Sales of industrial robots increased 114% over the past five years – with a record 381,000 units shipped globally in 2017, according to the World Robotics Report recently released by the International Federation of Robotics. The global sales value of industrial robots also hit a new high in 2017, increasing 21% to US$16.2 billion.

“We are excited to see the tremendous growth of robotics worldwide,” said Jeff Burnstein, president of the Association for Advancing Automation and the Robotic Industries Association. “Automotive remains the largest sector, followed by electronics. But these numbers also show the rapid growth of automation in many diverse industries -- such as metals, plastics, pharmaceuticals, and food and beverage.”