# The global robotics market: Wegartner white paper (November 2026) > Industrial robotics, service robots and Physical AI: who builds, who buys, who funds, what regulation requires and which intermediary businesses to build now. As of November 8, 2026, with a data pack of 240 companies, 76 robots, 48 events and 156 sources. White paper of the ROBOT INDUSTRY Observatory, written by Ludovic Baumgartner and published by Wegartner (legal entity WE GARTNER). Every figure is attributed to its source and carries a confidence rating A, B or C. ## Key figures - Industrial robots installed in 2025: 603,307 (IFR World Robotics 2026) - Operational industrial robot stock: 5M (IFR, end of 2025) - Humanoids shipped in H1 2026: ~25,000 (IDC) - China's share of installations: 59% (IFR, 2025) - Capital raised by startups, as of June 22, 2026: $18.8bn (Crunchbase) - EU Machinery Regulation applies: Jan. 20, 2027 (Regulation (EU) 2023/1230) ## Chapters - [01 · The essentials in ten points](https://wegartner.com/en/resources/robotics/#synthese): Executive summary - [02 · Who signs, how we count, what the study does not say](https://wegartner.com/en/resources/robotics/#methode): Author, method and limitations - [03 · The market in figures](https://wegartner.com/en/resources/robotics/#marche) - [04 · Thirteen families of robots](https://wegartner.com/en/resources/robotics/#taxonomie): Taxonomy - [05 · Eleven layers, where value is created](https://wegartner.com/en/resources/robotics/#chaine): Value chain - [06 · Humanoids: the tipping point](https://wegartner.com/en/resources/robotics/#physical-ai): Physical AI - [07 · Who buys, in order of priority](https://wegartner.com/en/resources/robotics/#marches): Buyer markets - [08 · Chinese volume, American valuations](https://wegartner.com/en/resources/robotics/#geo): Geography and geopolitics - [09 · The compliance timeline](https://wegartner.com/en/resources/robotics/#reglementation): Regulation and standards - [10 · Funding rounds, valuations, IPOs](https://wegartner.com/en/resources/robotics/#capital): Capital - [11 · What one robot hour costs](https://wegartner.com/en/resources/robotics/#economie): Unit economics - [12 · The bottleneck becomes human](https://wegartner.com/en/resources/robotics/#travail): Labor and governance - [13 · 2027-2035: three trajectories](https://wegartner.com/en/resources/robotics/#scenarios): Scenarios - [14 · The businesses to build](https://wegartner.com/en/resources/robotics/#opportunites): Opportunities - [15 · A study kept up to date](https://wegartner.com/en/resources/robotics/#mise-a-jour): Updates - [16 · The language of the industry](https://wegartner.com/en/resources/robotics/#glossaire): Glossary - [17 · Where the figures come from](https://wegartner.com/en/resources/robotics/#sources): Sources - [A · 240 companies, filterable](https://wegartner.com/en/resources/robotics/#societes): Companies (240) - [B · 76 robots and their versions](https://wegartner.com/en/resources/robotics/#robots): Robots (76) - [C · 48 dated events](https://wegartner.com/en/resources/robotics/#chronologie): Timeline (48) ## Full text - [Text version of the white paper and the data pack](https://wegartner.com/en/resources/robotics/llms-full.txt) ## Author and publisher - [Ludovic Baumgartner](https://wegartner.com/en/ludovic-baumgartner/): author, founder of Wegartner. - [Wegartner](https://wegartner.com/en/): executive advisory firm for CEOs, executive committees and mid-market companies. - [Wegartner resources](https://wegartner.com/en/resources/) --- Executive summary ## The essentials in ten points Position as of November 8, 2026: the ten key findings to keep in mind before getting into the detail. KEY TAKEAWAYS Global robotics is undergoing two movements in November 2026. On one side, a mature industrial market, at a record in volume. On the other, Physical AI moving from the lab to the first production lines. Our hypothesis: the businesses to build lie mainly in the services that make these robots work at customer sites, more than in manufacturing them. #### Two markets in one. 603,307 industrial robots installed in 2025 (+11%), for an installed base of 5 million (IFR). Against that, around 25,000 humanoids shipped in the first half of 2026 alone (+432%) (IDC). 603,000industrial robots installed in 2025 ~25,000humanoids shipped in H1 2026 For scale: at the H1 2026 pace (~50,000 per year), humanoids represent the equivalent of 8% of 2025 industrial installations (study calculation, confidence C). #### China drives the volume, the United States drives private valuations. 59% of industrial robots are installed in China; more than 95% of humanoids shipped come from Chinese manufacturers (IDC, H1 2026). The highest private valuations are American: Figure $39bn (Sept. 2025), Skild more than $14bn, Physical Intelligence $11.5bn, in talks at around $20bn. On the stock market, Unitree shares jumped 629% in their first trading session, on August 19, 2026 (Caixin). 2025 industrial installations in China59% Humanoids shipped by Chinese manufacturers> 95% Highest private valuation: Figure AI, $39bn · on the stock market: Unitree, +629% on its first day #### 2026, the year of the first production lines. Tesla has started early production of Optimus in Fremont (Tesla, via Tesla North). Figure turns out one robot per hour (Figure). Atlas's 2026 production is fully booked. Unitree and Agility are publicly listed, and UBTech delivered 1,079 humanoids in 2025. - Tesla: early production of Optimus in Fremont - Figure produces 1 robot per hour - Atlas: 2026 production booked - Unitree and Agility are publicly listed - UBTech: 1,079 humanoids delivered in 2025 #### Autonomy remains partial. 69% of humanoids shipped in H1 2026 went to research, education, demonstration or data collection (IDC, via Sina). The first announced home humanoid, 1X's NEO, still relies on remote operators. Non-productive uses, 202583.8% Non-productive uses, H1 202669% Research, education, demonstration and data collection (IDC). #### Capital is at a record level. Robotics startups raised $18.8bn as of June 22, 2026 (Crunchbase), then $9.9bn in the third quarter alone, more than double Q3 2025 (Crunchbase). Forecasts from banks and research firms are revised upward roughly every six months. It will be possible to separate signal from noise once actual volumes are known. 2025, full year$15bn 2026, as of June 22$18.8bn Q3 2026 alone$9.9bn Q3 2026 is more than double Q3 2025 ($4.3bn). #### The dependency is both material and political. China produces nearly 95% of permanent magnets (IEA, via CleanTechnica). In gear reducers, Chinese suppliers now compete with Japanese ones on price. Some of China's rare-earth controls are suspended until November 10, 2026. On November 5, China blocked SoftBank's acquisition of the Chinese part of ABB Robotics (ABB). On October 28, the United States determined that robot imports threaten its national security (White House). Permanent magnets produced in China (IEA)~95% Some Chinese controls suspended until Nov. 10, 2026 SoftBank's acquisition of ABB Robotics: Chinese part blocked on Nov. 5 #### Profitability depends on the utilization rate. In industry, the first recurring contracts are being signed as leases: Agility's merger filing uses an illustrative lease rate of about $8,500 per month for a Digit (merger filing, via The Robot Report). At half a worker's productivity, this robot does not cost less than a $30-an-hour order picker unless it works close to 20 hours a day. By volume, the leading buyers of humanoids are still labs and education, which buy units outright. $100,000 example$15/h Digit, purchased$40/h Digit, leased$53.5/h Order picker, benchmark$30/h At 4,000 hours per year and 50% of an employee's productivity. Digit becomes competitive at around 15 hours (purchase) to 20 hours (lease) per day. #### Europe faces three closely spaced