The number of research reports covering the robotics industry has grown exponentially in the last few years. 53 have been previewed on The Robot Report thus far in 2015. The latest batch of 28 — shown below — brings the total to 81.

GLOBAL INDUSTRIAL AND SERVICE ROBOTICS

The fact-based backbone for many of these research reports is the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) annual World Robotics Industrial and World Robotics Service reports. These two books represent the official tabulation from all the robot associations around the globe. The 2015 reports cover 2014 activity. The two 2015 reports can be purchased for $2,425. The IFR industrial robots report forecasts a 15% CAGR (compounded annual growth rate) for the next 4 years and, for the same period, the service robots report forecasts a 19% CAGR for professional and field service robots and 27% CAGR for household, consumer and personal service robots.

Combined Global Robotics Market
Published in September by TechNavio, 86 pages, $2,500
The report, which combines the service and industrial sectors, forecasts the combined service and industrial global robotics market to grow at a CAGR of 29.11% over the period 2015-2019.

INDUSTRIAL ROBOTICS

The Global Industrial Robotics Market 2015-2024
Published in May by Nineteen Columns Market Research Private Limited, 133 pages, $5,500
Forecasts a 4.8% CAGR from 2015 to 2019.

Global Industrial Robotics Market 2014-2018
Published in March, 2014 by TechNavio, 56 pages, $2,250
Forecasts the global robotics market to grow at a CAGR of 6.4% from 2014-2018.

Global industrial robotics market in auto industry
Published in May by TechNavio, 67 pages, $2,500
Forecasts the global automotive robotics industry to grow at a 4.97% CAGR from 2015-2019.

Global industrial robotics market in electronics industry
Published in June by TechNavio, 86 pages, $2,500
Forecasts the electronic and electrical robotics industry to grow at a 5.43% CAGR from 2015-2019.

MOBILE & SERVICE ROBOTICS

Mobile robots market by environment
Published in July by Markets and Markets, 164 pages, $4,650
Forecasts mobile robots market growth at a CAGR of 16.31% between 2015 and 2020.

Market Shares, strategies and forecasts
Published in August by Wintergreen Research, 1,191 pages, $3,900
This report is less about forecasts and more about profiling the market leaders and participants in the service robotics industry.

Telepresence robots
Published in October by Tractica, 42 pages, $3,200
Remote presence robot shipments forecast t grow from 4,200 devices in 2015 to a cumulative 5-year total of 92,000

Service Robots Industry analysis
Published in July by MRS Market Research Store, $3,500
This China-focused report forecasts service robot sales in China in 2018 to be $870 million.

Collaborative robots market
Published in September by TechNavio, 61 pages, $2,500
The report forecasts the global collaborative robots market to grow at a CAGR of 50.88% over the period 2015-2019.

UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEMS

UAS for 1st responders
Published in August by Market Info Group, 344 pages, $4,950
This report is really an operating concept and buyers guide for the small but necessary first responder segment.

Global Civilian Drones Market
Published in September by TechNavio, 53 pages, $2,500
The report forecasts the global civilian drones market to grow at a CAGR of 28% over the period 2015-2019.

Global UAS (Drones) Market
Published by BIS, $3,799
Forecasts annual spending will increase by almost 70% to $11.95 billion by 2020 with a CAGR of 8.41% from 2015 to 2020.

Smart commercial drones
Published in August by Wintergreen Research, 967 pages, $4,000
Smart commercial drones markets at $3.4 billion in 2014 are anticipated to reach $27.1 billion by 2021.

Drones and robotics for utility transmission
Published in September by Navigant Research, 68 pages, price unknown
Improved safety and reliability create a strong value proposition for unmanned aerial vehicles and robotics technologies among transmission and distribution utilities, and annual revenue is expected to reach $4.1 billion by 2024.

AG INDUSTRY

Global precision ag market analysis
Published by BIS Research, $3,799
The global precision farming market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 13.09% from 2015 to 2022 and will reach over $6.43 billion by 2022.

Global precision farming industry trends
Published in September by Daedal Research, 70 pages, $800
Focuses on precision farming and new tech: GPS, mapping software, yield mapping and variable rate delivery systems.

Ag robots: driverless tractors, UAVs and animal management
Published in July by Tractica, 61 pages, $3,500
Forecasts that the overall ag robot market will reach $3 billion by the end of 2015 and maintain a healthy growth to reach $16.8 billion by the end of 2020 and $73.9 billion by 2024.

Ag machinery market in India
Published in August by TechNavio, 79 pages, $2,500
Mostly this report is about non-robotic ag equipment but it also covers the integration of robotic systems, GPS and other new tech.

OTHER INDUSTRY SEGMENTS

Machine Vision Market
Published in August by TechNavio, 65 pages, $2,500
Forecast the global machine vision market to grow at a CAGR of 8.77% over the period 2015-2019.

Programmable robots market by component
Published in September by Markets and Markets, 123 pages, $4,650
Programmable robots market was $1.05 billion in 2014 and is expected to reach $2.38 billion by 2020 at a CAGR of 14.94% from 2015 to 2020.

Haptic Technology market by technology
Published in May by RR Market Research, 187 pages, $4,650
Global haptic technology for mobile devices is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 29.1% over the period 2015-2019.

Global robotic surgery market
Published in August by Koncept Analytics, 54 pages, $800

Residential robotic vacuum cleaner market in the EU
Published in September by TechNavio, 65 pages, $2,000
Forecast the residential robotic vacuum cleaner market in Europe to grow at a CAGR of 9.02% over the period 2015-2019.

Global industrial welding robots
Published in September by TechNavio, 69 pages, $2,500
Forecasts the global industrial welding robot market to grow at a CAGR of 6.09% over the period 2015-2019.

Snake robots
Published in October by Wintergreen Research, 465 pages, $4,000
Forecasts the Snake Robots market will reach $4.9 billion by 2021.

Rehabilitation robots
Published in March by Wintergreen Research, 659 pages, $4,000
This report, which excludes exoskeletons, forecasts the rehab robot market to grow from $203 M in 2014 to $1.1 B by 2021.

3D Printers worldwide
Published in September by Gartner, 37 pages, $1,295
Forecasts 3D printer unit shipments will grow at a CAGR of 121.3% with annual average spending to grow at 72.8% and that sales will exceed $14.6 billion in 2019.

BOTTOM LINE

​These 78 reports are costly but can be valuable to VCs, companies and their engineering and marketing research departments, and academia. Many of the reports duplicate the coverage of others and frequently differ on forecasts. Some are marginally useful; others are chock full of valuable information. But bottom line, all the reports are forecasting positive double-digit growth for most segments of the robotics industry.

Not to take away from the import of the rising interest in studying the industry and forecasting its progress, but the flurry of reports reminds me of this old joke:

A woman walked into a very busy butcher’s shop. Looking at meats and poultry on display, she grabbed hold of a whole chicken. She picked up one wing, sniffed it; picked up the other wing and sniffed it; picked up one leg, sniffed it, then picked up the other leg and sniffed it. Just as she finished sniffing the butcher walked up to her and said, “Madam, could you pass such a test?”