Technology is changing the game. The evolution of technology in the past handful of decades has been exponential, and the presence of tech in the workplace has grown alongside it. From floppy disks to cloud storage and so, so much more, technology and its advancements drive the modern workplace.
Smart workplaces are on the rise. In fact, Gartner anticipates 60% of hybrid workers prioritizing a well-equipped smart office over one that’s entirely remote.
What is a Smart Workplace?
A smart workplace is one that uses technology to connect and engage employees with their work environment. As technologies continue to advance, so too do smart workplaces. Service robotics account for an important aspect of technology in the workplace, transforming workplace practices across industries from healthcare, to finance and everything in between.
What is Service Robotics?
The International Federation of Robotics lists the definition of a service robot as “a robot that performs useful tasks for humans or equipment, excluding industrial automation applications.” Service robots can exist in a professional or a personal setting, and they’re ideal for completing tasks that would be considered either dirty, dull, or dangerous from a human’s perspective. Service robotics can take many forms and be used for a wide variety of applications.
Robotization and automation have come together to reshape the future of many industries. Autonomous technologies combine GPS, computer vision and LIDAR, as well as machine learning to provide businesses with efficient labor utilization while lowering operational costs.
Service Robots in the Workplace
Professional service robots exist to automate menial, dangerous, time-consuming, or repetitive tasks. As a result, this automation of processes allows for human workers to avoid potentially unsafe work environments, while also providing them with the opportunity to divert their time and energy to more complex and fulfilling tasks.
Thanks to their potential to significantly improve a company’s productivity and their ability to protect the health and safety of employees, professional service robots are experiencing widespread adoption for various applications. They can deliver extremely reliable results across a wide variety of professional tasks, sidestepping human error and potentially reducing operating costs.
The global professional service robot market is expected to expand at a revenue-based compound annual growth rate of 41.0% between 2020 and 2027.
Service robots assist rather than replace human employees, ultimately resulting in increased productivity, better workplace safety, and more streamlined processes. A team full of humans alone or a team comprised entirely of robots both fall short in comparison to a collaborative approach with real people and technology working together – which is exactly what service robots aim to achieve.
Professional Service Robots in Action
The global Coronavirus pandemic undoubtedly shook the globe. As part of its impact, the sudden onset of the pandemic had us taking a closer look into workplace practices and safety measures, particularly within healthcare and long-term care settings.
In response to these workplace hazards, GlobalDWS developed a solution in the form of a service robot designed to protect employees and patients alike. Our Disinfection Service Robot (DSR) is an autonomous solution equipped with UV-C lights and viral disinfectant solution that eliminates harmful airborne and surface-dwelling viruses and bacteria in indoor spaces. By automating the disinfection process, the DSR produces a more reliable result and keeps employees out of harm’s way in the workplace. Employed primarily in healthcare centers and long-term care facilities, the DSR eliminates the potentially hazardous task of disinfection and allows both employees and patients to interact exclusively in already-disinfected environments, drastically reducing the spread of harmful viruses and bacteria.
This is just one example of service robots enabling smart workplaces. The International Federation of Robotics has a series of case studies documenting successful service robots in the workplace, performing a range of functions across various industries.
We also encourage you to reach out to the team at GlobalDWS to learn more about our advances in the field of service robotics.