deadlines. The Product Liability Directive must be transposed by December 9, 2026, and the EU Machinery Regulation applies from January 20, 2027. Since Regulation 2026/1744, machinery is no longer subject to the AI Act's direct high-risk regime: its AI-specific requirements will be incorporated into the EU Machinery Regulation through delegated acts, applicable no later than August 2, 2028 (EUR-Lex). T-Product liability Dec. 9, 2026 T-EU Machinery Regulation Jan. 20, 2027 T-AI requirements for machinery Aug. 2, 2028 #### Our hypothesis: the services layer is the least structured. Selecting, financing, integrating, insuring, certifying, supervising, maintaining and training: every robot deployed creates these needs. This thesis is not quantified. It rests on our reading of the value chain and on a selection of companies in which integrators are underrepresented (see “Author, method and limitations”). SelectFinanceIntegrateInsureCertifySuperviseMaintainTrain #### Companion robots are a nascent market, funded mainly by third parties. Studies size it at between $0.6bn and $3.7bn in 2026 depending on scope, excluding toys (confidence C). About 14,500 Hyodol robots are in service in Korea according to the manufacturer (AFP), and Washington State covers ElliQ through Medicaid. Loneliness affects one in six people worldwide (WHO). Industry603,000 robots in 2025 + Defense22,000+ ground robots in Ukraine + Companions~14,500 Hyodol in service in Korea Industry and defense are already buying in volume; companion robots form a nascent market. Loneliness affects one person in six (WHO). The study's data is published in a data pack: companies, robot models and their versions, forecasts, regulation and 156 sources. Explore the data pack in the appendix → Author, method and limitations ## Who signs, how we count, what the study does not say Who is accountable for the content, how sources are selected and rated, and the limitations readers should be aware of. ### Author and editorial responsibility LB Author and editorial responsibility Ludovic Baumgartner President of WE GARTNER This study was written by Ludovic Baumgartner, President of WE GARTNER, who bears editorial responsibility for it. Research and drafting were assisted by an AI (Claude, by Anthropic). The text underwent an adversarial review (facts, sources, method), then was reviewed and approved by the author. Every figure was checked against its source page before publication. DISCLOSURE OF INTERESTS WE GARTNER works with executives and management committees: coaching, executive committee support, training and speaking engagements. Several activities described in the chapter “The intermediary businesses to build” overlap with these offerings. The study was funded from WE GARTNER's own resources, without commission or funding from any company mentioned. ### Method This document covers the whole of robotics, with an in-depth analysis of Physical AI (humanoids and embodied AI). The assessment is as of November 8, 2026. Source hierarchy Data comes first from primary sources: research institutes (IFR, IDC), regulators, stock exchange filings, company press releases and earnings reports, and government agencies. Leading press outlets come next. Every figure in the white paper links to its source. The confidence level follows a written rule: A #### Verified Figure read in a primary source, or in two concurring independent sources. A price or past fact published by the company itself counts as a primary source. B #### Probable Figure found in a single reputable press source, or a primary source known through a secondary outlet. C #### To be verified Company target or forecast, estimate, paid study with unpublished methodology, or calculation by this study. Company selection The public data pack tracks 240 companies identified in the study's sources between January 2025 and November 2026: manufacturers and suppliers of components, AI models, data and services. It is a selection, not a census. It over-represents manufacturers (131) and US companies (77, versus 58 Chinese), and under-represents integrators and service companies (5). China alone has more than 150 humanoid manufacturers, according to China's National Development and Reform Commission (Bloomberg). Data pack entries that do not yet have their own source are marked “unsourced.” Humanoid counts The research firms do not measure the same thing. For 2025, the IFR counts about 7,000 “full-size” humanoids (over 140 cm) sold for professional use (IFR); IDC counts about 18,000 shipments across all uses (Jiemian). For H1 2026, SAG reports about 19,100 units (TechRepublic) and IDC nearly 25,000. Each figure is therefore given with its source and period. **Chart: One market, several counts.** Humanoids sold or shipped, by research firm. Scopes differ: each figure is given with its source and period. - Year 2025 · IFR · full-size, professional use : ~7,000 - Year 2025 · IDC · all uses : ~18,000 - First half of 2026 · SAG : ~19,100 - First half of 2026 · IDC : ~25,000 Source: IFR, IDC (via Jiemian and Sina), SAG (via TechRepublic), 2026. AcronymsIFR International Federation of Robotics (annual World Robotics report)IDC International Data Corporation, US market research firmSAG Smart Analytics Global, US market research firm ### What this study does not say #### Paid reports were not read directly IDC figures and the forecasts from Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank are known through press outlets that had access to them. They are cited as such. #### Company figures are not audited Units delivered, capacities and orders are those reported by the companies. #### The services thesis is not quantified No public source measures the share of services in the total cost of a deployment. #### Forecasts are estimates They were revised upward several times in 2026 and will be again. #### The status report is dated Several statuses may change quickly, starting with the end, on November 10, 2026, of the one-year suspension of part of China's controls on rare earths. #### The adult segment of companion robots It exists; it falls outside the scope of this study. Market ## The market in figures Conventional robotics is growing steadily (+11% in industrial installations in 2025). The humanoid is moving from demonstration to first production runs, with growth of +432% in one year. Capital is following: $18.8bn raised by robotics startups as of June 22, 2026, vs. $15bn for all of 2025. ### Key indicators | Indicator | Value | Period | Source | Confidence | |---|---|---|---|---| | Industrial robots installed | 603,307 units (+11%) | 2025 | IFR World Robotics 2026 ↗ | A | | Operational industrial robot stock | 5.08 million (+9%) | end of 2025 | IFR ↗ | A | | Industrial robots installed in China | 354,000 units, 59% of the total | 2025 | IFR China ↗ | A | | Installations: United States / Japan / Korea / Germany | 38,400 / 36,200 / ~30,000 / 24,800 | 2025 | IFR ↗ · IFR EU ↗ · IFR via TNW ↗ | A; B for Japan and Korea | | European Union installations | 60,500 (−11%), including France 4,500 | 2025 | IFR EU ↗ | A | | Industrial installation forecast | 655,000 (2026) ; 806,000 (2029) | — | IFR ↗ | A | | Professional service robots sold | ~250,000 (+24%), including 117,500 in logistics | 2025 | IFR Service Robots ↗ | A | | Surgical robots sold | 8,400 (+57%) | 2025 | IFR Service Robots ↗ | A | | Consumer robots | 34.2 million (+37%) | 2025 | IFR Service Robots ↗ | A | | Humanoids shipped | ~25,000 (+432%), market > $740M | S1 2026 | IDC, via Sina ↗ | B | | Humanoid leader | AgiBot: > 8,600 units, ~35% | S1 2026 | IDC, via R&A News ↗ | B | | Robotics startup funding | $18.8bn (as of June 22), then $9.9bn in Q3, more than double Q3 2025 | 2026 | Crunchbase (June) ↗ · Crunchbase (Q3) ↗ | A | AcronymsIFR International Federation of Robotics (annual World Robotics report)IDC International Data Corporation, US market research firmEU European UnionH1 first halfQ3 third quarter$bn billion dollars$M million dollars **Chart: Industrial robot installations in 2025.