Rise of the Robots Is Sparking an Investment Boom

The cheaper, flexible machines that are emerging are designed to be more adaptive. From driverless cars and drones to the "cobots" that work alongside humans in industrial settings, they try to sense and adapt to their surroundings. Like Tug (a robot that moves supplies around hospitals), Savioke (which handles deliveries to hotel rooms) and Locus Robotics (which operates in warehouses), they are moving into the service industries. In industrial settings--still the main venue for robot investment--they are moving out of the cages and into a far wider range of roles.