A Scoping Review of Energy Consumption in Industrial Robotics

The increasing adoption of industrial robots has significantly advanced manufacturing efficiency and flexibility. However, this expansion introduces new energy consumption challenges, especially as electricity has become the dominant energy source in automated systems. As the industrial sector faces...

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Main Authors: Johannes Muru, Anton Rassõlkin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Machines
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1702/13/7/542
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author Johannes Muru
Anton Rassõlkin
author_facet Johannes Muru
Anton Rassõlkin
author_sort Johannes Muru
collection DOAJ
description The increasing adoption of industrial robots has significantly advanced manufacturing efficiency and flexibility. However, this expansion introduces new energy consumption challenges, especially as electricity has become the dominant energy source in automated systems. As the industrial sector faces rising energy costs and ambitious sustainability goals, understanding and minimizing the energy consumption of robotic systems is imperative. This review presents a structured analysis of energy consumption in industrial robots, linking mechanical design, actuation systems, and control strategies to their energetic effects. We first discuss different industrial robot types and their kinematic configurations, identifying how structural characteristics influence energy use. The article then categorizes energy consumption optimization strategies into software-based and hardware-based approaches. A comparative SWOT analysis highlights the strengths and limitations of each approach. The review also explores emerging trends such as DC microgrid integration. The future directions underline the need for standardized energy assessment frameworks and the development of hybrid optimization strategies that combine the reviewed approaches, suitable for being applied in real-world industrial robot applications. This work provides a comprehensive foundation for establishing best practices in energy consumption optimization for industrial robots.
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spelling doaj-art-7ab9deb718434fbfb2f036a65a05db4e2025-08-20T02:45:42ZengMDPI AGMachines2075-17022025-06-0113754210.3390/machines13070542A Scoping Review of Energy Consumption in Industrial RoboticsJohannes Muru0Anton Rassõlkin1Department of Electrical Power Engineering and Mechatronics, Tallinn University of Technology, 19086 Tallinn, EstoniaDepartment of Electrical Power Engineering and Mechatronics, Tallinn University of Technology, 19086 Tallinn, EstoniaThe increasing adoption of industrial robots has significantly advanced manufacturing efficiency and flexibility. However, this expansion introduces new energy consumption challenges, especially as electricity has become the dominant energy source in automated systems. As the industrial sector faces rising energy costs and ambitious sustainability goals, understanding and minimizing the energy consumption of robotic systems is imperative. This review presents a structured analysis of energy consumption in industrial robots, linking mechanical design, actuation systems, and control strategies to their energetic effects. We first discuss different industrial robot types and their kinematic configurations, identifying how structural characteristics influence energy use. The article then categorizes energy consumption optimization strategies into software-based and hardware-based approaches. A comparative SWOT analysis highlights the strengths and limitations of each approach. The review also explores emerging trends such as DC microgrid integration. The future directions underline the need for standardized energy assessment frameworks and the development of hybrid optimization strategies that combine the reviewed approaches, suitable for being applied in real-world industrial robot applications. This work provides a comprehensive foundation for establishing best practices in energy consumption optimization for industrial robots.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1702/13/7/542automationroboticsindustrial roboticsenergy consumptionenergy optimization
spellingShingle Johannes Muru
Anton Rassõlkin
A Scoping Review of Energy Consumption in Industrial Robotics
Machines
automation
robotics
industrial robotics
energy consumption
energy optimization
title A Scoping Review of Energy Consumption in Industrial Robotics
title_full A Scoping Review of Energy Consumption in Industrial Robotics
title_fullStr A Scoping Review of Energy Consumption in Industrial Robotics
title_full_unstemmed A Scoping Review of Energy Consumption in Industrial Robotics
title_short A Scoping Review of Energy Consumption in Industrial Robotics
title_sort scoping review of energy consumption in industrial robotics
topic automation
robotics
industrial robotics
energy consumption
energy optimization
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1702/13/7/542
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AT antonrassolkin scopingreviewofenergyconsumptioninindustrialrobotics