Robotic Sensors Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Type (Light Sensor, Tactile Sensor, Temperature Sensor, Pressure Sensor, Navigation and Positioning Sensors, Proximity Sensor, Others), By End Use Industry (Aerospace and Defense, Automotive, Chemicals, Consumer Electronics, Energy and Utility, Food and Beverages, Healthcare, Logistics and Transportation, Manufacturing, Agriculture, Others) and Regional Forecast, 2032

The global robotic sensors market size was valued at USD 1.63 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach USD 5.63 billion by 2032, exhibiting a CAGR of 9.2% during the forecast period.

The drive towards Industry 4.0 and smart factories has increased the demand for automation, robotics, and control systems as they assist manufacturers to increase productivity, efficiency, and profitability. Robotic systems require different types of sensors to perform various sensing tasks in the unstructured environment. Robotic sensors are the most important components of robotics as they allow robots to interact with their environment in an intelligent and flexible manner. Various characteristics such as sensitivity, stability, linearity, ruggedness, temperature range, power consumption, and self-test capability of sensors are taken into consideration before deploying them into the system. For instance, pressure sensors offered by TE Connectivity are suitable for a wide range of industrial applications, such as in hazardous locations.

COVID-19: Deployment of Robots to Mitigate Transmission to Affect Growth Positively

Even though the COVID-19 pandemic has hit many businesses, manufacturers of humanoid and collaborative robots are experiencing great demand from hospitals and industrial sectors.

• In July 2020, FLIR Systems Inc., one of the leading semiconductor manufacturing companies launched FLIR Hydron, a dual thermal sensor module for robots, drones, and thermal imaging solution manufacturers.

Further, since the coronavirus is highly contagious, robots are being adopted by hospitals to deliver contact-free services.

• In April 2020, healthcare officials in Italy deployed Tommy, a robot nurse in Circolo hospital, Varese, to take care of the coronavirus infected patients. Tommy can measure oxygen saturation level and blood pressure for patients in the ICU, as well as for those who are on a ventilator.

Key players in the industry are heavily investing in research and development activities to launch different types of sensors that can be integrated in drones and robots to enable the governments and healthcare professionals to better contain the spread of the virus and screen people.

• For instance, in April 2020, Walmart Inc. deployed Auto-C, a 920-pound self-driving robotic floor scrubbers to clean the floors and maintain hygiene in its stores. The company is also planning to deploy approximately 1,860 more of such robotic floor scrubbers in more than 4,700 of its U.S. stores by next February.

However, lockdown situations, trade restrictions across countries, limited workforce, and disruption in supply chain operations are negatively affecting the supply and demand of the market.

LATEST TRENDS

Surging Adoption of Collaborative Robots by Manufacturing Companies is a Current Trend

The manufacturing companies are vigorously adopting sensor-enabled collaborative robots to automate a variety of tasks, including pick-and-place, quality inspection, and screw driving among others. Sensors incorporated in the collaborative robots give them cognitive abilities to take decisions independently. The adoption of these robots in manufacturing practices contributes to a decline in injuries and accidents at the workplace. This helps companies to achieve higher throughput, greater productivity, and revenue gains.

E-commerce companies, such as Amazon, have already deployed robots at its warehouse to assist their staff in various logistics and operation activities. As the robotic technology matures, collaborative robots can be made more versatile to perform complex, as well as creative tasks. Thus, the increasing interest from various industries to deploy robotic systems for flexible workflow is expected to create a good opportunity for the robot sensors market.

DRIVING FACTORS

Use of Robots in Military and Defense Sector for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) will Favor Growth

The ongoing developments in automation and the increasing advancements in robotics have encouraged several military and defense agencies to deploy robots in their spaces. These robots comprise in-built sensors, which help them to perform a greater variety of combat tasks- from sniper selection to more effective target acquisition activities. Military and defense organizations are deploying sensors in numerous security systems, explosives detection systems, intrusion detection systems, crime detection systems, and civil establishments for propulsion, flight controls, site monitoring, weaponry controls, and communications purposes.