** Units installed by country. China installs more than all other countries in the ranking combined. European Union: 60,500 (−11%). - China : 354,000 - United States : 38,400 - Japan : 36,200 - South Korea : ~30,000 - Germany : 24,800 - India : ~10,500 - Italy : 7,800 - France : 4,500 - Spain : 4,300 Source: IFR World Robotics 2026: global summary, EU press release; Korea and India via The Next Web. AcronymsIFR International Federation of Robotics (annual World Robotics report)EU European Union ### Humanoid forecasts: raised roughly every six months **Chart: Forecasts raised within a few months.** Previous forecast and revision, by source and target year. Logarithmic scale. - Morgan Stanley · China 2026 : - Goldman Sachs · 2026 : - IDC · 2030 : - Goldman Sachs · 2030 : - Goldman Sachs · 2035 : Source: Goldman Sachs (via 24/7 Wall St. and Tiger Brokers), Morgan Stanley (via TNW), IDC (2026). AcronymsIDC International Data Corporation, US market research firm **Chart: Humanoids per year in 2030.** Latest published forecast per source. Morgan Stanley covers China only. - Goldman Sachs : 890,000 - IDC : > 750,000 - Deutsche Bank : ~700,000 - Morgan Stanley (China) : 446,000 Source: Goldman Sachs, IDC, Morgan Stanley (2026); Deutsche Bank via GMT Eight (confidence C). AcronymsIDC International Data Corporation, US market research firm$bn billion dollars **Chart: Goldman Sachs: the long-term trajectory.** September 2026 note: from a few tens of thousands of units to several million. - 2026 : 75,000 - 2030 : 890,000 - 2035 : 6.5M Source: Goldman Sachs via 24/7 Wall St. (Sept. 2026). Acronyms$bn billion dollars | Source | 2026 | 2030 | 2035 and beyond | Confidence | |---|---|---|---|---| | Goldman Sachs, Sept. 2026 note (via 24/7 Wall St.) | 75,000 (vs. 51,000 in February, via Tiger Brokers) | 890,000 (vs. 256,000) | 6.5M units and $138bn in 2035 | B | | IDC, Sept. 29, 2026 (via Sina) | — | > 750,000 | — | B | | Morgan Stanley, China only, June 2026 (via TNW) | 50,000 (vs. 28,000, and 14,000 at the start of the year) | 446,000; $15bn | Global installed base of more than one billion humanoids in service by 2050 (article of May 14, 2025) | B | | Deutsche Bank, June 2026 (via GMT Eight) | ~50,000 | ~700,000 | 7M in 2050, type not specified | C | AcronymsIDC International Data Corporation, US market research firm$bn billion dollars How to read Global forecasts for 2030 fall within a ratio of 1 to 1.3 (700,000 to 890,000 units). All were raised in 2026, and the direction of these revisions is an indicator in itself. Goldman Sachs's starting point was 1.4 million humanoids in 2035 (Goldman Sachs, 2024). Taxonomy ## Thirteen families of robots The market breaks down into thirteen families; the data pack adds four cross-cutting categories (components, AI, data, simulation). Five of the first six families are mature. Humanoids and mobile manipulators concentrate capital and technological disruption. The families overlap: the 250,000 professional service robots include logistics and surgical robots. Industrial armsCobotsLogistics mobile robotsProfessional service robotsMedical robotsConsumer robotsQuadrupedsHumanoids and wheeled mobile manipulatorsCompanion robotsDrones and defense robotsAgricultural robotsAutonomous vehicles and autonomous deliverySpecialty robots Maturity 01Mature B2B #### Industrial arms (articulated, SCARA, delta) ExamplesFanucABBYaskawaKUKAEstun 2025 volume or benchmark603,307 installed, installed base of 5M (IFR) 02Mature, growing B2B (SMEs) #### Cobots (collaborative robots) ExamplesUniversal RobotsFanuc CRXDoosanAUBOJAKA 2025 volume or benchmark66,000 installed, 11% of industrial installations (IFR) 03Mature B2B #### Logistics mobile robots (AMRs, AGVs, automated storage) ExamplesAmazon RoboticsExotecAutoStoreSymboticGeek+ 2025 volume or benchmark117,500 transport and logistics robots (IFR) 04Growing B2B #### Professional service robots (cleaning, hospitality, delivery) ExamplesPuduKeenonBrain CorpAvidbots 2025 volume or benchmark~250,000 professional service robots in total (IFR) 05Mature (surgery) B2B (hospitals) #### Medical robots (surgery, rehabilitation, exoskeletons) ExamplesIntuitive SurgicalMedtronicCMRWandercraft 2025 volume or benchmark8,400 surgical robots, +57% (IFR) 06Mature B2C #### Consumer robots (vacuums, lawn mowers, educational) ExamplesRoborockEcovacsDreameiRobot 2025 volume or benchmark34.2M units (IFR) 07Growing B2BB2G #### Quadrupeds (inspection, security) ExamplesBoston Dynamics SpotANYboticsUnitreeGhost Robotics 2025 volume or benchmarkNot measured by the IFR 08Emerging, at a tipping point B2Bthen B2C #### Humanoids and wheeled mobile manipulators ExamplesTeslaFigureUnitreeAgiBotUBTechAgility1X 2025 volume or benchmark7,000 (IFR, professional use) to 18,000 (IDC, all uses) in 2025; see “Author, method and limitations” 09Emerging B2CB2B2C #### Companion robots (seniors, robotic pets, emotional companions) ExamplesElliQHyodolLOVOTMoflinParoJennie 2025 volume or benchmarkHyodol: ~14,500 in service in Korea (AFP); Moflin: more than 20,000 sold in Japan, cumulative (Casio) 10Strong growth B2G #### Drones and defense robots (UAV, UGV, USV) ExamplesDJIAndurilShield AIHelsingMilrem 2025 volume or benchmarkWar in Ukraine as an accelerator 11Growing B2B #### Agricultural robots ExamplesJohn DeereCarbon RoboticsNaïoLely 2025 volume or benchmarkHigh-value niche 12Adjacent B2CB2B #### Autonomous vehicles and autonomous delivery ExamplesWaymoZooxServe Robotics 2025 volume or benchmarkOutside the core scope, monitored 13Niche B2BB2G #### Specialized robots (space, underwater, construction, nuclear) ExamplesGitai, Saildrone, Built Robotics 2025 volume or benchmarkOutside the core scope View the taxonomy table | Family | Examples | Customer | Maturity | 2025 volume or benchmark | |---|---|---|---|---| | Industrial arms (articulated, SCARA, delta) | Fanuc, ABB, Yaskawa, KUKA, Estun | B2B | Mature | 603,307 installed, installed base of 5M (IFR) | | Cobots (collaborative robots) | Universal Robots, Fanuc CRX, Doosan, AUBO, JAKA | B2B (SMEs) | Mature, growing | 66,000 installed, 11% of industrial installations (IFR) | | Logistics mobile robots (AMRs, AGVs, automated storage) | Amazon Robotics, Exotec, AutoStore, Symbotic, Geek+ | B2B | Mature | 117,500 transportation and logistics robots (IFR) | | Professional service robots (cleaning, hospitality, delivery) | Pudu, Keenon, Brain Corp, Avidbots | B2B | Growing | ~250,000 professional service robots in total (IFR) | | Medical robots (surgery, rehabilitation, exoskeletons) | Intuitive Surgical, Medtronic, CMR, Wandercraft | B2B (hospitals) | Mature (surgery) | 8,400 surgical robots, +57% (IFR) | | Consumer robots (vacuums, lawn mowers, educational) | Roborock, Ecovacs, Dreame, iRobot | B2C | Mature | 34.2M units (IFR) | | Quadrupeds (inspection, security) | Boston Dynamics Spot, ANYbotics, Unitree, Ghost Robotics | B2BB2G | Growing | Not measured by the IFR | | Humanoids and wheeled mobile manipulators | Tesla, Figure, Unitree, AgiBot, UBTech, Agility, 1X | B2Bthen B2C | Emerging, at a tipping point | 7,000 (IFR, professional use) to 18,000 (IDC, all uses) in 2025; see “Author, method and limitations” | | Companion robots (seniors, robotic pets, emotional companions) | ElliQ, Hyodol, LOVOT, Moflin, Paro, Jennie | B2CB2B2C | Emerging | Hyodol: ~14,500 in service in Korea (AFP); Moflin: more than 20,000 sold in Japan, cumulative (Casio) | | Drones and defense robots (UAV, UGV, USV) | DJI, Anduril, Shield AI, Helsing, Milrem | B2G | Strong growth | War in Ukraine as an accelerator | | Agricultural robots | John Deere, Carbon Robotics, Naïo, Lely | B2B | Growing | High-value niche | | Autonomous vehicles and autonomous delivery | Waymo, Zoox, Serve Robotics | B2CB2B | Adjacent | Outside core scope, monitored | | Specialized robots (space, underwater, construction, nuclear) | Gitai, Saildrone, Built Robotics | B2BB2G | Niche | Outside core scope | AcronymsIFR International Federation of Robotics (annual World Robotics report)IDC International Data Corporation, US market research firmAMR autonomous mobile robotAGV automated guided vehicleSCARA fast arm with two horizontal axes, used for assemblyUAV aerial droneUGV unmanned ground vehicleUSV uncrewed surface vesselB2B sales to businessesB2C sales to consumersB2G sales to governments and public agenciesB2B2C service paid for by a third party (insurer, local authority) on behalf of an individual **Chart: Robot models tracked in the data pack.