Facts about robots
The robot is also just a fraction of the expense of integrating automation into a factory. A robot that stacks goods on to pallets can cost up to $150,000 to install when sensors, safety fencing, conveyors and other infrastructure are taken into account, according to Jorg Hendrikx, chief executives of robotics marketplace Qviro. Such costs put robotics out of the reach of many US manufacturers.
Just 20 per cent of factories with between 50 and 150 employees have a robot, half the rate of those with more than 1,000 staff, according to the US Census Bureau.