Setting a new record for the 8th year in a row, the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) anounced on April 3rd that almost 38,000 robots were sold in 2018. According to the IFR, US robot density is now more than twice China's record. The United States is ranked seventh in the world behind South Korea, Singapore, Germany, Japan, Sweden, and Denmark.
Industrial automation is already streamlining the manufacturing process, but first those machines must be painstakingly trained by skilled engineers. Industrial robotics giantFanucwants to make robots easier to train, therefore making automation more accessible to a wider range of industries, including pharmaceuticals.
A self-learning cobot, advanced collaborative robots, and low-cost entry-level possibilities were some of the many standouts in robotics on display at the show.