‘Time to seed’ for service robot boom

Considering the rapid shift in trends in information technology businesses, the demand for service robots will start to boom in 2020, according to a French service robotics industry expert.

Bruno Bonnell, chairman of Europe’s largest service robotics company Robopolis, said the industrial trend changes every 10 years. We’re now living in the time of smartphones ― but that will change by 2020.

“In 1981, computers were fun but they were machines for geeks. People said the devices were not so exciting and everybody had doubts about it. Robotics is now in the same stage,” said Bonnell in a recent interview with The Korea Herald.

Bonnell, also the president of French federation of service robotics called Syrobo, said he estimates that the market for service robots will reach $100 billion in activity in 2020, from the current $10 million.

As evidence, Bonnell pointed to the annual robotics show in Korea which tripled in size this year. The Robot World 2012 held at KINTEX in Ilsan last week welcomed 12 French companies to participate thanks to the support of the city of Lyon, center of French robotics.

“I believe we will be surrounded by robots, intelligence and machines in our everyday lives in the same way we’re now surrounded by computers, tablets and televisions,” he said. “Your car will be robotic, your kitchen will be robotic and all the cleaning devices are going to be robotic. In 10 years from now, we will be wondering how to live without a robot.”

Bonnell himself has six to seven robots at home that wipe the windows, clean the floors and play with his children.

“Robots are not perfect, they’re like people,” he said. “(But) robots are here to simplify your life so that you can focus on people.”

However, the robotics industry will only begin to mature in 2020, meaning more time thereafter is required for better services and devices, according to Bonnell.

He added that the most successful service robot so far has been the robotic vacuum cleaner.

“I’m not so interested in today’s results but much more interested in observing the acceleration,” said Bonnell. “If you don’t get prepared now, we will be losing opportunities, so it’s time to seed, not time to harvest. In every industry, there’s always a time to seed. Now is that time.”

By Cho Ji-hyun (sharon@heraldcorp.com)