The use of robotics in datacenters is on the rise

Half of cloud datacenters will implement advanced robots with artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities by 2025, according to Gartner forecasts. This is because datacenter operators are beginning to realise that the potential benefits that robotics can offer outweigh any risks and costs that may have prevented them from investing in such technology.

Gartner itself estimates that the use of advanced robotics in datacenters will result in 30% greater operational efficiency. Among other reasons, this is because robots are able to monitor all aspects of datacenter operations in real time. In combination with Big Data and AI, robotics can help operators act on problems before they turn into critical outages.

Using autonomous driving technology, robots autonomously map and navigate the datacenter to provide sensor data in real time. This allows them to instantly compare current standards with established norms, so that any anomalies can be quickly escalated for human analysis. So, in an increasingly connected and complex environment, robotic technology can give decision-makers visibility, speed and multidisciplinary intelligence far beyond the capabilities of a human or static camera.

From automated surveillance and security to monitoring environmental sensors and other hazards, robots can help ensure that customers’ physical infrastructure remains operational and in optimal condition at all times.

Reducing manual, routine and highly repetitive tasks through automation is one of the main use cases. Remote monitoring and diagnostics can be provided by robots equipped with sensors and cameras, allowing datacenter staff to examine conditions in hard-to-reach places without being personally present. And thus minimise the risk of injury to human operators.

In addition, the use of robotics can reduce the risks for datacenter personnel in hazardous areas. For example, given the high-powered electrical systems that underpin servers in datacenters, a failure can present substantial dangers for those maintaining the equipment. Robots can be employed to handle initial fault response activities.

Many companies are now planning to deploy more advanced robotic systems in datacenters. Novva Data Centers, for example, has deployed Boston Dynamics robot dogs in its Utah datacenter to monitor the facility’s equipment, guarantee maximum efficiency and ensure proper temperatures. From IBM’s iRobot designed to track datacenter temperatures to the Scout bot created to monitor KAIST’s iCubeCloud Data Center, the use of robotics to streamline datacenter operations is a long-standing desire of the industry as a whole.

Not coincidentally, the global datacenter robotics market size was valued at US$8.73 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.1% from 2023 to 2030. Some of the key players operating in the datacenter robotics market include ABB Ltd.; Asetek, Inc.; Delta Electronics, Inc.; Digital Realty Trust; Cisco Systems, Inc.; Dell Technologies, Inc.; Equinix, Inc.; Fujitsu Ltd.; General Electric; Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company; International Business Machines Corporation; Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.; Hitachi, Ltd.; Schneider Electric; and Siemens AG, among others.