If you are like me, then over the past twenty years you’ve paid attention to Gartner’s Hype Cycle predictions on the evolution of various technologies. In fact, you are not alone. It is estimated more than 75% of the Fortune 500 companies rely upon Gartner’s technology assessments. Talk about having influence!
When I saw this press release from Gartner, I sat up and paid attention. With its focus on supply-chain applications, I breathed a sigh of relief that the “polyfunctional robot” described in the press release matched the type of “cobot” that I described in my article: Cobots on the Rise.
Gartner throws some cold water on short-term prospects for humanoid robots in supply-chain roles (key excerpt):
“The promise of humanoid robots is compelling, but the reality is that the technology remains immature and far from meeting expectations for versatility and cost-effectiveness,” said Abdil Tunca, senior principal analyst in Gartner’s Supply Chain practice. “CSCOs must carefully evaluate readiness and avoid overcommitting resources to solutions that cannot yet deliver on their potential.”
It is useful to read what Gartner said about humanoid robots in 2024 (key excerpt):
‘“For supply chains with high-volume and predictable processes, humanoid robots have the potential to enhance or supplement the supply chain workforce,” Dwight Klappich, VP analyst and Gartner Fellow with the Gartner Supply Chain practice, noted.
“However, while the pace of innovation is encouraging, the industry is years away from general-purpose humanoid robots being used in more complex retail and industrial environments.”
The consistency is refreshing.
Does this delay give humans a longer employment runway in warehouses and distribution centers? If polyfunctional robots predominate as collaborators with humans in cobot solutions, then yes, and may add justification to the further delay of humanoid robots in this environment.
About the Author
Tim Lindner develops multimodal technology solutions (voice / augmented reality / RF scanning) that focus on meeting or exceeding logistics and supply chain customers’ productivity improvement objectives. He can be reached at linkedin.com/in/timlindner.