** Breakdown of the 76 models by family: the data pack tracks humanoids first. - Humanoids and mobile manipulators : 43 - Logistics mobile robots : 6 - Companion robots : 5 - Medical robots : 5 - Cobots : 5 - Quadrupeds : 4 - Consumer robots : 3 - Professional service robots : 3 - Agricultural robots : 2 Source: ROBOT INDUSTRY data pack (Nov. 2026). Two further axes complete the taxonomy in the data pack: form factor (fixed arm, wheeled mobile, quadruped, biped, flying, aquatic) and degree of autonomy (programmed, teleoperated, supervised partial autonomy, autonomous). ### Industry, defense, companions: three markets at very different stages Industry and logistics already buy in the hundreds of thousands of units. Defense is scaling up under the impact of the war in Ukraine. Companions are a nascent market, funded mainly by third parties. Our long-term hypothesis, dated November 8, 2026, is that these three markets will rank among the largest after 2030. No published data establishes this today, and consumer robots (34.2 million units in 2025) remain by far the largest market by volume. #### Industry and logistics Key figure603,307 industrial robots installed in 2025 (IFR); ~250,000 professional service robots (IFR) Who paysIndustrial companies, logistics providers, retailers What drives itLabor shortages, throughput, hourly cost #### Defense Key figureUkraine: more than 22,000 ground robots under contract since early 2026, nearly double 2025 (Ukrainian Ministry of Defense); Ukraine produced about 2 million drones in 2024 (CSIS, via StartUs Insights) Who paysGovernments What drives itProtecting soldiers, drone warfare, sovereignty #### Companions Key figure~14,500 Hyodol units in service in Korea (AFP); ElliQ covered by Medicaid in Washington State since March 2026 (PR Newswire) Who paysLocal authorities, public programs, health insurance, households What drives itAging; loneliness, which affects one in six people according to the WHO The detailed study of the companion robot market →View the three-market table | Market | Key figure | Who pays | What drives it | |---|---|---|---| | Industry and logistics | 603,307 industrial robots installed in 2025 (IFR); ~250,000 professional service robots (IFR) | Industrial companies, logistics providers, retailers | Labor shortages, throughput, hourly cost | | Defense | Ukraine: more than 22,000 ground robots under contract since early 2026, nearly double 2025 (Ukrainian Ministry of Defense); Ukraine produced about 2 million drones in 2024 (CSIS, via StartUs Insights) | Governments | Protecting soldiers, drone warfare, sovereignty | | Companions | ~14,500 Hyodol units in service in Korea (AFP); ElliQ covered by Medicaid in Washington State since March 2026 (PR Newswire) | Local authorities, public programs, health insurance, households | Aging; loneliness, which affects one in six people according to the WHO | AcronymsIFR International Federation of Robotics (annual World Robotics report)WHO World Health Organization Value chain ## Eleven layers, where value is created Value concentrates at both ends: critical components, dominated by China and Japan, and software “brains,” dominated by the United States. Downstream, integration, services and compliance remain fragmented. That is where we place the intermediary businesses to build. How the layers fit together Hardware converges on the manufacturers, and so does the software “brain”; downstream turns the robot into billed hours of work. The data loop (dotted) links downstream to the models: every deployed robot produces the data that trains the next one. Hovering over a layer isolates its links; a click opens its detail. A company present in several layers counts in each; layer 11 also includes buyers who integrate their robots themselves. ComponentsSoftwareRobots and serviceDataMoney Source: ROBOT INDUSTRY analysis; key figures from chapter 05 Acronyms$bn billion dollars$M million dollars Click any layer to open it: players, dynamics and the data pack companies operating in it. Components (1-5)Compute and AI models (6-7)Simulation and manufacturers (9-10)Data (8) and services (11) Key playersJL MagNingbo YunshengMP MaterialsLynas 2026 dynamicsChina: nearly 95% of permanent magnets (IEA, via CleanTechnica). Export controls since April 2025; some of the measures are suspended until November 10, 2026 Data pack companies (7) China Northern Rare EarthJL Mag Rare-EarthLynas Rare EarthsMP MaterialsNeo Performance MaterialsNingbo YunshengVacuumschmelze (VAC) Key playersHarmonic Drive SystemsNabtescoLeaderdrive (Green Harmonic)SchaefflerTHKNSKHiwinRollvisSanhuaTuopuMaxon 2026 dynamicsLargest cost item: 40 to 60% of the bill of materials of a humanoid, which contains several dozen actuators (McKinsey) Data pack companies (25) Beite TechnologyBosch RexrothFaulhaberHarmonic Drive SystemsHIWINInovanceKollmorgenLeaderdrive (Green Harmonic)LeadshineMaxonNabtescoNidecNovantaNSKRobert BoschRollvis (GSA)Sanhua Intelligent ControlsSchaefflerSKFSynapticonTHKTimkenTuopu GroupWittensteinYaskawa Electric Key playersSharpaShadow RobotInspire RobotsLinkerbotGelSightXELA 2026 dynamicsMajor technical bottleneck; the hand accounts for a large share of the motors Data pack companies (8) GelSightInspire RobotsLinkerbotNovantaRAS LabsShadow Robot CompanySharpaXELA Robotics Key playersHesaiRoboSenseOusterSonyIntel RealSense 2026 dynamicsRapid commoditization, falling prices Data pack companies (7) HesaiInboltOrbbecOusterRealSenseRoboSenseSony Semiconductor Solutions Key playersCATLLG Energy SolutionSamsung SDIPanasonic 2026 dynamicsBattery life limits shift length; autonomous battery swapping is emerging (UBTech's Walker S2) Data pack companies (4) CATLLG Energy SolutionPanasonic EnergySamsung SDI Key playersNVIDIA Jetson ThorQualcommTesla AI5Horizon Robotics 2026 dynamicsJetson Thor, designed for humanoids; Tesla is developing its own chips Data pack companies (6) AMDHorizon RoboticsNVIDIAQualcommRockchipTesla Key playersPhysical IntelligenceSkild AIGoogle DeepMind (Gemini Robotics 2)NVIDIA GR00TCosmosFigure Helix1X RedwoodAMI LabsWorld Labs 2026 dynamicsPhysical Intelligence at $11.5bn (in talks at ~$20bn), Skild at more than $14bn. Race toward cross-robot generalization Data pack companies (47) 1X TechnologiesAgiBot (Zhiyuan Robotics)AmazonAMI LabsAnduril IndustriesAstribotBedrock RoboticsBrain CorpDexterityDyna RoboticsField AIFigure AIGalbotGeneralist AIGenesis AIGoogle DeepMindHelsingHugging FaceIHMCInboltIntrinsicIntuition RoboticsJohn DeereLAAS-CNRSMentee RoboticsMetaMind RoboticsMujinNEURA RoboticsNVIDIAOpenAIOxaPhysical IntelligenceRAI InstituteRhoda AIRLWRLDSanctuary AIShield AISkild AISunday RoboticsTeslaThe Bot CompanyToyota Research InstituteVelocity ExplorationsWaymoWorld LabsX-Humanoid (Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center) Key playersMeckaXDOFBuild AIScale AIMicro1Cortex AIpublic data collection centers in China 2026 dynamicsRobotics companies spend more than $100M a year on real-world data (MIT Technology Review). Mecka reports more than $100M in annualized revenue Data pack companies (8) Build AICortex AIEncordHuman ArchiveMecka AIMicro1Scale AIXDOF Key playersNVIDIA