IDTechEx Asks How Mobile Robotics Can Impact the Future Logistics Industry

(UK) IDTechEx recently released "Mobile Robotics in Logistics, Warehousing and Delivery 2022-2042," a market research report exploring the technical, regulatory, and market factors shaping the emerging industry around logistics mobile robotics. The mobile robotics industry has grown quickly in recent years, spurred on by advances in robotics technology, autonomous navigation, and artificial intelligence (AI), and may efficiently and cost-effectively alleviate many of the labor issues that are currently threatening the global logistics.

Mobile robotics, as covered in the new IDTechEx report, can be used to automate a range of logistics operations, including material handling, material picking, long-haul distribution, and last-mile delivery. Some applications of mobile robotics, including material transporting using automated guided vehicles (AGVs), are already mature industries attracting billions of dollars in annual revenue, whereas others, such as fully autonomous drone delivery, are still emerging and may only reach a large scale of commercialization after this decade. Despite the market stage, mature or emerging, each market is so active that it attracts millions or even billions of dollars of investments every year. In addition, recently a number of mobile robotic start-ups have been acquired by technology or engineering giants; notable examples include the acquisitions by Toyota, Amazon, Teradyne, Apple, and ABB, indicating their further steps towards entering the logistic mobile robotic industry.

This latest report, "Mobile Robotics in Logistics, Warehousing and Delivery 2022-2042," examines the key forms of products used in different logistics operations. These include AGVs (forklifts, tow tractors, unit load carts, and others), "goods-to-person" grid-based automated guided carts (AGCs), autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), heavy-load autonomous mobile vehicles (AMVs), case-picking robots, mobile manipulators, heavy-duty autonomous trucks, autonomous last mile delivery vans, robots, and drones. The report highlights major market players within each application area working to commercialize products, including analysis of technology readiness and comparisons between products, and provides long-term outlooks for each market.

In addition to analyzing the key product forms within logistics mobile robots, Cambridge, England-based IDTechEx also discusses the emerging technologies that are underpinning the growth of the logistics mobile robotics industry. These include sensors such as LiDAR and Radar, AI, computer vision technologies, and different navigation technologies. The report also explains in detail how mobile robots can address the pain points that are restricting the growth of the logistics industry now.

The report also includes abundant examples of products helping readers understand the current technological status of mainstream products and typical features that can be found on most logistic mobile robots. When presenting examples, the interview-based or most updated company information such as funding status, key customers, product development, and latest milestones will also be introduced along with the products, providing a close and microscopic view for a better understanding of the market. Some of the market challenges faced by the industry, such as regulations and technological barriers, are also introduced in the report.

Finally, the report provides 20-year market forecasts for the future of mobile robotics in the logistics industry, including granular breakdowns by application area and product categories. Based on IDTechEx's technical and industry analysis, the market revenue of mobile robotics in logistics is forecast to reach over US$300 billion by 2042 (including level-4 autonomous trucks).