Automakers Bought More Robots in ‘07
Sales of automotive robotics grew dramatically in 2007, according to Automotive News.
According to the Robotics Industry Association, sales to North American automakers rose 43 percent last year. The automakers bought about 10,140 robots worth an estimated $753 million, up from roughly 7,000 robots worth $630 million in 2006.
Kevin Ostby, vice president of automotive at Fanuc Robotics America Inc., said, “There was a spike in purchasing for new vehicle programs in 2007. It’s cyclical but last year saw an especially strong peak.
Comments
Scratch
Don't read too much into this. I work in robotics (a competitor of Fanuc's) and that 43% increase last year is compared to a near 50% decrease the year before. So, it's simply a recovery from the previous downturn. The industry as a whole is still considered to be very slow. Look for a big increase toward the end of this year, however...
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