Isaac SimOmniverseMuJoCoGenesisDassault SystèmesSiemens 2026 dynamicsNVIDIA sells the common platform to nearly every manufacturer Data pack companies (5) Dassault SystèmesGenesis AINVIDIASiemensWorld Labs Key players240 companies tracked in the data pack, including 131 manufacturers 2026 dynamicsMore than 150 humanoid manufacturers in China (Bloomberg). Consolidation expected Data pack companies (141) 1X TechnologiesABB RoboticsAddverbAgiBot (Zhiyuan Robotics)Agile RobotsAgility RoboticsAldebaranAmazonAmazon RoboticsAnduril IndustriesANYboticsApptronikAstribotAUBO RoboticsAutoStoreAvidbotsBerkshire GreyBooster RoboticsBoston DynamicsBrain CorpCarbon RoboticsCasio ComputerClone RoboticsCMR SurgicalComauCyberdyneDeep RoboticsDelairDenso WaveDexterityDistalmotionDJIDOBOTDoosan RoboticsDreameEcovacsEfortEkso BionicsElite RobotsEnchanted ToolsEngineAIEpson RobotsEstun AutomationExotecFanucFigure AIFlexivFoundation Future IndustriesFourierFoxconn (Hon Hai)Franka RoboticsGalbotGausiumGeek+Ghost RoboticsGreyOrangeGROOVE XHai RoboticsHelsingHexagon RoboticsHondaHonorHumanoid (SKL)HusqvarnaHyodolIHMCInovanceIntuition RoboticsIntuitive SurgicaliRobotJAKA RoboticsJohn DeereJohnson & Johnson MedTechKawasaki Heavy IndustriesKeenon RoboticsKepler Exploration RobotKinovaKnappKUKALeju RoboticsLelyLocus RoboticsMatic RobotsMedtronicMentee RoboticsMicroPort MedBotMidea GroupMilrem RoboticsMind RoboticsMitsubishi ElectricMoon SurgicalNachi-FujikoshiNarwalNaïo TechnologiesNEURA RoboticsNoetix RoboticsOcado TechnologyOmronPAL RoboticsParrotPersona AIPollen RoboticsPudu RoboticsQuantum SystemsQuicktronRainbow RoboticsRichtech RoboticsRoborockRoboteraSanctuary AISegway-NinebotServe RoboticsSharkNinjaShield AISiasunSkydioSoftBank RoboticsStandard BotsStarship TechnologiesStrykerStäubliSunday RoboticsSymboticTechman RobotTekeverTeradyneTeslaThe Bot CompanyTombotUBTech RoboticsUnitree RoboticsUniversal RobotsWandercraftWaymoWeave RoboticsX-Humanoid (Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center)XiaomiXPeng RoboticsYaskawa ElectricZimmer BiometZoox Key playersRegional integratorsAgility (RaaS)IntrinsicSynapticon (safety) 2026 dynamicsThe most fragmented layer in our assessment. RaaS already dominates in the United States for professional service robots (IFR) Data pack companies (31) AddverbAgile RobotsAgility RoboticsAmazonAmazon RoboticsBedrock RoboticsBMW GroupBYDComauDematicFormicFoxconn (Hon Hai)Fraunhofer IPAGreyOrangeGXO LogisticsHyundai Motor GroupIntrinsicKnappMercado LibreMercedes-Benz GroupMujinOcado TechnologyRenault GroupRobert BoschSF ExpressSiemensSoftBank GroupSwisslogSymboticSynapticonToyota Motor View the table of the eleven layers | # | Layer | What it does | Key players | 2026 dynamics | |---|---|---|---|---| | 1 | Materials and magnets | Rare earths, NdFeB magnets for motors | JL Mag, Ningbo Yunsheng, MP Materials, Lynas | China: nearly 95% of permanent magnets (IEA, via CleanTechnica). Export controls since April 2025; some of the measures are suspended until November 10, 2026 | | 2 | Actuators and transmission | Frameless motors, harmonic and planetary gear reducers, roller screws, bearings | Harmonic Drive Systems, Nabtesco, Leaderdrive (Green Harmonic), Schaeffler, THK, NSK, Hiwin, Rollvis, Sanhua, Tuopu, Maxon | Largest cost item: 40 to 60% of the bill of materials of a humanoid, which has several dozen actuators (McKinsey) | | 3 | Hands and touch | Dexterous hands, tactile and force sensors | Sharpa, Shadow Robot, Inspire Robots, Linkerbot, GelSight, XELA | Major technical bottleneck; the hand accounts for a large share of the motors | | 4 | Perception | Cameras, LiDAR, depth sensing | Hesai, RoboSense, Ouster, Sony, Intel RealSense | Rapid commoditization, falling prices | | 5 | Energy | Batteries, thermal management, autonomous swapping | CATL, LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI, Panasonic | Battery life limits shift length; autonomous battery swapping is emerging (UBTech's Walker S2) | | 6 | Onboard compute | Inference chip inside the robot | NVIDIA Jetson Thor, Qualcomm, Tesla AI5, Horizon Robotics | Jetson Thor, designed for humanoids; Tesla is developing its own chips | | 7 | Foundation models (“brains”) | Vision-language-action (VLA) models and world models | Physical Intelligence, Skild AI, Google DeepMind (Gemini Robotics 2), NVIDIA GR00T and Cosmos, Figure Helix, 1X Redwood, AMI Labs, World Labs | Physical Intelligence at $11.5bn (in talks at ~$20bn), Skild at over $14bn. Race toward multi-robot generalization | | 8 | Training data | Teleoperation, egocentric video, synthetic data | Mecka, XDOF, Build AI, Scale AI, Micro1, Cortex AI; public data collection centers in China | Robotics companies spend more than $100M a year on real-world data (MIT Technology Review). Mecka reports more than $100M in annualized revenue | | 9 | Simulation and digital twins | Train and test virtually before going physical | NVIDIA Isaac Sim and Omniverse, MuJoCo, Genesis, Dassault Systèmes, Siemens | NVIDIA sells the common platform to almost every manufacturer | | 10 | Manufacturers (OEMs) | Design and assemble the robots | 240 companies tracked in the data pack, including 131 manufacturers | More than 150 humanoid manufacturers in China (Bloomberg). Consolidation expected | | 11 | Integration and services | Integration, fleet management, leasing (RaaS), maintenance, teleoperation, insurance, financing, compliance, training | Regional integrators, Agility (RaaS), Intrinsic, Synapticon (safety) | The most fragmented layer in our reading. RaaS already dominates in the United States for professional service robots (IFR) | AcronymsIFR International Federation of Robotics (annual World Robotics report)RaaS Robots-as-a-Service: the customer pays for the robot by the hour or by subscriptionVLA vision-language-action AI modelOEM manufacturer that designs and assembles the final productNdFeB neodymium-iron-boron magnetLiDAR laser-based remote sensing$bn billion dollars$M million dollars Who holds each layer: data pack companies by country Number of companies tracked by layer and by country. A company present in several layers is counted in each. Read with caution: the data pack over-represents US companies and manufacturers; it does not measure the actual weight of each country. The data pack is a selection, not a census. | Layer | United States | China | Japan | Germany | France | South Korea | Switzerland | United Kingdom | Other countries | Total | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 1Materials and magnets | 1 | 3 | | 1 | | | | | 2 | 7 | | 2Actuators and transmission | 3 | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | 2 | | 2 | 25 | | 3Hands and touch | 3 | 2 | 1 | | | | | 1 | 1 | 8 | | 4Perception | 2 | 3 | 1 | | 1 | | | | | 7 | | 5Energy | | 1 | 1 | | | 2 | | | | 4 | | 6Onboard compute | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | 6 | | 7Foundation models | 31 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | | 2 | 3 | 47 | | 8Training data | 5 | | | | | | | 1 | 2 | 8 | | 9Simulation and digital twins | 3 | | | 1 | 1 | | | | | 5 | | 10Manufacturers (OEMs) | 42 | 40 | 13 | 6 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 20 | 141 | | 11Integration and services | 10 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 31 | | Total layer assignments | 104 | 63 | 26 | 23 | 15 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 35 | | Companies per cell12-34-67-1516 and moreHover over a cell to display the companies. Source: ROBOT INDUSTRY data pack (240 companies, Nov. 2026) AcronymsOEM manufacturer that designs and assembles the final product The 240 players tracked, from upstream to downstream Each company appears once, in its primary position. Manufacturers are the direct players; all others are related players in the chain. Clicking a company opens its profile in the appendix. A selection, not a census. 