A bumper year for robots

Purpose – Aims to provide a summary of global robot statistics as presented in World Robotics 2004 , a new publication prepared jointly by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). Also aims to highlight the trends displayed at the small exhibition of service robots that accompanied the publication launch. Design/methodology/approach – Summarises the UNECE/IFR global robot statistics for 2003, separating the market for industrial robots from that of service robots, and providing a detailed analysis of both. Explanations from Jan Karlsson, who was responsible for the publication of the statistics, are included. Findings – 2003 was a bumper year for robots overall. The market for service robots is accelerating rapidly, in particular. Sales of robotic vacuum cleaners are rising fast. Originality/value – Provides an overview of in‐depth statistics on robotics, and highlights the trends for those interested in the robotics market.