Internet of Things - Technology focus

According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), 2013 saw the highest number of industrial robots ever sold, with a total of 1.6 million units worth an estimated $10 billion.  According to the IFR, double-digit growth will continue through the end of this decade with more and more countries adopting robots and automation. According to IFR:

• Global competition requires modernization of production facilities.
• Energy-efficiency and new materials, e.g. carbon-composites, require retooling of production.
• Human-machine collaboration will open up new applications and attract new customers.
• Growing consumer markets require expansion of production capacities.
• Decline in products’ life-cycle and increase in the variety of products require flexible automation.
• Technical improvements of industrial robots will increase the use of robots in the general industry and in small and medium-sized companies, e.g. user-friendly robots, uncomplicated, and low-priced robots for simple applications.
• Improved quality requires sophisticated, high-tech robot systems.
• Robots improve the quality of work by taking over dangerous, tedious, and dirty jobs that are not possible or safe for humans to perform.