According to the latest industry figures from the International Federation of Robotics, China has become the world's fastest-growing industrial robotics market.
Installation of multi-role robots in the country rose by 136 percent from 2008 to 2011 and will grow another 15 percent in 2012.
The federation's figures also showed that total sales of robots surged 51 percent year-on-year from 14,978 units in 2010 to 22,577 units in 2011, and it is predicting a 10 percent annual growth of robot installation in China from 2013 to 2015.
However, China is lagging behind other major industrial markets in terms of the use of robots in manufacturing, with 21 robots per 10,000 workers in 2011, according to the federation, less than half the global average of 55, and way behind Germany's 251 robots, Japan's 339, and 135 in the United States.
Gu led ABB's China R&D team in its successful development of the IRB 120, which the company claims is the world's fastest and most accurate six-axis robot.
To date, the IRB 120 robot has been exported to 30 countries across Asia, Europe, and Americas. His team also developed the IRB 460, claimed to be the world's fastest palletizing robot.
He added that he expects more Chinese manufacturers — domestic and international players with operations in China — will invest in robotics in an effort to cut operational costs and improve production efficiency as well as product quality and consistency, and that the market will grow into one of the world's most developed.
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