DC Velocity - January 2020

More than 150,000 mobile robots will be deployed in brick-and-mortar stores around the world by 2025, according to a report from technology market advisory firm ABI Research.

The London-based company said retail is a prime growth area in the mobile robotics sector, as retailers strive to develop their omnichannel business strategies and tackle last-mile delivery challenges. Robotics companies are developing indoor-to-outdoor solutions, and the growing range of applications includes inventory management, material handling in the backroom and on the shop floor, and last-mile delivery.

“Big retailers have demonstrated their ability to scale
their robotic products much more easily than other
markets [have]. For example, Kroger has developed a
partnership with pioneering last-mile delivery company
Nuro, and Walmart is leading the industry in technology
development, albeit under the radar,” Rian Whitton, ABI
senior robotics analyst, said in a statement announcing
the report’s findings. “As it looks to keep an aggressive
pace in last-mile delivery, Walmart has also filed more
drone patents than even Amazon has.”
Looking ahead, the researchers said customer
demand for accuracy and speedy delivery will continue
to give retailers a “sense of urgency around robots and
automation.” ;