The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) has reported that the total number of service robots sold for professional use reached almost 200,000 units in 2024, marking a 9% increase.
Staff shortages are a key driver for companies to use robots designed for trained professionals. At the same time, the growing elderly population is increasing demand for medical robots.
These findings are presented in the World Robotics 2025 Service Robots report by the IFR.
With 102,900 units (+14%) sold in 2024, more than every other professional service robot was built for the application class transportation and logistics.
These robots cover mainly mobile robots for the transport and handling of goods. While traditional sales remained the main channel of moniniterisation, RaaS enjoyed growing popularity with a growth rate of 42% in 2024.
Transportation in indoor environments without public traffic qualifies as the most important application class within this segment.
A special chapter in World Robotics 2025 focuses on the drivers and challenges in this dynamic market.
President of the International Federation of Robotics, Takayuki Ito, said: “There is strong demand for service robots in a number of different application areas.
“In order to integrate automation without making a heavy upfront investment, more-and-more companies are deciding to enter into subscription or rental agreements rather than purchasing robots outright.
“The robot-as-a-service fleet (RaaS) has grown impressively by 31%.”
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