Several mobile robotics technologies for supply chains will mature within the next two to five years, creating an accelerating market for increasingly capable mobile robots and drones, according to Gartner.
Gartner’s Hype Cycle for Mobile Robots and Drones is a graphical depiction of a common pattern that arises with each new technology or other innovation through five phases of maturity and adoption. Chief supply chain officers can use this research to find robotic offerings that meet their needs.
Expanded use of automation, AI-enabled systems
Technologies that have passed the “Trough of Disillusionment” and are progressing on the “Slope of Enlightenment” based on Gartner’s research include (see chart below):
- Autonomous mobile robots for transport,
- Collaborative in-aisle picking robots and
- Mobile robotic goods-to-person systems.
The progression points to the benefits of these technologies becoming more widely understood.
“As organizations look to further improve logistic operations, support automation and augment humans in various jobs, supply chain leaders have turned to mobile robots to support their strategy,” said Dwight Klappich, VP analyst and Gartner fellow with the Gartner Supply Chain practice. “Mobile robots are continuing to evolve, becoming more powerful and practical, thus paving the way for continued technology innovation.”
On the rise this year are automation and AI offerings, such as autonomous data collection and inspection technologies, which are approaching the “Peak of Inflated Expectations” and are expected to deliver benefits over the next five to 10 years.
Leveraging indoor-flying drones and mobile robots to autonomously capture data, these products use technologies like AI-enabled vision or RFID to supplement time-consuming inventory management, inspection and surveillance tasks. The technology can also alleviate safety concerns that arise in warehouses, such as workers counting inventory in hard-to-reach places.
“Automating labor-intensive tasks can provide notable benefits,” Klappich said. “With AI capabilities increasingly embedded in mobile robots and drones, the potential to function unaided and adapt to environments will make it possible to support a growing number of use cases.”
Humanoid robots demonstrate potential for further automation
This year, humanoid robots have entered the “Innovation Trigger” on the Hype Cycle and are expected to have a transformational impact on the supply chain. However, mainstream adoption may take 10 years or more.
Exploiting the human form factor and powered by AI, Gartner says this generation of humanoid robots is striving to achieve the adaptability of the human workforce, flexibly supporting the needs of the business by dynamically moving between processes and taking on new activities without special programming.
“For supply chains with high-volume and predictable processes, humanoid robots have the potential to enhance or supplement the supply chain workforce,” Klappich added. “However, while the pace of innovation is encouraging, the industry is years away from general-purpose humanoid robots being used in more complex retail and industrial environments.”
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