Logistics Robots Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Type (Automated Guided Vehicles, Autonomous Mobile Robots, Robot Arms, Others), By Application (Palletizing & De-palletizing, Pick & Place, Transportation, Others (Shipment & Delivery)), By Industry (E-commerce, Healthcare, Retail, Food & Beverages, Automotive, Others (Consumer Electronics)), and Regional Forecast, 2022-2029

The global logistics robots market size was valued at USD 6.17 billion in 2021. The market is projected to grow from USD 7.11 billion in 2022 to USD 21.01 billion by 2029, exhibiting a CAGR of 16.7% during the forecast period. The global COVID-19 pandemic has been unprecedented and staggering, with logistics robots experiencing moderate demand across all regions compared to pre-pandemic levels. Based on our analysis, the global market had exhibited an average decline of 14.1% in 2020 as compared to 2019.

Logistics robots are used in logistics operations. These are flexible in nature and reduce the dependence on human labor. The robots are automated machines, which are used in warehouses, storage units, ports and other such places to perform the desired logistics operations. This helps in simplifying the operations and reducing the probability of human errors.

The three types of logistics robots comprise Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs), and robot arms. AGV is a type of effeminate mobile vehicle primarily designed to move the material from one place to another. AGVs are commonly used in manufacturing plants, warehouses, distribution centers, and terminals. For navigation, AGVs mostly use lane paths, signal paths, or signal beacons. AMRs use sensors, cameras, artificial intelligence, and machine vision to independently navigate uncontrolled environments and perform a variety of tasks.

Each pick station is equipped with a robotic handling arm to allow operators to move heavy loads. This machine is responsible for transporting heftiest packages from the idle zone to the picking stations at the right time, eliminating the need of forklifts or pallet trucks to operate these kinds of packages.

COVID-19 IMPACT

Market Growth Hampered Due to Supply Chain & Manufacturing Disruptions During the Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic severely affected the global market. Lockdown measures imposed owing to pandemic negatively impacted the overall growth potential of the market due to supply restrictions as well as slump in adoption by end-users.

Owing to the slowdown in the manufacturing sector globally in 2019, there was tension amongst the dominant countries, and the market is anticipated to drop owing to the disruption in economy along with supply chain disruption. Post the outbreak of COVID -19 pandemic across major economies around the globe, net revenues of the key players declined and witnessed subsequent reduction in their profit margins. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these challenges owing to associated international travel restrictions and other protective measures.

However, logistics robots recorded an increase in demand across healthcare, e-commerce and automotive sectors due to efforts inclined toward economic revival. After the COVID-19 pandemic, the manufacturers will try to restructure their operational business models and create a more disruption proof model to cope up with such emergency situations in the future. However, the market is driven by investments made in new car production capacities and modernization of industrial spaces.

These investments could be favorable for industry expansion over the forthcoming years.

LATEST TRENDS

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Rising Inclination toward Minimizing Operation Time and Enhancing Customer Satisfaction to Create New Dimensions for the Market

The adoption of work from home culture during COVID-19 pandemic emerged as a saving opportunity for most people. This boosted the e-commerce sector, which needs smarter logistic solutions to solve inventory and delivery operations.

Tech robotic giants, such as ABB and Siemens, are developing six-axis and operation-specific robots which solve complex logistics and manufacturing operations, thereby surging the demand for logistic robots.

The latest development in 3D printing technology has helped start-ups and new techies to develop their own robots, which is minimizing the manufacturing cost for small-scale industries.

AI-ML is collaboratively working with logistic robots to manage in-house inventory and its transfer. Majority of stakeholders prefer simple interfaced, easy-to-operate, and low maintenance robots for warehouse logistic operations.

DRIVING FACTORS

Rising Product Usage in Warehouses for Operational Efficiency to Fulfill Supply Chain Gap

The recent years have recorded numerous developments in the warehouse chain and logistics corridor to minimize the operation time of trucks. Robots are creating their pathway in the logistics sector for in-house operation.

Several industries such as pharma, automotive, and others are predominantly adopting robotics for various applications to enhance their manufacturing processes and increase the quality and efficiency.

Articulated robots are used for performing complex operations with precision and less time and are considered to be a key step toward Industry 4.0. Warehouse shuttles and mobile robots are easing the warehouse management operations.

As a result, growing preference for end-to-end automation in the warehouse for operational efficiency in the logistic sector and to ease the supply chain concerns are influencing the demand for these robots.

RESTRAINING FACTORS

High Investment and Data Security Concern among Stakeholders to Impede Industry Growth

Although the market is growing, it is still at the early stage in developing countries. Availability of robotic components and supply chain issues from the manufacturers due to costly components will hinder the growth.

