Robotics has been a topic of interest in sci-fi and dystopian universe movies. Robots integrated with AIs had been feared and made to seem like the end of civilization. It is interesting as a movie but we are living with smart robots right now. As of February 2022, there have been a recorded three million industrial robots and the numbers are poised to grow. According to a report by McKinsey, 88% of surveyed businesses worldwide plan to adopt robotic automation.
Automation has been key to multinational companies in line with their digitization. After the pandemic, tech adoption has accelerated and businesses see opportunities. Businesses saw the results - higher productivity, increased efficiency, improved safety of personnel, and overall increased revenue, to name a few. Robots are designed to perform repetitive tasks more efficiently especially when used together with Artificial intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML). There is also the rise of collaborative robots or cobots. These are computer-controlled machines designed to assist a person.
Interestingly, this technology can be done even without code! No-code has been a growing style of development where anyone can build an app, website, or program on a platform even without coding background. We discussed no-code in AI here before where we saw the impact no-code is making on the industry.
What does the future look like with robotics and what will be the effect for businesses if they used no-code robotics?
Several key industries have increased the integration of robotics in their operations since 2021. This was led by the metals industry with 99% growth, followed by the automotive components industry up by 85% and in third place is the electronics and semiconductors at 62%.
There has been a rise in the use of cobots recently. There have been predictions that at the current rate. Cobots will compromise 34% of total robot sales by 2025. Cobots are working alongside a human which amplifies productivity and efficiency. Amazon has reported $22 million in savings for incorporating mobile robotic fulfillment systems. Unlike industrial robotics, cobots are designed to interact with humans. This technology helps create an efficient hybrid work environment.
Robotics has also become part of indirect consumers as well. You see the an automatic grill cleaner, a homeowner, and even a robotic floor sweeper. Consumers can also encounter robots when dining out. Here is an example of a futuristic cafe where your favorite coffee is made by a robot.
According to a CNBC article, McDonalds has been experimenting with robotic drive-through lanes. Over the last decade, restaurants have been leaning more toward restaurant technology to improve the customer experience and keep labor costs down.
As we discussed in our article, Easy Automation with No-Code, we see that the demand for automation will continue to rise. By end of 2022, it is estimated that more than 500,000 robots will be sold.
As robotics go hand in hand with automation in some industries, we see it in demand for years. However, concerns over the increased cost of equipment and the labor shortage can put a stop to this progress. This is where no-code development can help as a solution and even as a stop-gap solution. It can aid businesses in so many ways.
Businesses of every size are gearing up investment and equipment for digitization and automation. However, the lack of talent and the cost can be a hindrance. No-code robotics can help businesses maximize effectiveness and productivity by making it easier to use and flexible. With no-code, teaching a robot to do a job can be as easy as moving its arms for the desired task and switching easily from one application to another, increasing their cost effectiveness for manufacturers. No-code robots and cobots are also great for starting businesses because it is lightweight, space-saving and easy to redeploy and reprogram.
Another technology on the rise is RPA (robotic process automation) which is also called low-code automation. It enables operators and users to program robot applications and processes without software engineers. At first, RPA was focused on basic back-office activities and designed to automate repetitive, rules-based, and high-volume administrative tasks. With the boom of cobots, various manufacturing, warehousing, and logistics activities expanded RPAs’ role. RPA tools help operators efficiently train cobots using only drag-and-drop apps on tablet, computers, and even manually move the cobot arm from point to point. There’s no need for advanced programming languages such as C and C++ that can take years to learn.
Even no-code robotics businesses are also experiencing growth. Wandelbots was able to raise $84M for their no-code robotics programming. The company takes a no-code approach to programming robots with its Wandelbots Teaching platform via TracePen.
ABB Robotics has a platform named Wizard that has an easy graphical interface allowing users to simply drag and drop functions and see the results in seconds. It allows first-time users to program collaborative and industrial robots within minutes even without specialized training
These companies are showing how the future looks like where anyone on the floor is empowered to teach a robot with just drag and drops to make work easier and collaborative for everyone.
Although no-code robotics will be here in the future, it will never replace coding. As automation comes more flexible and user-friendly, coding will remain essential for more complex tasks. It is also not suited for all tasks and there will still be rules and directives that cannot be completed by no-code alone. What no-code does is by making robotics programming easier to deploy, automation becomes more democratized and scalable. If you think it not yet applicable to your industry, it’s only a matter of time before no-code robotics will be a part of your business as well.
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