Furthermore, various countries and defense agencies are heavily investing in search and rescue robots and sea machine robotics. For instance, in July 2020, Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc., America’s one of the largest ship building companies, invested USD 15 million in Sea Machines Robotics, Inc., an autonomous firm based in Boston to strengthen its footprints in autonomous shipping developments in Asia and Europe. Under this investment, the companies are planning to take a significant stride in unmanned and robotics technology.

Increasing Deployment of Autonomous Mobile Robots in Warehouses to Propel Growth

Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) use robotic sensors and software solutions to understand their environment and deliver inventory around the warehouse. Ultrasonic sensors, position sensors, and angel sensors are some of the most commonly used sensors in the warehouse robots. These sensors help in generating accurate data on 3D orientation, lift position, gripper angle, and navigation direction, thereby allowing smooth and safe operation. Along with the picking and sorting process, AMRs also assist in conducting daily inventory checks. For instance, a logistics company in Belgium named 2XL, uses automated guided vehicles in its warehouse to improve its processes efficiency, as well as increase security and stability.

RESTRAINING FACTORS

Limited Range and Shelf Life of Sensors to Impede Market Growth

Although sensors are used in wide varieties of applications, narrow bandwidth and limited range make it impossible for sensors to capture data from distant and remote locations. As robotic sensor implementations rely on electrical resources, in case of low power, it is critical to enable the continuous functioning of sensors. Moreover, these sensors normally have a shelf life of six months to one year depending on the type of application they perform. Therefore, it can be hectic for the maintenance teams to reinstall these sensors in robotic solutions. These are some of the factors, which may hinder the robotic sensors market growth.

SEGMENTATION

By Type Analysis

Proximity Sensor Segment to Capture Maximum Share Owing to Low Cost and Accurate Detection Ability

Based on type, the market for robotic sensors is categorized into light sensor, tactile sensor, temperature sensor, pressure sensor, navigation and positioning sensors, and proximity sensor, and others.

The proximity sensor segment would capture the maximum share due to its low-cost nature. Also, its extensive use for the detection of objects entering the sensor’s field is set to aid growth. However, the navigation and positioning sensors segment is estimated to be the fastest growing segment during the forecast period. The growth is majorly attributed to their increasing usage in industrial robots to perform various tasks including material handling, product testing, and others.

The light sensor segment is expected to showcase a strong growth during the forecast period owing to the increasing demand for light sensors for object detection and brightness control to carry out various operations in low light areas. Temperature sensors are used in various robotic systems to sense surface temperature, air temperature, and immersion temperature variations in the surrounding. Similarly, pressure sensors are used to perform important processes and quality control functions in the manufacturing units.

By End Use Industry Analysis

Manufacturing Segment to Dominate Backed by Rising Adoption of Automation

In terms of end use industry, the market is segmented into aerospace and defense, automotive, chemicals, consumer electronics, energy and utility, food and beverages, healthcare, logistics and transportation, manufacturing, agriculture, and others.

The manufacturing segment dominates the market owing to the immense adoption of automation in manufacturing units. Sensor-based collaborative and humanoid robots are used for various functions such as packing, picking, rolling, and others in this industry. However, the agriculture segment is anticipated to show the highest CAGR in the upcoming years owing to the increasing demand for sensor-based robots to carry out various agricultural operations such as harvesting and control, sorting and packing, seeding, spraying, and others. The robotic sensors are playing a key role in various end use industries by carrying out difficult tasks efficiently.

REGIONAL INSIGHTS

Geographically, the market is divided in five major regions, namely, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. They are further categorized into countries.

