paradigm.

As A Service Robots

Smaller businesses who wished to incorporate robotics to their manufacturing floor used to be limited by experience (and the cost of retaining it). This is no longer a concern, thanks to the growing everything-as-a-service (*aaS) trend.

Not every company has the financial resources to hire all of the workers needed to support industrial robotics, especially in the midst of the industry's worst skills shortage in decades. Yet, thanks to RaaS, or Robots-as-a-Service, models, businesses may now benefit from robotic process automation without the hassles of traditional ownership. Many people are familiar with subscription-based programs as SaaS (software as a service) models. RaaS intends to work in a similar manner.

Robotics for New Environments and Challenges

According to McKinsey research from 2021, 3D and 4D additive manufacturing methods would account for up to ten percent of today's manufacturing by 2030. 3D printers, which are mostly Cartesian coordinate robots, provide more design options and faster customisation while reducing waste and energy consumption. New business models, such as printing-as-a-service, will be enabled as 3D robots' popularity grows (PaaS.)

Cobots are taking the place of human workers.

Despite the elimination of employment subsidies, worker shortages persist. Certain jobs are being permanently replaced by collaborative robots when the economy improves.

These new cobot employees are frequently speedier and more efficient than the employees they replaced. They don't take vacation time or call in sick. It's unlikely that many positions will be filled by flesh-and-blood employees very soon.