The market for home care robotics systems is forecast to more than quadruple beginning in 2015, reaching $5.9B in 2025, according to ABI Research, with consumer robotics shipment expected to increase fivefold. At the same time, Wi-Fi attach rates for home care robots are expected to grow phenomenally over this time period to reach 100% by 2020.
"The days of unconnected consumer robotics products are numbered," says Philip Solis, Research Director at ABI Research. "Wi-Fi is rapidly becoming standard technology in home care robots, beginning with floor cleaners. Today, wireless connectivity merely allows robot systems to be controlled and monitored remotely, but looking forward, their connectivity, mobility, sensors, and functionality, such as machine vision, will expand their capabilities as part of the smart home."
According to ABI Research, this connectivity will allow home care robots to interface with smart home systems, including security systems, environmental controls, and remote services. This will in turn expand the functionality of both the smart home systems and the robots themselves, driving adoption rates for both in the process.
"The overall consumer robotics industry is on the verge of a major transformation that leverages the evolution of the smartphone market, cloud-based services, and the smart home," concludes Solis. "The industry is in the midst of a long-anticipated leap from standalone robots to robots that are part of an expanded and more integrated smart home ecosystem."