Data privacy is the second most concerning issue for the majority of the industry and doubts among stakeholders about data security are keeping them cut off from future-ready cobots (human collaboration robots).

The deficiency of logistics infrastructure and warehouse chains in developing countries and late Return on Investment (ROI) from the business segment is restraining investment, while additional costs such as training and software upgradation need further capital, which is hindering the market growth.

Considering the above factors, growing research and development for robotic advancement with high investment costs and late ROI might lead to increased growth constraints.

SEGMENTATION

By Type Analysis

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Automated Guided Vehicles to Hold a Significant Market Share Owing to Rising AGV Adoption

In terms of type, the market is classified into automated guided vehicles, autonomous mobile robots, robot arms, and others (UAVs).

The Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV) segment is likely to hold a major share in the market. Adoption of AGV is growing significantly in various industries for automation solutions and material handling equipment. In the manufacturing industry, adoption of AGV is increasing as these vehicles can operate unfailingly and it also saves labor cost.

Autonomous mobile robots are user-friendly, cost-effective, and reliable, thus they are preferred in numerous industries. As autonomous technology advances, the proliferation of AMR will penetrate in several industries. AMR can work in extreme conditions and due to its cutting-edge technology, AMR provides services in manufacturing, warehousing, logistics, healthcare, retail, banking, hospitality, agriculture, and the public sector.

Robot arms are in demand due to the moving business operations of the company owing to the pandemic-induced work-from-home policy. Warehouse advancement and adopting advanced technologies are additional factors favoring the adoption of robot arms.

By Application Analysis

Transportation to Witness Major Growth Driven by Rapid Product Adoption in Packaging Sector

Based on application, the market is divided into palletizing & de-palletizing, pick & place, transportation, and others (shipment & delivery).

The demand for palletizing is increasing in industries owing to rapid adoption of automation in the packaging industry. Also, usage of these robots increased in the production line in the manufacturing sector. This technology eliminates the threat associated with industrial accidents including fatigue, injury, and the effects of repetitive and fatiguing exercise.

The demand for pick & place is anticipated to grow owing to technological advancements in robotics, rising labor cost in developed countries for miniaturization in the electronic industry, and government incentives to promote industrial automation.

Transportation companies are shifting toward robots for efficiency, accuracy, and safety purposes. With robotic help, a high volume of varied and complicated tasks of distribution networks across the global supply chain is fulfilled.

By Industry Analysis

E-commerce to Witness Major Growth Driven by Rising Internet Penetration

Based on industry, the market is divided into e-commerce, healthcare, retail, food & beverages, automotive, and others (consumer electronics).

The e-commerce sector is set to hold a major share in the market. This sector is booming, especially in emerging markets, as internet penetration increases and online shopping becomes more popular. Organizations in this sector have emphasized improving packaging quality, focused on timely delivery and the use of logistics robots. For instance, in June 2019, Amazon debuted a new delivery drone that will start shipping packages to its customers within a distance of around 15 miles and can deliver in less than 30 minutes. Owing to this, the e-commerce industry is expected to drive the market.

The healthcare, retail, food & beverage, and automotive segments are expected to grow at a considerable rate in the forecast period owing to rising disposable income, increasing customer demand for real-time delivery, and surging consumption of FMCG products.

REGIONAL INSIGHTS

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The report's scope covers five major regions, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa, and Latin America.

Asia Pacific is expected to witness stronger growth in the coming years due to the presence of manufacturing businesses. China is one of the major buyers of logistics robots in the region. In terms of robot density, this country is far ahead of others.

Additionally, governments in the Asia Pacific region are investing in healthcare infrastructure to encourage medical facilities in the region to replace traditional open surgery with laparoscopic surgery. For example, medical institutions in Japan are already beginning to replace traditional open surgery with minimally invasive techniques, single-incision surgery, and robotic surgery. Growth and expansion of the e-commerce sector is fostering the product demand in the region.

Developing countries, such as India and China, are poised to emerge as the major contributors to market share from this region.

China is one of the leading consumers in the market. As per research, the country is well ahead of others when it comes to the robot density measured across industries, including logistics, chemicals, automotive, electronics, and others. In accordance, market players, such as ABB, KION GROUP AG, FANUC CORPORATION, and others, are focusing on merger and acquisition strategies to improve penetration rate in the China logistics robotics market.

Government organizations in China are planning to rely on robots over the laborers, owing to the aging population. To establish a stronger and better supply chain, manufacturers are trying to elevate their direct customer reach and operate more effectively by tapping the opportunistic locations and regions within the local market.