240 companies #### Upstream · components 49 Materials, actuators, hands, perception, energy, compute (layers 1 to 6) #### Brains and data 31 Foundation models, training data, simulation (layers 7 to 9) #### Manufacturers 136 The direct players, by robot family (layer 10) Humanoids 35 Companion robots 6 Industrial arms and cobots 29 Logistics 14 Service and consumer 21 Quadrupeds and defense 13 Medical, agricultural and other 18 #### Downstream · services 4 Integration, leasing, operations (layer 11) #### Related players 20 Major buyers, investors and research labs Source: ROBOT INDUSTRY data pack (Nov. 2026) Strategic reading Layers 1 to 7 require heavy capital and a technological edge. Layer 11 is the least capital-intensive. The driver is simple: every robot deployed must be selected, financed, integrated, insured, certified, supervised and maintained, and the teams that put it to work must be trained. Physical AI ## Humanoids: the tipping point In 2026, the humanoid is leaving the lab but is not yet autonomous. China delivers the volume; the United States delivers the private valuations and the AI models. In industry, the first recurring contracts are coming from automotive and logistics, often on a leasing basis. Humanoids shipped, H1 2026 ~25,000 +432% year over year IDC Share of Chinese manufacturers > 95% of shipments IDC No. 1 worldwide in H1 2026 AgiBot 8,600+ units, ~35% IDC Figure production rate (BotQ) 1 / hour end of April 2026 Figure ### The players that matter Region United StatesOptimus #### Tesla Early production on the high-volume lines at Fremont, announced on Oct. 21, 2026. According to Elon Musk, the line is designed for 1M/year, a rate of 20,000/week is targeted at least a year out, and deliveries to external customers around late 2027 (Electrek) CapitalSelf-funded United StatesFigure 03 #### Figure AI BotQ plant: one robot per hour, more than 350 Figure 03 units delivered by the end of April 2026. Reference customer: BMW, which announced in June 2026 the deployment of Figure 03 at Spartanburg (BMW) Capital$39bn (Sept. 2025) United States (Hyundai)Electric Atlas #### Boston Dynamics 2026 production fully booked (Hyundai, Google DeepMind). Hyundai is targeting a capacity of 30,000 robots per year and deployments in its plants from 2028 (Reuters) CapitalHyundai subsidiary United StatesDigit #### Agility Robotics Listed on Nasdaq (AGLT) since Nov. 5, 2026, following a merger with the SPAC Churchill Capital XI. More than $300M in multi-year orders announced, subject to conditions Capital$2.5bn in the transaction (The Robot Report) United StatesApollo #### Apptronik Partnership with Google DeepMind; Apollo tested in plants of Mercedes-Benz, which is also a shareholder (Reuters) Capital~$5.3bn (Feb. 2026) United States (Norwegian origin)NEO #### 1X Hayward plant: 10,000/year, with more than 100,000/year targeted by end-2027. First home deliveries planned in 2026, with teleoperation; no delivery confirmed as of Nov. 8. CapitalSoftBank negotiating a majority stake at ~$6bn (August 2026, not finalized) (Reuters) ChinaG1, H2, R1 #### Unitree More than 5,500 humanoids delivered in 2025 according to Unitree (4,200 according to AgiBot, based on Omdia data). Listed on the STAR Market since August 19, 2026 CapitalListed: +629% on the first trading day ChinaA2 “Yuanzheng” series #### AgiBot No. 1 worldwide in H1 2026: more than 8,600 humanoids (IDC). 20,000 robots produced cumulatively CapitalRound under way at ~50bn yuan (≈ $7.4bn); Hong Kong IPO postponed (36Kr) ChinaWalker S2 #### UBTech 2025 humanoid revenue: 821M yuan (+2,204%); 1,079 humanoids delivered in 2025; capacity above 6,000/year at end-2025 CapitalListed in Hong Kong Germany4NE1 #### Neura Robotics Target capacity of 6,000 humanoids in 2026, more than 10,000 in 2027 Capital~$7bn (June 2026) ChinaTiangong Ultra #### X-Humanoid 100 m in 8.64 s at the World Humanoid Robot Games 2026, faster than the human record (9.58 s) CapitalBeijing public-private center United StatesPhantom MK-1 #### Foundation Two units delivered to Ukraine in February 2026 for logistics; trials showed a payload limited to about 20 kg, insufficient sealing and short battery life CapitalNot disclosed FranceCalvin #### Wandercraft Renault: about ten robots by end-2026, up to 350 by end-2027 in its French and Spanish plants CapitalRaise of about €100M under negotiation (Sept. 2026) See the players table | Player | Country | Flagship robot | Where it stands (Nov. 2026) | Capital | |---|---|---|---|---| | Tesla | United States | Optimus | Early production on the high-volume lines at Fremont, announced on Oct. 21, 2026. According to Elon Musk, the line is designed for 1M/year, a rate of 20,000/week is targeted at least a year out, and deliveries to external customers around late 2027 (Electrek) | Self-funded | | Figure AI | United States | Figure 03 | BotQ plant: one robot per hour, more than 350 Figure 03 units delivered by the end of April 2026. Reference customer: BMW, which announced in June 2026 the deployment of Figure 03 at Spartanburg (BMW) | $39bn (Sept. 2025) | | Boston Dynamics | United States (Hyundai) | Electric Atlas | 2026 production fully booked (Hyundai, Google DeepMind). Hyundai is targeting a capacity of 30,000 robots per year and deployments in its plants from 2028 (Reuters) | Hyundai subsidiary | | Agility Robotics | United States | Digit | Listed on Nasdaq (AGLT) since Nov. 5, 2026, following a merger with the SPAC Churchill Capital XI. More than $300M in multi-year orders announced, subject to conditions | $2.5bn in the deal (The Robot Report) | | Apptronik | United States | Apollo | Partnership with Google DeepMind; Apollo tested in plants of Mercedes-Benz, which is also a shareholder (Reuters) | ~$5.3bn (Feb. 2026) | | 1X | United States (Norwegian origin) | NEO | Hayward plant: 10,000/year, with more than 100,000/year targeted by end-2027. First home deliveries planned in 2026, with teleoperation; no delivery confirmed as of Nov. 8. | SoftBank negotiating a majority stake at ~$6bn (August 2026, not finalized) (Reuters) | | Unitree | China | G1, H2, R1 | More than 5,500 humanoids delivered in 2025 according to Unitree (4,200 according to AgiBot, based on Omdia data). Listed on the STAR Market since August 19, 2026 | Listed: +629% on the first trading day | | AgiBot | China | A2 “Yuanzheng” series | No. 1 worldwide in H1 2026: more than 8,600 humanoids (IDC). 20,000 robots produced cumulatively | Round under way at ~50bn yuan (≈ $7.4bn); Hong Kong IPO postponed (36Kr) | | UBTech | China | Walker S2 | 2025 humanoid revenue: 821M yuan (+2,204%); 1,079 humanoids delivered in 2025; capacity above 6,000/year at end-2025 | Listed in Hong Kong | | Neura Robotics | Germany | 4NE1 | Target capacity of 6,000 humanoids in 2026, more than 10,000 in 2027 | ~$7bn (June 2026) | | X-Humanoid | China | Tiangong Ultra | 100 m in 8.64 s at the World Humanoid Robot Games 2026, faster than the human record (9.58 s) | Beijing public-private center | | Foundation | United States | Phantom MK-1 | Two units delivered to Ukraine in February 2026 for logistics; trials showed a payload limited to about 20 kg, insufficient sealing and short battery life | Not disclosed | | Wandercraft | France | Calvin | Renault: about ten robots by end-2026, up to 350 by end-2027 in its French and Spanish plants | Raise of about €100M under negotiation (Sept. 2026) | AcronymsIDC International Data Corporation, US market research firmSPAC listed company created to merge with an unlisted businessSTAR Market technology board of the Shanghai Stock ExchangeH1 first half of the year$bn billion dollars$M million dollars ### What is still holding things back #### Real autonomy 1X's NEO operates with remote operators (Engadget). Teleoperation also serves to collect the data that will train autonomy. #### Uses still mostly non-productive According to IDC, research, education, demonstration and public data collection centers still account for 69% of shipments in H1 2026, compared with 83.8% for full-year 2025 (IDC, via Sina). #### Endurance and reliability Battery life and failure rates have yet to be proven in two-shift operations. #### Cost Actuators account for 40 to 60% of a humanoid's bill of materials, compute and control for 10 to 15% (McKinsey). #### Safety A humanoid that loses power falls. The dedicated standard, ISO 25785-1, is still at the draft stage. Share of humanoids shipped for non-productive uses Research, education, demonstration and public data collection centers. The share is falling but remains a majority. 