Investments in robotics and automation have been increasing exponentially over the past decades, reaching an estimated $16.5 billion in 2019—well before the coronavirus shut down major industries. While in the past, the rise of automation has been blamed as the end of employment for many, new robots are being strategically used to make our lives safer, allowing humans to be redeployed to services that require a (socially distant) human touch.
Robo-workers are being used around the world to help healthcare and other staff do their jobs in more sanitary environments.