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Welcome to Thomas Insights — every day, we publish the latest news and analysis to keep our readers up to date on what’s happening in industry. Sign up here to get the day’s top stories delivered straight to your inbox. SaaS, IaaS, DRaaS, UCaaS, PaaS, CCaaS… Just when you thought there wasn’t anything else that could be packaged “as-a-service,” robots are joining the game. With RaaS, businesses lease robots on the cloud or rent the devices. With cloud service, businesses gain access to data collected by the robots (e.g. on manufacturing lines, in warehouses, or stores) and stored in the cloud. Otherwise, the business rents the robots and subscribes to a shared software model, a popular model as it is cost-effective, broadly accessible, and attainable for businesses of diverse scale. Making robots available as a service is contributing to the “democratization” of robotics. This trend, according to RaaS provider Niryo, rests on several advantages : Connected with the Internet of Things, they are expanding automation’s reach With a service model, it’s easier to stay up-to-date with the latest versions of the technology Robots can be managed and monitored via web, reducing location constraints Programming can synchronize multiple robots to work together Robots have already been put in service in many industrial areas such as manufacturing, retail, and warehouses. RaaS in Manufacturing Robots are evolving to handle more data, improve their data perceptions, and enhance their decision-making skills. By utilizing programmable and customizable robots, manufacturers become more agile and efficient. While the RaaS model is already common in the automotive industry, other manufacturing areas are now also starting to utilize the digital solution. Metal foundries, fabrication, food, and consumer goods manufacturers have all quickly embraced robotics prompted by growing labor costs, increasing difficulty in hiring skilled workers, and the dropping […]