With the convergence of intelligent technologies, the improvement of product performance, and the decrease of use costs, the collaborative robot market is experiencing rapid growth. In the field of collaborative robots in China, many enterprises actively participate, and the market competition shows a highly active state. Following the research on the innovative application of collaborative robots, IDC will further carry out research on the market share of collaborative robots in China and the overseas market, aiming to comprehensively present the market situation of collaborative robots.

Cobot definition

UAD154A-3BHE026866R0101 The collaborative robot defined by IDC refers to the robot that can interact and cooperate with humans in the co-working space. From the perspective of product form, it is composed of the collaborative robot body (multi-joint manipulator or multi-degree of freedom machine device) and the control system to realize the automatic execution of work.

There are many players in the collaborative robot market

There are many participants in the collaborative robot market, both manufacturers focusing on the research and development of collaborative robot product technology, and traditional industrial robot manufacturers actively launch collaborative robot brand products. In terms of the Chinese market, local enterprises have shown their important performance in the market – technological product innovation iterations, rich and perfect solutions, and continuous achievements in market expansion.

The development trend of collaborative robots
• Large load, large arm span, compound type to achieve stronger working ability

The new collaborative robots that have emerged in the past two years are breaking through the past range of capabilities, not only by increasing the load to give the robot the ability to handle larger and heavier parts, but also by increasing the arm span to achieve greater work space coverage, making the collaborative robot capable of more types and scales of work tasks. It further broadens its application boundaries in automobile manufacturing, logistics handling palletizing and other fields.
• Upgraded security technology to provide higher protection

Following the requirements of international safety standards such as ISO/TS 15066 and using technology products such as safety sensors, moment limiter and electromagnetic sensing, cobots can safely interact with human employees without additional safety fences, ensuring personal safety during human-machine collaboration.

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AI, digital twin and other advanced technology integration to achieve a higher level of intelligence equipped with machine vision, machine learning, haptics, generative AI and other technologies can not only adjust the action strategy according to the real-time environment, but also self-learning and optimization, to achieve autonomous navigation, accurate positioning, dynamic path planning, better human-computer interaction and other advanced functions.

Through the deep integration of digital twin technology and virtual simulation technology, the collaborative robot digital twin model is built, which can monitor and obtain the status information of the robot in real time, and conduct in-depth intelligent analysis based on the information.
• Further decline in total cost of ownership

With the continuous investment and technological innovation breakthroughs of Chinese local enterprises, the localization of the supply chain of core components such as retarders, servers and controllers is being improved, laying the foundation for the cost reduction of China’s collaborative robot products.

UAD154A-3BHE026866R0101 In addition, the design of collaborative robots focuses on miniaturization, modularity and plug and play characteristics from the beginning, greatly reducing the initial investment threshold and later maintenance costs.
• Rich applications in non-manufacturing industries continue to expand

With the rapid pace of scientific and technological evolution, collaborative robots are no longer limited to industrial manufacturing, and their application fields are extending to many industries such as medical care, education, retail, transportation, agriculture, and logistics.
• Chinese manufacturers actively layout the overseas market

China’s local collaborative robot manufacturers continue to make breakthroughs in technology, product quality is increasingly improved, and cost-effective advantages are significant. At present, regardless of China’s local manufacturers not only established a strong R & D and production base in the country, but also set up sales and service networks in many overseas countries and regions, to achieve the global layout of products.

This study will conduct simultaneous research on the market share of China’s collaborative robots and the overseas market of Chinese manufacturers, analyze the market changes, driving factors, key manufacturers, and development trends of the Chinese market and overseas markets, and provide references for global market participants and investors and researchers concerned about the industry.