ics ▁is ▁the ▁study ▁of ▁the ▁market ▁for ▁rob ots . ▁Rob ot ▁mark ets ▁function ▁through ▁the ▁interaction ▁of ▁robot ▁mak ers ▁and ▁robot ▁users . ▁As ▁( in ▁part ) ▁a ▁factor ▁of ▁production , ▁rob ots ▁are ▁comple ments ▁and / or ▁subst it utes ▁for ▁other ▁factors , ▁such ▁as ▁labor ▁and ▁( non - ro bot ) ▁capital ▁goods . ▁Another ▁part ▁of ▁robot ▁econom ics ▁cons iders ▁the ▁effects ▁of ▁the ▁introduction ▁of ▁rob ots ▁on ▁the ▁mark ets ▁for ▁those ▁other ▁factors ▁and ▁on ▁the ▁products ▁that ▁rob ots ▁help ▁produce . ▁ ▁Rob ots ▁are ▁spread ing ▁throughout ▁the ▁economy , ▁in ▁fields ▁such ▁as ▁agricult ure , ▁medicine ▁and ▁ret ail . ▁ ▁Mark ets ▁ ▁Agricult ure ▁▁ ▁The ▁use ▁of ▁rob ots ▁in ▁agricult ure ▁began ▁with ▁autom ated ▁mil king ▁systems . ▁More ▁recently , ▁agricult ural ▁rob ots ▁have ▁begun ▁to ▁be ▁used ▁in ▁har vest ing , ▁pr uning , ▁seed ing , ▁sp ray ing ▁and ▁materials ▁handling . ▁ ▁Medicine ▁▁ ▁Medical ▁rob ots ▁can ▁be ▁categor ized ▁in ▁five ▁segments : ▁surg ery , ▁re h abil itation , ▁non - in vas ive ▁rad ios urg ery , ▁hospital ▁and ▁ph arm acy ▁and ▁others . ▁Rob ot - ass isted ▁surg ery ▁can ▁improve ▁accuracy . ▁However , ▁medical ▁rob ots ▁can ▁increase ▁costs . ▁ ▁The ▁market ▁was ▁val ued ▁at ▁$ 1 , 7 8 1 ▁million ▁in ▁ 2 0 1