With the gradual disappearance of the demographic dividend, China has become the world's largest market for industrial robots . According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, by 2020, China will have formed a relatively complete industrial robot industry system, with a high-end market share exceeding 45%. Currently, the use of industrial robots in China is mainly concentrated in the automotive and electronics industries, with arc welding robots, spot welding robots, and material handling robots being widely used in production.
Below, we will discuss the current advantages and disadvantages of industrial robots from a technical perspective.
1. Universality
Industrial robots are programmable and support multi-degree-of-freedom motion, making them more flexible in application. While not as capable as humans, they are far more flexible than many specialized machines commonly found in industrial automation (electromechanical integration solutions customized for a specific industrial application or customer). When industrial applications require only minor modifications, robots can be reprogrammed to meet new needs without significant additional investment in hardware. However, their relative disadvantage is efficiency. Specialized machines are tailored for a single application, thus sacrificing versatility for optimized efficiency, performing well in terms of output—a crucial metric for customers.
2. Electromechanical performance
Industrial robots generally achieve motion accuracy of less than 0.1 millimeters (referring to the accuracy of repeating movements to a point), can grasp objects weighing up to one ton, and can extend to three or four meters. While such performance may not easily meet some of the "crazy" processing requirements of an Apple iPhone, it is sufficient to complete the tasks perfectly for most industrial applications. As robot performance gradually improves, some previously impossible tasks have become feasible (such as laser welding or cutting, which used to require specialized high-precision equipment to guide the laser's trajectory, but with the improvement of robot precision, it can now be done by relying on the robot's own accurate movements). However, compared to traditional high-end equipment, such as high-precision CNC machine tools , laser calibration equipment, or equipment for special environments (high or extremely low temperatures), industrial robots are still not up to par.
3. Human-machine collaboration
Traditional industrial robots work in cages because it's inherently dangerous (imagine someone swinging a thing weighing tens or hundreds of kilograms at four meters per second—nobody wants to get close). The main reason is that, due to cost and technological considerations, most robots don't integrate additional sensors to detect external situations (like sudden human contact). They simply follow their pre-programmed routines day after day, only stopping when an external signal instructs them to. Therefore, the common solution is to equip the robot with a cage; when the cage door opens, the robot automatically pauses upon receiving a signal. This safety concern naturally adds significant costs to robot integration. While the cage itself may not be expensive, careful consideration must be given to production line layout, increasing production line area, and altering human-robot collaboration methods, thus impacting production efficiency. Therefore, recently popular industrial robots pride themselves on their ability to work safely alongside humans, such as Rethink Robotics' Baxter, Universal Robots' PR series, and many semi-concept, semi-finished robots from traditional industrial robot giants (ABB, Kuka, Yaskawa, etc.). From the perspective of industry demand, after solving the automation needs for precision, speed, and weight through traditional industrial robots, it is indeed time to start meeting the needs for safe human-machine collaboration.
4. Ease of use
The essence of traditional robot operation is to continuously move through a series of path points while receiving or setting external I/O signals (along with other components such as grippers and conveyor lines). The process of guiding the robot to do this is called robot programming. Almost every leading company has its own programming language and environment, requiring robot operators to participate in training. This cost becomes apparent as the application scope of robots expands.
These manufacturers have reason to maintain their own programming environment. First, industrial robots have been produced on a large scale forty years ago, when there were no mainstream advanced programming concepts such as object-oriented programming that are now widely known and accepted. Second, in the early stages, their own technology was bound to be different from that of their competitors, so maintaining a programming method is understandable. Third, their major customers are often traditional industrial clients, such as large automobile manufacturers. These clients seek stability and naturally do not want their robots to change their programming method every few years to keep up with the trend, forcing them to discard decades of experience and spend a lot of money on retraining.
Of course, in the industry, everyone has long been thinking about whether programming can be made more intuitive and simple. However, apart from repeated conceptual demonstrations (such as using exoskeletons, 3D graphics, virtual reality, iPhones, etc.), there has been little commercially practical progress among traditional manufacturers. As a result, people are sick of hearing keywords such as "easy programming".
