American companies bought 29,000 robots in the first nine months of 2021 
American companies have found a way to tackle labor shortages with robots. This is reported by The Wall Street Journal.
In the first nine months of 2021, US companies bought 29 thousand robots for $ 1.48 billion, in 2020 – for $ 1.09 billion. The previous record for the same period was set in 2017 ($ 1.47 billion).
Association for Advanced Automation President Jeff Burstein said that almost all industries are facing a shortage of workers due to the coronavirus pandemic and logistical problems. In the third quarter, companies ordered 9.9 thousand robots, 6.3 thousand of which will be used in the non-automotive industry.
The increase in sales is largely due to orders from the metallurgical industry, which purchased three times more robots than in past years. There is also strong demand in the food and beverage industry (up 40 percent) and the consumer goods industry (up 26 percent). The demand for robots in the manufacture of chips and electronics has grown by 26 percent. According to experts, the industrial robot market will amount to $ 42.29 billion by 2026.
In September, the head of the Chinese auto company Xpeng suggested that in the foreseeable future, all major automakers will be engaged in the production of robots. Xpeng views them as transport in a “low speed environment”.