Report: pandemic will force rapid adoption of wearable computers, robotics

The technology changes deployed by businesses in order to survive the pandemic will linger long after the Covid-19 health crisis has faded, creating long-term consequences on technology innovation and sparking a jump in digitalization, according to two reports released today.

Five trends that are shaping the post-Covid future are: infection prevention, remote commerce, improving resiliency, greater agility, and macroeconomic impacts, Boston-based analyst firm Lux Research said in “The Impact of Covid-19 on Tech Innovation.”

According to Lux’ forecast, those trends will spur increased investment in several core technologies in the logistics sector, including wearable computers and robotics.

“Digital transformation will rapidly accelerate adoption of emerging technologies like telemedicine, thanks to a dramatic increase in remote commerce and the need for infection prevention,” Kevin See, Lux’ vice president of research and co-author of the report, said in a release. “Wearables will also see a positive near-term lift as they aid in infection prevention and reopening efforts. There will be an upward trend in robotics due to the need for infection prevention and improving resiliency. Covid-19 will push major manufacturing and logistics operations to assess the potential of robotics moving forward.”

The pandemic will also send ripples through the fields of autonomous and electric vehicles, Lux said. The report found that autonomous vehicles will experience a long-term positive impact due to social distancing preferences, but will see near-term delays due to disruption of development and pilots. Shared mobility is a mixed bag, as ride-hailing is severely negatively affected in the near term. And the long-term consequences for electric vehicles will be minimal, as adoption will continue to be driven by regulations that for now have not drastically changed.

A second report released today reached similar conclusions, saying the pressures of the pandemic will accelerate the adoption of digital technologies and trigger a “revisiting” of global supply chain strategies by manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors.

The repercussions of Covid-19 have highlighted the need for more resilient supply chains in a highly globalized economy, London, England-based analytics firm GlobalData Plc said in its “Disruptor Database” report.

“Increasing labor shortages, forced closure of factories, disruptions in delivery routes and logistics hubs due to lockdowns, along with evolving customer behavior are the major factors driving companies to deploy digital technologies,” Manish Dixit, GlobalData’s principal disruptive tech analyst, said in a release. “Technologies that will have the maximum impact include Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data, Blockchain, Digital Twins, and Robotics.”

COVID-19 has drastically changed the landscape for businesses across all industries, forcing immediate changes that will have long-term consequences. Our new report outlines 5 key trends that will define how the world beyond the pandemic will be different. https://t.co/j21t7matXK pic.twitter.com/4jySxHmLwb

— Lux Research Inc. (@LuxResearch) August 20, 2020