Soft robots are a one up than traditional robots. Soft robots have the capability to adjust and deform themselves as per the requirement of the environment, which is not usually the case with traditional robots. Also, due to the increasing interaction between humans and robots, soft robots are better suitable for carrying out such interaction.
Recently, in Feb 2021, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology announced that a team of researchers has developed low-cost artificial skin. The artificial skin will enable robots to perceive touch when coming in contact with human or soft environments.
The evolution of intelligent soft robotics is the result of excessive demand from industries like healthcare, food & beverage, and e-commerce to handle delicate objects. Additionally, increasing adoption of robots across various end-use industries has opened up various opportunities for intelligent soft robotics.
Some of the advantages of using soft robots include collision avoidance, multifunctional, and low-cost. The material used for manufacturing soft robots is such that it can absorb impact in case of collision, thus preventing injuries. This property of soft robots makes them ideal and compatible for human interaction. Further, the material used in manufacturing soft robots is often low in cost.
Based on the market intelligence study by BIS Research, the global intelligent soft robotics market was valued at $447.6 million in 2019 and is projected to reach $2,160.0 million by 2024. The growth in the market is attributed to the increasing demand for advance robots.
Additionally, some of the prominent factors contributing to the increasing demand for soft robotics include enhanced efficiency, productivity, and speed, continuous decrease in the workforce, and reduced safety concerns associated with them.
Moreover, the requirement of integrating intelligent soft robotics in rovers for interplanetary space missions and the increasing demand for surgical soft robotics in healthcare are some of the major opportunities that can boost the growth of the soft robotics market in future, among other things.
The intelligent soft robotics market includes various types of robots, including collaborative robots (co-robots), inflated robots, soft grippers, wearables, and others. Among these, the contribution of soft grippers was maximum in 2019 and is expected to dominate in 2024 as well.
Some of the most prominent applications of end-users for which soft robotics can be used include healthcare, logistics, defense, food and beverage, and space. The logistics segment held the maximum market share in 2019 and is expected to dominate the market in 2024 as well.
The evolution of robotics and automation is occurring at a rapid rate. However, in contrast to traditional automation, which requires tedious programming of robotic systems, the upcoming technology introduces autonomous systems, thereby making robotic systems use motion sensors, machine vision, image and voice recognition, and advanced and complex software to handle progressively intelligent work.
