Out in Front: December 21, 1995

After four years of decline, the world’s industrial-robot population is coming back strong with a growth of 21.2% in unit shipments this year to about 64,000 systems, says an annual report from the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and the International Federation of Robotics. The report expects the average annual unit growth rate between 1995 and 1998 to be 19%. The record in robot shipments occurred in 1990 before recessions dramatically reduced demand in Japan and Western Europe. Manufacturers shipped more than 80,000 robots that year, when the total market value was $6.9 billion, says the report. The world robot market slipped to $3.6 billion in 1993 but increased slightly to $3.7 billion last year. In 1995, manufacturers will ship about 64,000, and, in 1998, the number will reach 107,000 systems, the report concludes. -- from Electronic Business Today Magazine