Armed forces

Following a lull three or four years ago, sales of robots and robotic systems are again on the rise on both sides of the Atlantic.

The US declared record sales for the first quarter of this year with new robot orders up 30 per cent, according to recent figures from the country’s trade body, the Robotic Industries Association (RIA).

North American manufacturing companies ordered 5,316 robots worth over $300m (£168m) in the January–March period. An additional 272 robots worth $18m were exported to manufacturing companies outside north America. ‘It was an outstanding quarter, one of the best since we started tracking robot sales in 1983,’ said Donald Vincent, the association’s executive vice-president.

‘The strong first quarter results, continuing the double-figure gains of the past two years, show that north American firms increasingly recognise the benefits robots provide in terms of quality improvement, productivity, and cost savings. If economic conditions remain healthy, we expect 2005 to be a very good year.’