In March, Productive Robotics the designer and manufacturer of new generation cobots in manufacturing, showcased its US-made OB7 cobot range in Atlanta. The largest model of the 7-axis cobot line, OB7-Max 12, can be used to palletize boxes. With a 12-kg payload capacity and a 1.3-metre reach, OB7-Max 12 has the same “teach without programming” user interface as the rest of the OB7 models. “New robotics and automation technologies continue to emerge, and the market is growing increasingly competitive, but above all, customers want solutions that are fast to deploy and affordable, require minimal complex integration, and a high return on investment,” explained Zac Bogart, Productive Robotics president.

A new report from Research and Markets expects the global cobot market (including hardware, software, and service) to reach $36.84 billion by 2026. This represents a 2019-2026 compound annual growth rate of almost 45%. A key driver underpinning this growth is consistently falling prices. For example, several cobots today are available for under $45,000 and have a faster return on investment (ROI) than previously. The market leader is expected to be cobots with a payload capacity of up to 5 kg. This is because these cobots are relatively easy to deploy, have high adaptability, but, above all, are affordable for small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs).