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The Spoon

Daily news and analysis about the food tech revolution

Association for Advancing Automation

Orders for Food and Consumer Goods Robots Grew 56 Percent Last Year

Often when we write about the growth in food robotics, it’s based on anecdotal data. For example, over the past year robot startups have told us that thanks to COVID-19, they’ve seen a surge in demand.

Now, thanks to the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), we have some hard numbers to reaffirm what we’ve already been reporting. The A3 announced yesterday that for the first time last year, orders of robots for non-automotive purposes surpassed automotive robot orders. According to the press announcement, sales of robotic units in North America in 2020 were up 3.5 percent over sales in 2019. North American companies ordered 31,044 robotic units at a value of $1.572 billion last year.

For our specific purposes here at The Spoon, the A3 said that orders for food and consumer goods robots grew by 56 percent in 2020. And not only were more robots being ordered for the food sector, they were being used for higher-level tasks. Mark Joppru, Vice President, Consumer Segment & Service Robotics, US ABB Robotics and Machine Automation, said in the A3 press release:

In food applications, for example, where robots were traditionally used to automate simpler processes like case loading, they are increasingly being commissioned for higher value processes, like directly preparing food, resulting in improvements to food safety and hygiene. While these trends have existed for several years, COVID has changed perceptions and priorities for customers, accelerating the adoption of robotic automation.

This echoes what we’ve been hearing from food robot startups throughout the pandemic. Cleanliness and hygiene are the new priorities for the companies buying food robots. Robots provide a contactless way of preparing, ordering and delivering food, create more social distance in kitchens and can help alleviate staffing issues.

Just as important, robots are getting more sophisticated and, as Joppru points out, able to complete higher value tasks. Flippy is working the fryers at White Castle. Woowa Brothers delivery bots are integrating with elevator and security systems to increase navigation within buildings. And robot kiosks like RoboEatz can prepare 1,000 meals before needing a human to refill the ingredients.

Given the constant stream of robot news we’re been writing, it’s not too hard to imagine that this time next year, we’ll be writing about record growth for the industry in 2021.

Food Industry a Big Buyer as Robot Orders Rose to Record Levels

We’ve known for a while that the robots are coming, but now we have some hard numbers detailing just how many of them there are. According to recent data from the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), 2017 was a record-setting year for robots, with the food industry among the big buyers (hat tip to ZDNet).

According to the A3, during the first nine months of 2017, there were 27,294 orders of robots, valued at roughly $1.473 billion in North America. This is a 14 percent jump in units and a 10 percent rise in dollars over the same period in 2016.

Among those industries ponying up for robots were Metals (54 percent), Automotive Components (42 percent) and Food and Consumer Goods (21 percent).

“Food and Consumer Goods” is a pretty broad category, but we are seeing robots deployed throughout the food chain. From tending crops, to re-stocking grocery shelves, to delivering groceries and flipping burgers.

Don’t expect this growth to slow down in the coming year. Robots work really well for manual, repetitive tasks and giants like Walmart and Amazon really like them. Additionally, the restaurant industry already predicts that robots will become mainstream by 2025.

If the GOP tax bill becomes law (which looks likely), corporations will have more money to spend and there’s a good chance that will go towards more robots and automation. With all that, 2017’s record year for robots could seem paltry in 2018.