Asia Pacific dominates the market as countries, such as China and India are rapidly increasing their budgets in the consumer electronics industry. In recent years, automotive manufacturers in Japan and China have adopted advanced technologies in robotics to meet the need for fast-moving vehicle manufacturing. Most of the automotive manufacturers have introduced robotic automation at the shop floor in production plants, to reduce labor costs and to achieve efficiency for the manufacturing process.

The European market for robotic sensors is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The demand for industrial, as well as service robotics is increasing rapidly in the manufacturing, transportation, healthcare, and security and utilities sectors. North America is expected to exhibit significant growth owing to the rising expenditure on advanced technologies by the government and companies in the United States. The Middle East and Africa and Latin America are also set to contribute to the growth of the global market owing to the increasing investments done by the government in various sectors.

KEY INDUSTRY PLAYERS

Prominent Players Primarily Focus on Expansion of Product Portfolios to Gain Competitive Edge

Major market players include TE Connectivity Ltd., Fanuc Corporation, Baumer Group, and others are focusing on the expansion and development of their existing product portfolio by offering customization in the existing products and services or developing new products to cater to the requirements of the customers. Many companies are making substantial investments in advanced technology, such as the internet of things (IoT), machine learning (ML), and blockchain. Investments in such latest sensors for robotics technologies have enabled market players to expand their core business capabilities and promote greater production efficiency and productivity.

List of Key Companies Profiled:

• ams AG (Premstätten, Austria)


• ATI Industrial Automation, Inc. (North Carolina, United States)


• Balluff GmbH (Germany)


• Baumer Group (Frauenfeld, Switzerland)


• CAPTRON Electronic GmbH (New York, United States)


• Cognex Corporation (Massachusetts, United States)


• DAIHEN Corporation (Japan)


• Datalogic S.p.A (Italy)


• Fanuc Corporation (Yamanashi, Japan)


• FUTEK Advanced Sensor Technology, Inc. (California, United States)


• Hans Turck GmbH & Co. KG (Germany)


• Honeywell International Inc. (North Carolina, United States)


• ifm electronic GmbH (Essen, Germany)


• Infineon Technologies AG (Neubiberg, Germany)


• KEYENCE CORPORATION (Osaka, Japan)


• Omron Corporation (United States)


• OnRobot A/S (Odense, Denmark)


• Roboception GmbH (München, Germany)


• Rockwell Automation Inc. (Wisconsin, United States)


• Schneider Electric SA (Rueil-Malmaison, France)


• Seiko Epson Corporation (Nagano, Japan)


• Sensata Technologies, Inc. (Massachusetts, United States)


• SensoPart Industriesensorik GmbH (Gottenheim, Germany)


• SICK AG (Waldkirch, Germany)


• TE Connectivity Ltd. (Schaffhausen, Switzerland)


• Tekscan, Inc. (Boston, United States)


• Velodyne Lidar Inc. (California, United States)

KEY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS:

• July 2020 – FANUC Corporation launched 3DV/600 vision sensor and expanded its image processing solution portfolio. The new sensor is designed for the use in various applications, including bin selection, assembly line feeding, or pallets. It provides an expanded field of vision consisting of the other models in the series and can be mounted in a long range of industrial robots.


• July 2020 – Omron Corporation launched its latest sensor enabled robotic solution HD-1500, to expand its footprints in the automotive transport industry. HD-1500 has a high payload capacity of up to 1,500 kg and is capable of carrying out a wide variety of tasks in industrial automation.

REPORT COVERAGE

The report offers qualitative and quantitative insights on robotic sensors and the detailed analysis of market size & growth rate for all possible segments in the market.

Along with this, the robotic sensors market research report provides an elaborative analysis of the market dynamics, emerging trends, and competitive landscape. Key insights offered in the report are the adoption by individual segments, recent robot sensor industry developments such as partnerships, mergers & acquisitions, consolidated SWOT analysis of key players, Porter’s five forces analysis, business strategies of leading market players, macro and micro-economic indicators, and key industry trends.

REPORT SCOPE & SEGMENTATION