Fortunately, there are always those who dare to take the challenge, starting from scratch and achieving success that becomes a recognized selling point. Yes, we're talking about Rethink Robotics and Universal Robots ! This vividly illustrates why disruptive technologies often fail to succeed within leading companies (despite their ample resources) in the innovator's dilemma, but are instead amplified and developed by later challengers. Because for leaders, every step forward in disruptive technology often means moving further away from their secure positions, facing significant internal and external resistance !
In any case, the ease of use of robots is beginning to receive attention. How to enable people to quickly master robots without any (or too much) training, just like using an iPhone, has become a direction in which major manufacturers are starting to invest heavily.
5. Cost
The cost of robots ranges from tens of thousands of RMB for small models to millions of RMB for large ones. This cost is naturally lower than that of high-end specialized manufacturing equipment, but it may be higher than the automation solutions pieced together by small domestic integrators. However, judging from the consistent acceptance of robots by Western industry and the domestic manufacturing sector in recent years, it indicates that the economic advantages of robot automation have generally reached a critical point, surpassing other alternatives (human labor or specialized machines), suggesting that the cost is still worthwhile.
In reality, following the traditional path of robotics, there's not much room for reducing hardware costs. Industrial robots are essentially open-loop motion mechanisms, relying on the high-precision coordination of motors and gearboxes. Most leading manufacturers purchase these key components from a few Japanese companies (and even for robots manufactured domestically, buying the same components wouldn't be much cheaper, as Japanese manufacturers won't offer significant discounts for small quantities). Unless Chinese component manufacturers can focus on catching up with Japanese technology and break the long-standing monopoly through price advantages, the development of domestic robot manufacturers will not be truly promoted.
Another approach is to explore alternative paths, pursuing other technologies and markets. For example, Rethink Robotics even considered using plastic gearboxes to reduce costs, while compensating for lost motion precision through vision, much like how human eyes assist the delicate manipulation of the hand. However, nothing can be achieved overnight, so the Baxter robot is currently far inferior to traditional robots in terms of precision and speed, but it is sufficient for applications involving the handling of material grasping and releasing. Perhaps with Rethink's continued efforts, even with inferior hardware, it can compensate through intelligent software to reach a level where it can compete with traditional industrial robots (which would truly disrupt these traditional giants).
6. Intelligence
The reason intelligence is listed last is that it's not the most urgent requirement for robots compared to the current market's mainstream demands (i.e., power, speed, and accuracy). This reflects the advantages (hardworking, reliable, and efficient) and disadvantages (but also quite "clumsy," requiring constant training) of traditional industrial robots. However, this doesn't mean intelligence is unimportant; on the contrary, companies have already begun investing in its development. For example, how to enable robots to better understand human commands and autonomously plan tasks without needing to be told how to proceed step by step; how to enable robots to automatically adapt to changes in the external environment (darkening light affecting image recognition, damaged items on conveyor belts requiring special handling); how to judge the assembly quality of parts through tactile, visual, and auditory perception, and so on.
Americans have done a better job in this regard (of course, they are also avoiding direct confrontation, because the technology and market for traditional industrial robot hardware are basically dominated by Japanese and European companies), with companies like ROSIndustrial and Rethink Robotics making leading attempts.
7. Talent shortage
Industrial robots are in line with the development of the times and have broad industry prospects. However, the imbalance between the supply and demand of talent in this field is becoming increasingly prominent. On the one hand, robot manufacturers, system integrators, and the automotive manufacturing industry are eager to recruit talent, while on the other hand, the supply of talent is insufficient to meet the needs of enterprises.
The main reason for this is that, compared to the explosive growth of the domestic robotics industry in recent years, the curriculum of training institutions such as universities and vocational schools is still lagging behind. Although some robotics manufacturers provide relevant training, there are shortcomings such as overly brand-specific training, insufficient promotion, inadequate supporting facilities, and limited training outlets. It is difficult to achieve a systematic teaching process, and it cannot meet the needs of learners across the country, resulting in many aspiring robotics professionals having no way to study.
