Robots are moving into workplaces where automation once seemed far less practical.
1. Warehouses
Amazon and other logistics companies are deploying robots that move inventory, sort packages and transport carts. Amazon’s new Proteus robot can navigate warehouse floors autonomously and respond to spoken instructions. (Reuters)
2. Agriculture
Farm robots are being used for crop monitoring, precision fertilizing and harvesting. Global agricultural service-robot deployments increased sharply, with installations more than doubling between 2023 and 2024. (Stanford HAI)
3. Restaurants
Robots can now handle repetitive jobs such as delivering food, preparing ingredients and cleaning floors. The technology is being used primarily to support restaurant employees rather than replace the entire kitchen or dining staff. (Toast POS)
4. Hospitals
Robots are increasingly moving supplies, medications, meals and equipment through hospitals, freeing staff from routine transportation. One newer generation can autonomously move carts and restock materials; deployments already include major healthcare organizations. (Business Insider)
5. Construction
Robots are tackling jobs such as surveying, marking floor layouts and inspecting sites. Dusty Robotics, for example, has demonstrated robotic layout systems that can dramatically reduce the time crews spend transferring digital building plans onto physical floors. (Automate)
6. Professional Cleaning
Large buildings are turning to autonomous machines for vacuuming, mopping, sweeping and disinfection. The International Federation of Robotics recorded professional-cleaning robot installations rising from 12,000 units in 2023 to 26,000 in 2024. (Stanford HAI)
