The market share of collaborative or cooperative robots, also known as "cobots," continues to trend upward. In 2021, market revenue reached $700.1 million, and is projected to increase to over $1 trillion by the end of 2024. In 2021, there were 242.03 thousand units sold; more than 637 thousand units are expected to be sold in 2024.¹

In food manufacturing, robots can be deployed for a wide variety of purposes. The more traditional industrial robots have been used in manufacturing environments for many years, while cobots are a little newer on the scene. There are a few differences between the more traditional industrial robots and cobots. For example, cobots have additional software and instrumentation so that they can operate safely with employees without the traditional safety barriers. In addition, cobots are usually more portable and relatively easy to re-program for a different function when compared to industrial robots. Cobots also usually have a smaller footprint when compared to industrial robots.