Warehouse automation has increased by $3.55 billion, a double-digit CAGR rate, from 201-8-2002, according to Makreo Research and Consulting.
By the end of 2023, it is expected that the global market for warehouse automation technology which includes robotics, logistics, palletizing, sorting, and other technologies will be worth $21.7 billion.
That level of growth will continue due to the fact that more than 80% of warehouses lack automation, notes the firm. Only 5% of warehouses use sophisticated automation technologies and procedures, and only 15% of warehouses are automated.
During this time frame, the pandemic’s most significant direct effect on business was the shift of consumers to online shopping, which increased demand for eCommerce warehouse and distribution services. Warehouses had to contend with their own labor shortages, supply chain issues, and transportation problems in addition to trying to meet rising demand, which caused a variety of ongoing challenges.
For warehouses to thrive in a constantly changing and unexpected environment, flexibility is essential, the report notes. One way that warehouses are increasing flexibility is by using cobots. Cobots, or collaborative robots, work alongside humans in warehouses to increase output, speed, and error reduction. In the warehouse they can be used for operations including picking, packing, inspecting and palletizing. These techniques increased warehouse productivity by 30%, per a Darex study.
Another trend is the use of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) that work independently in warehouses. They use sensors that decode and understand their environment to accomplish this. Automatic guided vehicles (AGVs) go along established paths with an operator on board. Both AMRs and AGVs are used in warehouses to complete laborious, repetitive tasks.
