http://www.euinfrastructure.com/news/robot-revolution/If science fiction is to believed, the world is a few steps away from an Artificial Intelligence revolution, a technological leap that will enable us to have robots in the home, helping us in our daily tasks and jobs... before they rise up against us. However before Judgement Day happens, we look at who is leading the market in robotics.It may amaze you to learn that in 2003, there were an estimated 600,000 'household' robots in the world... of course, these were mainly robot vacuum cleaners and lawn mowers. Today, there are over four million.As you'd expect, Japan is leading the way in robotics, competing against American and European companies to build humanoid robots to act as domestic helpers. 30 percent of the world's robots are constructed and operational in Japan, however the EU is not far behind.Currently, the EU spends about 50 million euros (GBP£34.4 million) a year on research projects which produce robotic prototypes. As a result, the EU's 25 member states have a 35 percent share in the global manufacturing of robots.As the market becomes more diverse to include robots designed for hazardous and specialist jobs to nanotechnology to hi-tech AI systems, it has been predicated that the sector for both industrial and service robots is forecast to be worth more than US$66 billion (GBP£37.4 billion) by 2025.Despite this, it is still Japan heading worldwide innovation in the sector, building many of the humanoid robot prototypes made famous by the likes of Honda and Toyota. It is these humanoid robots that are the main hope for the industry, opening up domestic markets for 'robotic home helpers'. A few years ago, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries released a one-metre tall humanoid robot called Wakamaru that could recognise up to 10 faces and understands 10,000 words. It was marketed as a mechanical house-sitter and secretary and was hoped to be the first step in a 'domestic robot revolution'.Today, we take a look at some leading examples from both the European and Japanese robotic markets, revealing how Europe, despite having made a large amount of progress in the field of robotics in the past 10 years, still has a fair way to go to catch up with Japan.
