Series production forecast from 2025
Over 50 per cent of manual activities can be automated
Numerous possible applications along the value chain
Humanoid robots are leaving the laboratory and moving into the production halls of large industrial companies, according to the Horváth market analysis ‘Humanoid Robots in Operations’. ‘Humanoid robots for industrial use will be mass-produced as early as 2025,’ predicts Tobias Bock, Senior Project Manager at Horváth. According to the management consultancy, thanks to technological advances, the maturity of humanoid robots will even be so advanced by 2030 that they will surpass human capabilities in terms of speed of movement, flexibility and fine motor skills.
Possible applications in production and logistics
To date, the industry has mainly used articulated robots for welding, painting and assembly. Cobots (collaborative robots) are used for quality inspection, among other things. Both types resemble a human arm. Humanoid robots, on the other hand, resemble humans in their overall stature and are just as tall and heavy. This makes them particularly suitable for working in environments designed for humans. The first pilot projects in the automotive industry are already underway. Mercedes, for example, is testing the use of a model by the US manufacturer Apptronik: Apollo is around 1.73 metres tall, weighs 73 kilograms and can lift 25 kilograms. It is to be used in production, for example when delivering assembly kits to workers. Tobias Bock: ‘There are many possible applications along the value chain in a factory. Humanoid robots can take on particularly labour-intensive, physically demanding and repetitive tasks in production and logistics.’
Acquisition costs fall drastically
Currently, the acquisition costs for human-like robots are still higher than for other industrial robots. Horváth expects an average price of 80,000 euros at market launch. Added to this are maintenance costs of around 4,000 euros per year. However, series production is expected to reduce the average purchase price to 48,000 euros by 2030.
The experts assume that the return on investment per robot will initially be less than 1.36 years, depending on the purchase price, and will decrease drastically in the coming years due to technical developments. Study leader and automation expert Tobias Bock: ‘In the medium term, humanoid robots have the potential to take over more than 50 per cent of manual tasks in the production environment. The human-like robots can fill gaps in personnel for repetitive, physically heavy work and help to relieve highly qualified personnel on the assembly line. Industrial companies should already consider the transformation potential in their strategy and identify possible fields of application.’
The analysis ‘Humanoid Robots in Operations’ is available for download here:
https://hrvth.com/3TZd61I