Industrial robots in China up, up and away!

China has rapidly become a global leader in robotics and automation. The International Federation of Robotics (IFR), which provided these figures, is forecasting that "from 2018 to 2020, a sales increase between 15 and 20 percent on average per year is possible for industrial robots." And these projections don't include service robots for professional and B2B use, and personal use such as toys, drones, mobile gofers, guides, home assistants, and consumer products like robotic vacuums and floor and window cleaners. According to a report released by China Robot Industry Alliance (CRIA) at the big World Robot Conference in August in Beijing and reported by China Daily, China's industrial robot market is expected to reach $4.22 billion in 2017 representing more than 110,000 new industrial robots. At the same press conference, CRIA also reported that China's service robot market will reach $1.32 billion this year, up 28% percent from 2015.