Robots-as-a-Service is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model and emerging as a new business model, where it (RaaS) is a process of using robots to gather, analyze and manage data in the cloud. It helps an organization to have the benefits of robotic process automation by renting robotic devices and accessing cloud-based subscriptions rather than purchasing the equipment. In simple language, we can say, RaaS avoids the headaches of ownership where it doesn’t have to purchase expensive equipment and avoid its maintenance issues.
To know more about robots as a service and their working knowledge, you have to understand the function of RaaS.
How Robots as a service works?
To know the functionality of RaaS in an organization, we can provide here a simple and efficient example of how it (RaaS) works and gives benefits to its company.
Initially, when an implementation partner installs the infrastructure and software, the implementation partner analyzes the process which needs to be robotized and builds the robots to fit these needs. Once done, they conduct maintenance works that may be necessary once the organization is using robots. The implementation partner ensures that robots are available when there occurs a need and analyzes and optimizes the automation of the process. The organization pays yearly or monthly fees to use Raas, which means it doesn’t require making a large investment by the organization before being able to take benefits of RaaS.
The below diagram gives an idea about the working of Robots as a Service.
Note: RaaS service can be of many types like Delivery Robot as a Service, Factory Robot as a Service, Security Robot as a Service, etc.
Advantages:
Due to its flexibility, scalability, and lower cost of entry than older robotics programs, business organizations are increasingly getting entangled with RaaS. The benefits of robots as a service model are:
- It improves productivity at low costs and enables a smarter business network.
- It helps the company to maintain the focus of their employees on high-value tasks.
- Robots are quite expensive which resist many companies from investing in them. But RaaS allows small and medium-sized businesses to get the benefits of robotics and automation without its initial investment.
- It helps the organization to scale up and down more rapidly and easily with response to changing user needs and market conditions.
- Robots as a service offer less upfront capital needs and predictable costs.
Disadvantages:
- One major con of RaaS is the amount of customization of the hardware to make the robots useful for organizations with specific needs.
- The interaction between the human workforce and robots is a challenge. The drawback is regarding the communication gap between human and robotic services along with safety measures.
- Running such big and multifarious operations will require huge energy for which efficient electric power sources have to be designed.
- Cyber security is another drawback. The Internet of Things (IoT) is a platform for data exchange between devices but is vulnerable to online threats.
- One last drawback is its performance. RaaS is an emerging and future business model which isn’t tested fully, so there is always a doubt regarding the performance of the robots until they stand firm on their promises.
Examples of RaaS:
Here is a certain example that uses Robots as service solutions:
- Deloitte: It gives intuitive and innovative solutions, which benefit employees and provide a satisfactory result.
- AWS RoboMaker: Amazon uses robots for different purposes such as assembly, packaging, last-mile deliveries, etc.
- Google cloud Robotic core: It is an open-source solution that offers infrastructure essentials to developing and executing robotic services.
The robots performing certain tasks are already happening, and small and medium-sized companies are starting to implement them. Therefore it will not take so long for many industries and organizations to use it and it shall become a major standard practice technology.