North America held the highest logistics robots market share in 2020 due to rapid construction of warehouses and distribution centers. Investments in smart factories and automated warehouses are also leading to increased sales of the product. Growth in e-commerce, retail, and healthcare will play a major role in revenue growth in the region. Growing demand for these robots for logistics operations to save cost and time is driving the growth of the market in the region. Due to the increase in accidents in warehouses and storage units, companies are turning to logistics robots. Strict safety standards and regulations to avoid hazardous environments containing gases and substances will further boost the logistics robots market growth in the region.

As the automotive and manufacturing sector is the heart of the European region for revenue generation, companies are majorly focusing on expanding their business across the countries. The trending Robotics as a Service (RaaS) business model lowers the bar for customers to automate with robots. The advantage is that there is no investment in hardware, so companies do not need fixed capital, fixed costs, and robot operators. Warehouse solutions for large e-commerce companies have been largely driven by the use of logistic systems in non-manufacturing industries. Hospitals managing logistics with the help of professional service robots also have great potential. In the professional service robot segment, about 90% of logistics robots sampled were manufactured in Europe.

The Middle East region relies heavily on food & beverage imports every year due to its low agricultural capacity. In July 2019, the Saudi government announced that it would import 715,000 tons of wheat between September 2019 and November 2019. This increases the demand for storage space that can be met by various warehouses equipped with robotic systems.

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In the Latin America region, e-commerce industry, retail industry, and warehouse construction will lead to a decent growth of the market in the region. As per reports of the World Trade Organization, the penetration of mobile phone connection using 4G technology would increase from 5% in 2017 to 21% in 2025 which would be a major asset for the e-commerce sector. As a result, this will lead into construction of large warehouses which will accelerate further growth of this type of robot in Africa. Development of the e-commerce sector will create profitable growth opportunities for the market in the region. Since the arrival of e-commerce, delivering goods to the customer’s door from the factories or warehouses has become a gigantic task for logistics companies.

KEY INDUSTRY PLAYERS

Prominent Players Focus on Innovative Application for Rolling Out Advanced Robotic Systems

The market is moderately fragmented as this is a relatively new market when compared to other markets in the power electronic solutions domain. The market is growing with increasing technological advancements and there are many well-known brands in the market along with some regional players to cater to the increasing demand.

LIST OF KEY COMPANIES PROFILED:

• ABB Ltd (Switzerland)


• KUKA AG (Germany)


• Toyota Industries Corporation (Japan)


• Fanuc Corporation (Japan)


• Yaskawa Electric Corporation (Japan)


• Kion Group Ag (Germany)


• Toshiba Corporation (Japan)


• Krones AG (Germany)


• Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. (Japan)


• Omron Corporation (Japan)

KEY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS:

• November 2021: FANUC Corporation launched advanced LR-10iA/10 robots. These robots are compact and suitable for companies with limited floor space. These robots fit into machine tools for loading and unloading the parts. The LR-10iA/10 solution helps distribution centers, logistics warehouses, and manufacturers overcome obstacles associated with labor shortages and also reduces operating costs.


• April 2021: Toyota Industries Corporation launched a global autonomous vehicle software development firm, T-Hive. The new firm T-Hive would provide a control system and industrial logistics robotics solutions, including automated guided forklifts, automated guided vehicles, and autonomous mobile robots. The new firm was established to meet the robots' growing demands for its customers.


• February 2021: ABB Ltd. launched collaborative robots named SWIFTI and GoFa cobot, offering high payloads and speeds for logistics and other industries. These cobots can deliver more robust, faster automation in several industries, including healthcare, electronics, consumer goods, logistics, food and beverages, and others.


• September 2021: Kion Group AG partnered with Fraunhofer IML to develop swarm robots for warehouse management. The partnership made a logistic robots project and developed ‘the LoadRunner’ robot for warehousing. The next generation of autonomous transport vehicles revolutionizes intralogistics solutions with Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology. Swarm robotics simplifies the warehouses—with KION as the exclusive champion of the new technology.


• December 2019: Toshiba Corporation’s subsidiary firm Toshiba Machine launched collaborative robots. With SCARA duo-arm and humanoid duo-arm cobots, the company expanded its robot line and prepared to do business as Shibaura Machines.

REPORT COVERAGE

An Infographic Representation of Logistics Robots Market

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The market research report provides a detailed analysis of the type, application, and industries. It provides information about the leading companies and their business overview, types, and leading applications of the product. Besides, it offers insights into the competitive landscape, SWOT analysis, and current key market trends and highlights key drivers and restraints. In addition to the aforementioned factors, the report encompasses several factors that have contributed to the market growth in recent years.

Report Scope & Segmentation