How many robots will be working in industry by the end of 2003?
The worldwide stock of operational industrial robots is forecasted to increase from 743,000 units by the end of 1999 to 892,000 units by the end of 2003 (see table 1 and figure 2). When excluding Japan, whose stock is projected to continue to decrease until 2001, the remaining world operational stock of multipurpose industrial robots is forecasted to increase from 340,000 units to 507,000 units. In the United States, the operational stock of multipurpose industrial robots is forecasted to reach 155,000 units in 2003. The projection for the European Union is 262,000 units, 110,000 of which have been predicted for Germany; 58,000 for Italy; 28,000 for France; and 15,000 for the United Kingdom (see table 1 and figure 2). Results of the first half of 2000 – the boom continues Looking at the first half of 2000, the ECE/IFR quarterly survey on order intake of industrial robots showed that worldwide order increased by 12%, compared with the same period in 1999, which was a record year. This f
