According to a report by ABI Research, servos, actuators and motors would show higher sales when compared to the total robot market by 2016. This rise in sales was attributed to the increasing challenges in robot creation.
The financial details given in the report predict that the revenue from robotic components would exceed $2.36 billion in 2016 against revenue of $22 billion in the total robotics market. Components including microcontrollers, wheels and battery units which are used extensively on numerous robots are expected to show a drastic increase in unit shipping volumes.
The research director, Philip Solis, pointed out that personal robots are dominating the market with 97% of the share in unit shipments. Military, medical and industrial robots on the other hand generate much higher revenue due to their high ASPs. He added that as the complexity of robots increases, the need for more expensive and sophisticated components and materials would increase proportionally. Solis was of the opinion that the instability in the global economy caused by natural/man-made disasters also affects the availability and hence cost of components. The research particularly takes a closer look at the global market behaviour for robotic components during the period 2011-2016, classified region-wise. The report is divided into categories based on individual components, revenues, ASPs and shipments. Additionally, the report discusses the activities of the major players in the industry.