Abstract:
Robots are increasingly being used in the industry.
Businesses that use robots can produce products and provide
services at lower costs and with higher quality. Some
industries, like automotive manufacturing, have become
dependent on robots. The impact of robots on society and the
greater economy is not clear. Robots threaten the jobs of lowskilled
workers and even middle-skilled workers. While
researchers and governments are trying to understand the
impact of robots on the economy, it is commonly accepted that
robots will be used more widely across all industries.
With this in mind, it is useful to consider the current
research in robotics at South African research institutions.
This paper is such a review. It is not exhaustive, but it provides
a sense of the robotics research being done in South African
research institutions.
It appears that research institutions do not work on
common themes, yet many research groups relate their work
to Industry 4.0. The review suggests that each research group
is working on topics of interest to them. The implication of
this is that a wide variety of robotic themes are being
researched in South Africa.
