Daily Technology
·15/01/2026
Humanoid robots have moved forward quickly - more units now work in factories and warehouses and the machines themselves are stronger, steadier plus cheaper. The spread of those robots differs by industry, maker and country. The article below lines up the latest forecasts but also looks at how far the technology is expected to advance by 2027.
Counterpoint Research expects that three areas will put the most humanoid robots on the floor. Warehousing as well as logistics will place 33 out of every 100 units. Automotive plants will take 24. General manufacturing will take 15. The remaining share will go to smaller pilots. By 2027 the worldwide stock is expected to reach one hundred thousand units. The split shows that managers choose humanoid models for jobs that repeat, demand physical effort and call for steady precision.
Four of every five robots installed by the end of 2025 will stand on Chinese concrete. Dense factory clusters, fast approval of new technology or a willingness to replace labour with machines give China a clear head start. Other regions lag - Europe, North America besides Japan together account for the small balance.
Shanghai-based Agibot sold three of every ten new units in 2025. Its robots check in guests, perform on stage, tighten bolts and shift boxes. Unitree sold just over one in four. Every other supplier held a slice smaller than six percent. A handful of brands therefore set the pace also their lead will probably widen once small trials turn into multi site roll-outs.
Current models run for longer shifts, place parts within half a millimetre and switch between tasks with less re programming. Entry-level versions built for one job now cost less than a mid range car. Rental plans remove the need for a large down-payment - customers pay a monthly fee that covers maintenance next to software updates. At the same time, factories that turn out hundreds instead of dozens drive the bill-of-materials cost downward.
Visitors to the 2026 CES trade show saw humanoid robots as the main attraction. Serial production, not hand built pilots, is scheduled to start within two years. Cheaper parts, better batteries and software tuned for single industries push the timetable forward. If those elements hold, the next wave of robots will leave the test area plus join the regular workforce.
To sum up, humanoid robots are arriving first in Chinese warehouses and plants. A few suppliers dominate, prices fall but also new rental schemes remove upfront cost. Those forces together decide how fast the technology will spread beyond the current pockets and into everyday industry.









