Government, Robot

Every level of the U.S. public sector, in each corner of governments, education, military, law enforcement, etc., in the past, and this very second, are investing heavily in technology. In conjunction with that activity, I’ve lost count on the number of public sector/tech-related reports we’ve developed and published over the past two plus years.

Things don’t get much more “techie” than the expanding universe of robotics. How far reaching are robotics? In my spare time, I’m a musician and I’ve even witnessed the advance of robotics in the world of music. This actuality should help to illustrate, while governments do buy everything, including robots, the technology is in use nearly everywhere imaginable. Robots are being purchased for a few dollars, up to tens of millions. Speaking of millions, today, there are millions of robots in use, including by a public sector agency near you.

Early on, robots were used primarily to perform tasks that were considered monotonous, or in some cases too complex or dangerous, for humans. Over recent times, while the U.S. public sector has incorporated numerous applications for the technology, government agencies have primarily leveraged the technology for security and military reasons.

What does the future look like for the robotics industry? Back on February 24th, 2016, Fortune shared details from a report by International Data Corporation, where they predict, “On Wednesday, a report by International Data Corporation said worldwide spending on robotics and related services will hit $135.4 billion in 2019. The research firm said that global robotics spending in 2015 was $71 billion, and is set to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 17%.” As the report points out, and this certainly applies to associated purchasing by government agencies, the spending is in no way isolated to the actual robots.

As we’ve increasingly noted in our database (actual, sample bids follow below), the public sector isn’t merely buying robots. The agencies are submitting bid requests for, and purchasing, related robotics equipment, services and solutions. Some examples:

• Tactical Robot
• Robot Kits
• Robotics Engineering
• Robotic Systems Sustainment
• SWAT Robot
• Robotic Prescription Dispensing
• Mechanical Engineer – Robotics
• Industrial Robot Battery
• Robotic Camera Pedestals
• Robotics Supplies

Some of the purchasing data: