Industry Overview

All economic and market indices suggest that the robotics industry is well positioned for continued growth.

Robots are increasingly used in tasks involving any of the “three Ds” — dirty, dangerous or dull. Many commercial industries have successfully made use of robotic technology in well-structured ground environments such as manufacturing and in semi-structured environments such as automated agriculture. There is also extensive use of unmanned vehicles in air and sea operations.

 Perhaps the most difficult challenge for robots today is the use of unmanned ground vehicles in the unstructured, complex and changing outdoor environment of land operations.

A variety of companies around the world currently manufacture robots for use in military, law enforcement and civilian applications. The size of these robots varies from as small as a shoebox to as large as a tele-operated tank. Control and traction methods vary considerably. Some are controlled by radio frequency while others use fiber optic or co-ax cable. Traction varies from tank-like tracks to multi-wheel combinations.

Robot Components

- Platform – This includes the motors, drive train, power source, and structural components. The platform could be a specifically designed robot or a standard military or commercial vehicle.

- Operator control unit – The command and control unit allows the user to control the robot and its functions in an intuitive fashion. The control unit is lightweight, easy-to-operate, durable and waterproof. The control unit allows two-way communication in real time.

- Communications - The communication system provides the clear transmission of data (operator instructions, video images, etc.) in the robot’s operating range. Most robots use wireless radio frequency (RF) communication as the primary mode of communication.

- Tools – These enable the robot to carry out its primary mission. Tools may include a manipulator with adequate reach and freedom, camera, disrupter, x-ray detector and various sensors and weapon systems.

The unmanned ground vehicle (UVG) market is projecting unprecedented growth during the next three to five years. Advances in remote-control technologies are leading to increased use of UVGs for "dirty and dangerous" missions in unstructured, complex military environments.  

The defense market has shown considerable growth in recent years as military establishments in many countries are making new acquisitions to upgrade their systems.

UVGs are expected to produce significant changes in ground warfare. Under a plan presented to the US Congress in 2000, by 2015 one-third of US ground combat vehicles will be unmanned. We anticipate significant growth in mission-specific remote controlled vehicles and armor troop vehicles (ATVs) to meet the increasing global demand for the military and homeland security markets.

We also anticipate significant growth in the law-enforcement and security-related systems that combine hostile environment navigation and operation, particularly in the area of search and rescue. In addition, we foresee increased sales in firefighting and bomb disposal robots, as well as robots capable of operating in such hazardous areas as nuclear facilities.

Robotics in the consumer industry is probably the area expecting the greatest growth in the next few years. This is one of the fastest growing segments of the robotics industry. New developments include remote controlled and autonomous systems for various agricultural vehicle platforms as well as domestic, energy-management remote controlled systems for the home.  

Improvements in robot technology, such as new control systems and safety systems to permit interactive operations of man and machine, as well as improved sensor technology and robot-vision applications, will promote further robot installations.