Want to bet on robots taking over the world?

Switzerland’s largest bank is offering investors a chance to profit from the increasing use of robots and unmanned vehicles.

UBS sold securities linked to the Robotics and Drones Index, a new benchmark tracking companies that develop technology such as robot vacuum cleaners or unmanned aircraft for reconnaissance missions.

The index, compiled for the Swiss bank by Solactive AG, includes robotics developers Kuka in Germany and Fanuc Corportion in Japan, and US drones maker Aerovironment.

A technology boom in robots and driverless vehicles is spurring companies to use drones to reshape their businesses. Amazon. com and Domino's Pizza are developing unmanned aircraft to speed up deliveries while Google and Facebook recently acquired drones manufacturers to help extend wireless connectivity to remote areas.

"Machines and automation will play an increasingly important role in the future," Steffen Scheuble, Solactive's chief executive officer, wrote in an e-mail. "Drones are at the forefront of this second phase of the industrial revolution." UBS issued the certificates in Swiss francs, euros and dollars and they will be traded on the SIX Structured Products Exchange from May 30th, according to a sales prospectus from the Zurich-based bank.

Hana Dunn, a spokeswoman for UBS in London, declined to comment on the amount of certificates sold. Six of the nine companies listed on the Robotics and Drones index saw the value of their businesses grow by at least 50 per cent in the past year, bringing their total market capitalization to $64 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

More drone manufacturers will be added as other companies adopt unmanned aircraft for commercial applications, according to Scheuble. The notes, which offer no capital protection and can be redeemed by investors at any time, replicate all gains or losses on the index.

The benchmark climbed 5 cents on the euro in the past week to 95.4 cents as it rebounded from a sell off in technology stocks, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Bloomberg