- An eye-opening 86% of Americans believe mobile robotics will be integrated into more companies in the next five years, and nearly 40% already work with robots
- 82% favor mobile robots for high-risk jobs and mundane tasks
- 70% would participate if their workplace offered training or retraining for managing and/or programming robotics processes
MOORPARK, Calif. and ZURICH – May 18, 2023 – Auterion, the technology platform behind unified robotic workforces and powering the world’s leading drone manufacturers, today announced findings from its new 2023 Survey on Mobile Robotics in the Workplace. The general population survey polled more than 1,000 Americans across all regions of the U.S. who work in accounting, construction, technology, retail/e-commerce, healthcare, education, manufacturing, food service and other industries.
The vast majority of Americans, 86%, believe mobile robotics will be integrated into more companies in the next five years, and 78% believe mobile robotics will improve work productivity. In their own workplaces, 4 in 10 Americans said mobile robots are already currently operating, and 48% said their company has plans to increase the use of mobile robotics.
Americans favor robots for high-risk jobs and mundane work
A powerful 82% of survey respondents are in favor of mobile robots being used to complete high-risk jobs that are dangerous for humans. Nearly the same percentage favors their use to automate mundane repetitive tasks at work, such as inspecting hard-to-reach equipment or doing inventory checks. And more than two-thirds (67.5%) believe that mobile robots doing more mundane tasks could result in higher-value jobs for humans. Yet, a third of Americans remain very concerned mobile robots may replace their jobs.
An answer to that concern may lie in education and training. Interest in learning about robotics is high among workers: 70% would participate in training or retraining for managing and/or programming robotics processes, if their workplace offered it, and 43% report that their workplace has already offered such training.
“This survey confirms the rising public sentiment we’ve seen in favor of mobile robotics and that America is expecting workplace adoption—and it’s happening fast,” said Lorenz Meier, CEO of Auterion. “Americans are interested in the roles and benefits of mobile robots at work, like safety and productivity, now and in the future. To meet expectations and to enable the wave of workplace adoption upon us, mobile robots need to be networked and operate in fleets. We’re building the operating system for autonomous computing to realize the widespread adoption of mobile robotics in the workplace.”
Mobile robots and drones offer specific benefits for business
Across industries, a substantial 59% of respondents felt the investment in robotics is profitable. More than half also said robotics could increase positive factors at work like production (56%), efficiency (54%), and safety (51%). Almost half (49.5%) of those surveyed said they see increased automation likely, with 42% seeing increased quality, 39% increased security, and 29% increased sustainability.
Almost 34% report specifically working with drones in the workplace—a form of mobile robot—for tasks including photography and videography, inspection, surveillance, delivery, defense, or exploration. These respondents said:
- drones should be used in all instances when there is a risk to human safety (71%)
- drones can make a company more profitable (57%)
- drones can do a better job of delivering consumer packages than humans (56%)
- drones can make a company safer (52%)
And 56% of respondents expressed an interest in learning how to program drones for autonomous uses.
Download the Survey Report
To learn more, please find the complete Auterion 2023 Survey of Mobile Robotics in the Workplace Report here.
About the Survey
Auterion’s Survey of Mobile Robotics in the Workplace polled 1,017 Americans across the United States, aged 18 to 65+, working in accounting, construction, technology, retail/e-commerce, healthcare, education, manufacturing, food service and other industries. Most cited job roles included IT, operations, customer service, administrative/clerical, executive and management, finance, HR, sales and marketing, consulting and other roles. 16% reported being in their job 0 – 2 years, 25% 2 – 5 years, 32% 5 – 10 years, 14% 10 – 20 years, and 13% over 20 years. 74% reported some college through advanced degrees; 64% reported incomes of $50K or higher.
About Auterion
Auterion is a cutting-edge operating system for autonomous computing that empowers a diverse range of autonomous robots to perform high-risk to mundane tasks, deliver goods, and aid in life-saving missions. Our industry-leading software drives the adoption of robotic fleets and is recognized by the U.S. government as the future standard for its drone program. Join the Auterion movement and experience the power of next-generation computing.