Robots are key supporting equipment for advanced manufacturing and are profoundly changing the way humans produce and live. The International Federation of Robotics, headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, recently released the "2024 World Robot Report", which shows that the total number of industrial robots in the world in 2023 is about 4.282 million, an increase of 10% compared to 2022, and the service robot market continues to grow. The latest data from the data statistics website Statista predicts that the robot market revenue will reach $46.11 billion in 2024. Service robots dominate the market, with an expected market size of $36.2 billion by 2024 and $73.01 billion by 2029. Industry insiders believe that the current global robotics industry is innovative and active, with great market potential and development space, and it is expected to maintain its development momentum in the future. The report by the International Federation of Robotics categorizes robots into two main types: industrial robots and service robots. Industrial robots are used for production in factories, while service robots are divided into three categories: professional service robots, medical robots, and consumer service robots. These robots are mainly used in transportation and logistics, cleaning, agriculture, rescue, monitoring, and other fields. The report shows that since 2021, the annual installation of industrial robots worldwide has exceeded 500000 units for three consecutive years, and in 2023, the annual installation of industrial robots exceeded 540000 units. By 2023, 70% of all newly deployed industrial robots will be installed in Asia, 17% in Europe, and 10% in the Americas. China, Japan, the United States, South Korea, and Germany are the top five global robot markets. Susanna Biele, Secretary General of the International Federation of Robotics, stated that the global installation of industrial robots is still at a relatively high level. The International Federation of Robotics predicts that in the coming years, the demand for automation solutions in the international market will drive a further increase in global robot installations. The report also pointed out that the installation of professional service robots worldwide will reach 205000 units in 2023, a year-on-year increase of 30%; The installation of medical robots reached 6100 units, a year-on-year increase of 36%; The installation of consumer service robots reached 4.1 million units, a year-on-year increase of 1%. The United States, China, Germany, Japan, and France rank among the top five global service robot manufacturers in terms of quantity. Marina Beer, former president of the International Federation of Robotics, stated that in recent years, robotics technology is reshaping the world with its unique charm and enormous potential. From industrial production to healthcare, from domestic services to emergency rescue, robots have become an indispensable part of human society. It can be foreseen that the deep integration of artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and 5G technology will endow robots with higher intelligence, flexibility, and efficiency, injecting vitality into the global robotics market. Intelligent development, quality improvement and upgrading work 24 hours a week, 7 days a week... In August this year, the second generation humanoid robot launched by Figure AI, an American humanoid robot start-up, entered the production line of BMW factory to "work". It is reported that this humanoid robot is fully driven by artificial intelligence and can handle general tasks, achieving learning and interaction between the robot and the environment, which helps to further improve production efficiency and create a safer working environment. As a major focus of the development of the robotics industry, various humanoid robots are competing to land, and product iteration is accelerating. Multiple investment banks and think tanks predict that the global humanoid robot industry will reach trillions by 2035. China's humanoid robot industry is in the ascendant. A number of domestic humanoid robots, such as Ubisoft Walker, Xiaomi CyberOne, Tata Ginger, Fourier GR-1, have been launched in succession. In October of this year, the Walker S1 produced by Ubiquitous entered the BYD factory to perform handling task training, achieving the world's first collaborative operation between humanoid robots, unmanned logistics vehicles, unmanned forklifts, industrial mobile robots, and intelligent manufacturing management systems. In March of this year, the Zhejiang Humanoid Robot Innovation Center launched and released the first fully self-developed humanoid robot machine "Navigator 1", which is a commercial first generation product. Analysts point out that with the empowerment of technologies such as artificial intelligence and big language models, robots are accelerating towards a more intelligent and autonomous direction. For example, based on the big model of Baidu AI Cloud, Chinese enterprise Xinsong Robot and Baidu Intelligent Cloud jointly develop a series of intelligent nursing robots, which can realize communication and interaction between individuals and nursing robots. The expansion of various intelligent sensors and professional equipment constantly enriches the capabilities of companion robots in safety monitoring, health management, daily care, emergency response, and other aspects. The new generation intelligent tour guide robot dog Spot released by Boston Dynamics incorporates chatbot technology, which can not only walk and talk, but also provide venue tour guide services for tourists. American analysis firm Gartner predicts that by 2030, approximately 80% of people will interact with intelligent robots on a daily basis. Robots and related technologies are important elements in enriching people's lives and reducing daily work burdens, "said Takayuki Ito, President of the International Federation of Robotics. The 2024 World Robot Report points out that Chinese companies are accelerating their overseas expansion, and China continues to maintain its position as the world's largest industrial robot market. In 2023, the number of newly installed industrial robots in China will reach 276300 units, accounting for 51% of the global new installations. Meanwhile, the total number of industrial robots in China is nearly 1.8 million, ranking first in the world. The report predicts that the Chinese robot market will accelerate its expansion in the second half of 2024, with an expected annual growth rate of 5% to 10% by 2027. For over a decade, China has been investing heavily in modern production facilities, and now it is the world's largest robot market, "said Marina Bill. In terms of services and medical robots, China has 107 related enterprises, ranking second only to the United States. According to data from International Data Corporation, the overall size of China's commercial service robot market in 2023 is about 1.38 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 17.6%. In terms of shipment volume, the total shipment volume of China's commercial service robot market in 2023 is about 53000 units. Catering delivery, hotel delivery, and commercial cleaning robots are the top three products in terms of market shipment volume, indicating the acceptance and recognition of these service robots by industry users and the general public. According to Chinese customs data, the export growth rate of industrial robots in China will reach 86.4% in 2023. Chinese robotics companies actively explore overseas markets and work together with partners to innovate and develop. Chinese robot manufacturer Jieka Robotics and French Schneider Electric have reached a strategic partnership to deepen the application of collaborative robots in industrial intelligent manufacturing systems. Yuejiang Technology, Elite Robotics, and Estun Automation Co., Ltd. have respectively established European headquarters in Germany and Switzerland to establish local service and sales structures. Gerald Mies, CEO of Estun Europe, stated that in the future, local businesses will be established in various European countries to provide sales, services, training, and more. George Stiller, the head of the Asia region at Stiller Enterprise Management Consulting, stated that Chinese robotics companies are currently accelerating their development into overseas markets due to their price advantage, strong ecosystem, and accumulated application experience in advanced manufacturing. Analysis suggests that although China's robotics industry started relatively late, there are still problems such as weak positive design capabilities, weak industrial foundations, and insufficient integration of industrial and innovation chains. However, it is believed that with technological progress and expanding market demand, the future of China's robotics industry is full of opportunities. Song Xiaogang, Secretary General of the China Machinery Industry Federation and Executive Director of the Robotics Branch, stated that Chinese suppliers are more concerned about technological progress, and Chinese enterprises have growth advantages in areas such as image processing systems or artificial intelligence applications. (New Society)