The collaborative robot (cobot) market is expected to grow from $981 million in 2020 to $7.9 billion by 2026.
A compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 42% during this short period of 6 years puts the huge growth of this particular industry into perspective.
This growth is in part due to innovative robotics companies constantly pushing the boundaries of what was thought possible.
Below is a list of 10 innovative cobot companies to watch in 2020.
Automata
Automata is a London based robotics company working to ” democratize robotics” by offering a cost-effective robot solution to small to medium-sized companies.
The company, which was founded in 2015, creates intelligent collaborative robots at a fraction of the price of competitors.
When compared to the $50,000 – $80,000 for an industrial robot, the $5,000 for Automata’s Eva robot seems completely inconsequential. This price point is exactly what small to medium-sized companies with automation ambitions are looking for.
Automata’s first product, Eva, is an elegant, lightweight, affordable robot arm built for professionals: in a production line, in a lab, a home workshop, or even in a classroom.
Eva works seamlessly alongside humans, you no longer have to be a technical expert to communicate with robots – their web-based software platform, Choreograph, can be programmed by anyone, anywhere, any time, from any device, making it incredibly easy to reconfigure for a wide range of different tasks.
Universal Robots
It is difficult to make a list of cobot companies and not include Universal Robots. Their UR3, UR5, and UR10 cobots have been the go-to solution for multiple years now.
Six degrees of freedom, high flexibility, and easy integration into existing production environments is what sets them apart from the competition.
Their robots have a wide variety of applications that includes things like picking and placing, quality control and inspection, injection molding, assembly, palletizing, packaging, and more.
This makes Universal Robots the easy choice for small and medium-sized companies to implement robots into their production, even though they don’t necessarily possess the robotics expertise of bigger companies.
It is no wonder that global tech market advisory firm, ABI Research found Universal Robots to be the clear forerunner, in a study of over 50 cobot companies worldwide.
Doosan Robotics
The Doosan Group is a large South Korean corporation with 36 subsidiaries worldwide. They specialise in machinery, plant engineering, component materials, and cobots. Doosan Robotics was founded in 2015, and three years later they created their first series of cobots, the M-series.
In 2019 they launched the A-series, and with that, became the manufacturer with the biggest cobot lineup in the industry. There is no doubt that they are innovating at the speed of light, and should be watched closely during 2020.
Techman Robot
Established in 2016, Techman Robot is the only collaborative robot manufacturer based in Taiwan.
They offer cobots with embedded vision systems, software, and application-based solutions to the market, through their more than 100 distributors in China, Europe, Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia.
Within just three years of its company launch, they became the world’s second-largest cobot brand, and they are continually expanding into the international market.
They have established branches in Shanghai, Busan, and multiple overseas sales offices located in the Netherlands, Changshu, Shenzhen, and Chongqing, offering customers localised service to support their smart manufacturing and automation ventures. Keep your eyes on this highflyer!
Fanuc
Fanuc entered the cobot market back in 2015 with its CR-35iA. It featured a distinctive green foam coating which acts as a secondary layer of safety beyond the industry-standard safety features.
Now in 2020, Fanuc has 6 cobots in its arsenal, ranging from a payload capacity of 4kg to 35kg, and many more on the drawing table. This is a company to keep your eye on during 2020.
ABB
ABB is one of the largest industrial automation companies in the world.
While they primarily produce industrial robots, they were one of the first companies to produce and sell cobots.
Their YuMi cobot, released in 2015, was a game-changer and heralded a new era where people and robots safely and productively work side-by-side, without barriers.
In 2018 ABB released the single-arm YuMi cobot to expand its collaborative portfolio. This smaller, more agile cobot proves that ABB is continuously innovating in the cobot industry. What will we see from them in 2020?
AUBO Robotics
AUBO Robotics was developed in collaboration between three professors from the USA and China, to make a lightweight intelligent cobot.
The robot arm was specially designed with important functions from the start, combining state of the art technology with user-friendliness. The open-source architecture also enables the robot operating system (ROS) to be supported through API for industrial, research, and academic use.
Locus Robotics
Locus Robotics designs and builds innovative autonomous robots that work collaboratively alongside workers in the fast-paced logistics and fulfillment industries.
Workers can pick 3x faster with near 100% accuracy and less labor, delivering higher productivity and a better workplace.
The LocusEmpower(TM) system easily integrates into existing warehouse infrastructure without reconfiguring or disrupting workflows or infrastructure. The Locus system delivers unparalleled flexibility in moving inventory and orders through a fulfillment center.
Savioke
Savioke is the leader in developing and deploying peer-to-peer robots that work in human environments to improve operational efficiency.
Savioke became very popular back in 2015 when it made national news by turning its delivery system into a robot butler for The Aloft hotel in Cupertino, California.
Relay, the company’s flagship product, is a delivery robot that increases productivity, revenue, and delight for people across a range of markets, industries, and applications.
The robot features improved autonomy, automatic docking, and new design features that will enable Savioke to scale production.
Aethon Inc.
Aethon Inc. builds mobile robots that are used in a variety of areas.
In manufacturing, Aethon’s mobile robots transform material movement and improve the efficiency of the workers and the plant.
The mobile robots are also used to perform delivery and transportation tasks in hospitals to give the staff more time to focus on patient care.
The robots are also used to deliver food, linen, banquet supplies, and luggage in hotels and hospitality environments.
