Service robots are booming - new global records in 2024

The sales of professional service robots have increased worldwide by nine percent to nearly 200,000 units. The lack of skilled workers is one of the main reasons for companies to rely on robots that are specifically designed for use with trained professionals.

At the same time, due to demographic changes, the demand for medical robots is rising. This is according to the annual report 'World Robotics - Service Robots' by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR).

“We see strong demand for service robots in a whole range of different application areas,” says Takayuki Ito, president of the International Federation of Robotics. “To make automation projects possible without large initial investments, more and more companies are choosing not to buy the robot directly, but to finance it through subscriptions or rental agreements. As a result, the Robot-as-a-Service fleet - RaaS for short - has grown by an impressive 31 percent.”

Top application areas for professional service robots

The transport and logistics application area is leading in sales figures for 2024 with 102,900 units - an increase of 14 percent compared to the previous year - and thus accounts for a market share of over 50 percent in professional service robots. These are mainly mobile robots for the transport and handling of goods. While traditional sales remain the most important sales channel, RaaS offerings enjoyed increasing popularity with a growth rate of 42 percent in 2024. Indoor transport without public traffic is the most important application class within this segment. A focus chapter by the Fraunhofer IPA team in the World Robotics 2025 Service Robots annual report deals separately with the drivers and challenges of this dynamic market.

Robots in the hotel and hospitality industry on the rise

Robots in the hotel and hospitality industry rank second with more than 42,000 units. The segment recorded a decline of eleven percent in 2024. These robots are mostly used as mobile assistants for information and telepresence in public spaces. The service robots take on smaller tasks at the reception or are intended to promote sales in shopping centres or individual shops. The sector is rapidly evolving - new application areas have emerged, such as the preparation of food and beverages. The demand for professional cleaning robots ranks third with an increase of 34 percent to more than 25,000 robots sold. The main application is floor cleaning, for example in airports, supermarkets, and shopping centres. 

The sales of service robots in agriculture rank fourth and slightly decreased by six percent with almost 19,500 units sold. The decline is mainly due to the areas of cultivation and milking. The application group of search and rescue robots as well as security robots ranks fifth with a total of 3,100 units in 2024. This corresponds to an increase of 19 percent. Three out of four robots in this segment are used for security services.

How is the market for medical robots developing?

The World Robotics 2025 yearbook lists medical robots as the third category alongside service robots and industrial robots, following the guidelines of the ISO standard: sales of medical robots increased significantly by 91 percent in 2024 to around 16,700 units. Sales of rehabilitation and non-invasive therapy robots rose by 106 percent. The demand for surgical robots grew by 41 percent, and sales of robots for diagnostics and medical laboratory analysis increased by 610 percent.

"In a focus chapter of the annual report 'World Robotics 2025', we address the exciting new opportunities that arise for medical laboratory automation," says Dr. Werner Kraus, chairman of the IFR service robotics committee. "In times of labour shortages, service robots help reduce manual tasks and create new ways to meet the growing demand for medical services due to the rapidly growing elderly population."

Robots for private use

Service robots for private use are produced for a mass market and recorded solid growth of eleven percent in 2024 with almost 20 million units sold. By far the largest group in this segment are robots for private households (floor cleaning, lawn mowing, etc.). Providers from Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, in particular, benefited from the increasing demand with growth rates of 16 percent each. Sales in America fell slightly by one percent due to market losses in robotic vacuum cleaners.

IFR