202583.8% First half 202669% Source: IDC (2026) AcronymsIDC International Data Corporation, US market research firm ### Order in which uses arrive Scope: humanoids, mobile manipulators and companion robots. Military drones and ground robots, already deployed in volume, are not included. - Research, education, demonstration and data collection: 69% of humanoid shipments in H1 2026 (IDC, via Sina). - Seniors and companions: already deployed, funded mainly by third parties, with about 14,500 Hyodol units in Korea (AFP) and ElliQ reimbursed by Medicaid in Washington State. These are companion robots, not humanoids. - Warehouse material handling and automotive line feeding (2026-2028, often leased). - Retail, hospitality, leisure parks: AgiBot has had more than 300 robots working in a single amusement park, Chimelong Spaceship, since late September 2026, in a first phase (Robotics 24/7). - Home: first NEO deliveries planned for 2026, still teleoperated. No source puts a date on autonomous use. - Defense (humanoids): logistics in hazardous areas, evaluation phase. This order differs from the priority of buyer markets in the next chapter. That priority combines volume, ability to pay and speed of adoption across all robots. Buyer markets ## Who buys, in order of priority Three sectors already buy robots in volume and are testing humanoids: electronics, automotive and logistics. The home is the largest market in units (consumer robots), but the most distant for humanoids. The priority below combines volume, ability to pay and speed of adoption; it is the author's reading. **Chart: Who is deploying which humanoids.** Orders, deployments, trials and public partnerships known as of November 8, 2026, grouped by customer sector. Hovering over a manufacturer or customer isolates its links. Source: ROBOT INDUSTRY white paper, “players” and “buyer markets” tables, and their sources. AcronymsRaaS Robot-as-a-Service: the customer pays for the robot by the hour or by subscription #### Priority 1 · volume and humanoids already in testing #### Automotive Key figure~138,000 industrial robots installed in 2025, 2nd-largest customer worldwide (IFR) HumanoidsBMW (Figure), Hyundai-Kia (Atlas), Mercedes-Benz (Apptronik), Toyota Canada (Agility), Renault (Wandercraft), BYD and Audi FAW (UBTech) Purchase driverArduous work, labor shortages, electric transition #### Logistics and e-commerce Key figure117,500 transport and logistics robots sold in 2025 (IFR) HumanoidsGXO, Mercado Libre and Schaeffler (Digit); SF Express (UBTech) Purchase driverE-commerce volumes, lead times, picker turnover #### Priority 2 · volume or high unit value #### Electronics and semiconductors Key figure142,235 robots installed in 2025, largest customer worldwide (IFR) HumanoidsFoxconn is testing UBTech and NVIDIA humanoids Purchase driverThroughput, precision, reshoring #### Healthcare Key figure8,400 surgical robots (+57%); medical robots +19% (IFR) HumanoidsElderly care (Fourier), rehabilitation (Wandercraft) Purchase driverAging population, shortage of caregivers #### Defense and security Key figure103 entries in the US Army's xTechHumanoid competition (army.mil) HumanoidsEvaluation phase in the United States; military research in China Purchase driverProtecting soldiers, sovereignty #### Priority 3 · new buyers #### Seniors and companions Key figure~14,500 Hyodol units in service in Korea (AFP); ElliQ provided free through public programs in five US states (ElliQ) HumanoidsCompanion robots rather than humanoids Purchase driverAging, loneliness; purchases funded by third parties #### Retail, hospitality, leisure Key figureHospitality ranks among the top five applications for professional service robots, up 19% in 2025 (IFR) HumanoidsReception and entertainment: more than 300 AgiBot robots in a single park (Robotics 24/7) Purchase driverBrand image, customer experience, staff costs #### Research and education Key figureNo. 1 buyer of humanoids today Humanoids73.6% of Unitree's humanoid revenue in the first nine months of 2025 (36Kr) Purchase driverPublic budgets, AI labs #### Public data collection centers (China) Key figureUBTech order worth 159 million yuan for a center in Zigong (TMTPost) HumanoidsNew category of buyer, state-funded Purchase driverProducing training data #### Priority 4 · slow adoption #### Food processing and agriculture Key figureFood industry installations in the United States: +30% in 2025 (IFR USA) HumanoidsLow Purchase driverSeasonality, labor shortages #### Energy, construction, inspection Key figureQuadrupeds at industrial sites, nuclear, oil and gas HumanoidsLow; quadrupeds dominate Purchase driverSafety, hazardous environments #### Priority 5 · the largest, and the most distant for humanoids #### Households (home) Key figure34.2M consumer robots sold in 2025 (IFR) Humanoids1X NEO at $20,000 or $499/month; Figure 03 also targets the home Purchase driverConvenience, loss of independence, aging in place View the markets table | Priority | Sector | Key figure | Humanoids: where things stand | Purchase driver | |---|---|---|---|---| | 1 | Automotive | ~138,000 industrial robots installed in 2025, the world's 2nd-largest customer (IFR) | BMW (Figure), Hyundai-Kia (Atlas), Mercedes-Benz (Apptronik), Toyota Canada (Agility), Renault (Wandercraft), BYD and Audi FAW (UBTech) | Arduous work, labor shortages, the shift to electric vehicles | | 1 | Logistics and e-commerce | 117,500 transport and logistics robots sold in 2025 (IFR) | GXO, Mercado Libre and Schaeffler (Digit); SF Express (UBTech) | E-commerce volumes, lead times, picker turnover | | 2 | Electronics and semiconductors | 142,235 robots installed in 2025, the world's largest customer (IFR) | Foxconn is testing UBTech and NVIDIA humanoids | Production rates, precision, reshoring | | 2 | Healthcare | 8,400 surgical robots (+57%); medical robots +19% (IFR) | Elderly care (Fourier), rehabilitation (Wandercraft) | Aging population, shortage of caregivers | | 2 | Defense and security | 103 entries in the US Army's xTechHumanoid competition (army.mil) | Evaluation phase in the United States; military research in China | Protecting soldiers, sovereignty | | 3 | Seniors and companions | ~14,500 Hyodol units in service in Korea (AFP); ElliQ provided free through public programs in five US states (ElliQ) | Companion robots rather than humanoids | Aging, loneliness; purchases funded by third parties | | 3 | Retail, hospitality, leisure | Hospitality ranks among the top five applications of professional service robots, up 19% in 2025 (IFR) | Reception and entertainment: more than 300 AgiBot robots in a single park (Robotics 24/7) | Brand image, customer experience, staff costs | | 3 | Research and education | No. 1 buyer of humanoids today | 73.6% of Unitree's humanoid revenue in the first nine months of 2025 (36Kr) | Public budgets, AI labs | | 3 | Public data collection centers (China) | UBTech order worth 159M yuan for a center in Zigong (TMTPost) | New category of buyer, state-funded | Producing training data | | 4 | Food processing and agriculture | Food and beverage installations in the United States: +30% in 2025 (IFR USA) | Low | Seasonality, labor shortages | | 4 | Energy, construction, inspection | Quadrupeds at industrial, nuclear, and oil and gas sites | Low; the quadruped dominates | Safety, hazardous environments | | 5 | Households (home) | 34.2M consumer robots sold in 2025 (IFR) | 1X NEO at $20,000 or $499/month; Figure 03 also targets the home | Comfort, dependency, aging in place | AcronymsIFR International Federation of Robotics (annual World Robotics report) Key takeaways for intermediaries In industry, the first recurring contracts are being signed as leases (Agility). By volume, the first buyers of humanoids remain laboratories, education and Chinese public centers, which buy units. Industrial companies buy an outcome: hours of work or totes moved. In our reading, they are looking for partners to select, manage, secure and gain acceptance for these deployments. Geography and geopolitics ## Chinese volume, American valuations Robotics is following the path of semiconductors: dependence on a single country, protectionist measures, state plans. China controls volume and components. The United States controls models and capital. Japan and Europe hold mechanical precision and standards; the Japanese domestic market remains weak, despite solid production and exports (IFR). The weight of each country Two views: industrial robots installed in 2025 (IFR) or the companies tracked in the data pack. Hover over a country to see the detail. Gray: no figure published in the sources consulted. Show Source: IFR World Robotics 2026 (via The Next Web); ROBOT INDUSTRY data pack (Nov. 2026) | Country | Robots installed in 2025 | |---|---| | China | 354,000 | | United States | 38,400 | | Japan | 36,200 | | South Korea | ~30,000 | | Germany | 24,800 | | India | ~10,500 | | Italy | 7,800 | | France | 4,500 | | Spain | 4,300 | | Country | Data pack companies | |---|---| | United States | 77 | | China | 58 | | Japan | 24 | | Germany | 17 | | France | 14 | | Switzerland | 8 | | South Korea | 7 | | United Kingdom | 7 | | Canada | 5 | | Taiwan | 3 | | Israel | 2 | | India | 2 | | Sweden | 2 | | Estonia | 2 | | Poland | 1 | | Spain | 1 | | Singapore | 1 | | Australia | 1 | | Italy | 1 | | Denmark | 1 | | Norway | 1 | | Austria | 1 | | Ireland | 1 | | Portugal | 1 | | Netherlands | 1 | | UY | 1 | AcronymsIFR International Federation of Robotics (annual World Robotics report) China's weight Volume, manufacturers and components: the dependence shows at every level. Share of 2025 global installations in China59% Humanoids shipped by Chinese manufacturers (H1 2026)>95% Permanent magnets produced in China (IEA, April 2026)~95% Source: IFR, IDC (2026); IEA for magnets AcronymsIFR International Federation of Robotics, the international robotics federation (annual World Robotics report)IDC International Data Corporation, US market research firmH1 first half of the year **Chart: Data pack companies by country.** Top ten of 26 countries represented (240 companies). A selection, not a census: US companies are over-represented. - United States : 77 - China : 58 - Japan : 24 - Germany : 17 - France : 14 - Switzerland : 8 - South Korea : 7 - United Kingdom : 7 - Canada : 5 - Taiwan : 3 Source: ROBOT INDUSTRY data pack (Nov. 2026). #### China Largest market: 59% of 2025 installations; installed base of more than 2M robots as early as end-2024 (IFR). More than 95% of humanoids shipped in H1 2026 (IDC) StrengthsRare earths and magnets, actuator supply chain, low costs, domestic market Public policy15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030): embodied intelligence is an “industry of the future” (IFR). National humanoid standards system published on February 28, 2026 by the MIIT standardization committee (Xinhua) ChampionsUnitreeAgiBotUBTechX-HumanoidGalbotFourierXpengEstunInovance #### United States 2nd-largest industrial market (38,400 robots in 2025, ahead of Japan; IFR via TNW). Leader in private valuations and models StrengthsAI models, chips (NVIDIA), venture capital, large buyers Public policySection 232 proclamation of Oct. 28, 2026: imports of robots and industrial machinery deemed a threat to national security; negotiations, with no tariffs at this stage (White House). Bipartisan bill S. 4686 establishing a national commission on robotics (Senate) ChampionsTeslaFigureBoston DynamicsAgilityApptronikPhysical IntelligenceSkild AIIntuitive SurgicalAmazon #### Japan 3rd-largest market (36,200; IFR via TNW). Historical leader in industrial robotics StrengthsGear reducers, bearings, screws (Harmonic Drive, Nabtesco, THK, NSK); industrial arms Public policyStrategy revised on June 30, 2026: target of 10M AI robots by 2040; up to ~$6bn over five years for a national AI model (Noetra consortium) (AFP) ChampionsFanucYaskawaKawasakiDensoEpsonNachiSoftBank #### South Korea 4th-largest market (~30,000; IFR via TNW). Highest robot density in the world: 1,220 robots per 10,000 manufacturing employees in 2024 (IFR) StrengthsElectronics, automotive, conglomerates Public policyNational humanoid alliance (K-Humanoid) ChampionsHyundai (Boston Dynamics)Samsung (Rainbow Robotics)LGDoosan Robotics #### European Union 60,500 installations (−11%); installed base of 712,000 (IFR EU) StrengthsStandards, safety, precision engineering, integrators Public policyAI Act amended by Regulation 2026/1744; EU Machinery Regulation as of Jan. 20, 2027 ChampionsNeuraAgile RobotsFrankaKUKA (Midea)SchaefflerBoschStäubli #### Germany 5th-largest market (24,800; 41% of the EU; IFR via TNW) StrengthsAutomotive, machine tools Public policy— ChampionsNeuraKUKAAgile RobotsSchaeffler #### France 4,500 robots installed in 2025, 7% of the EU; automotive 21%, metals 18% (IFR EU) StrengthsLogistics, healthcare, AI (Hugging Face, Mistral) Public policyFrance 2030, national robotics strategy, Bpifrance ChampionsExotecWandercraftEnchanted ToolsPollen Robotics (Hugging Face)Moon SurgicalInboltNaïo #### India 6th-largest market (~10,500, +15%; IFR via TNW) StrengthsAutomotive, costs Public policyProduction incentives ChampionsAddverbAti Motors View the table by region | Region | Position | Strengths | Public policy | Champions | |---|---|---|---|---| | China | Largest market: 59% of 2025 installations; installed base of more than 2M robots as early as end-2024 (IFR). More than 95% of humanoids shipped in H1 2026 (IDC) | Rare earths and magnets, actuator supply chain, low costs, domestic market | 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030): embodied intelligence is an “industry of the future” (IFR). National humanoid standards system published on February 28, 2026 by the MIIT standardization committee (Xinhua) | Unitree, AgiBot, UBTech, X-Humanoid, Galbot, Fourier, Xpeng, Estun, Inovance | | United States | 2nd-largest industrial market (38,400 robots in 2025, ahead of Japan; IFR via TNW). Leader in private valuations and models | AI models, chips (NVIDIA), venture capital, large buyers | Section 232 proclamation of Oct. 28, 2026: imports of robots and industrial machinery deemed a threat to national security; negotiations, with no tariffs at this stage (White House). Bipartisan bill S. 4686 establishing a national commission on robotics (Senate) | Tesla, Figure, Boston Dynamics, Agility, Apptronik, Physical Intelligence, Skild AI, Intuitive Surgical, Amazon | | Japan | 3rd-largest market (36,200; IFR via TNW). Historical leader in industrial robotics | Gear reducers, bearings, screws (Harmonic Drive, Nabtesco, THK, NSK); industrial arms | Strategy revised on June 30, 2026: target of 10M AI robots by 2040; up to ~$6bn over five years for a national AI model (Noetra consortium) (AFP) | Fanuc, Yaskawa, Kawasaki, Denso, Epson, Nachi, SoftBank | | South Korea | 4th-largest market (~30,000; IFR via TNW). Highest robot density in the world: 1,220 robots per 10,000 manufacturing employees in 2024 (IFR) | Electronics, automotive, conglomerates | National humanoid alliance (K-Humanoid) | Hyundai (Boston Dynamics), Samsung (Rainbow Robotics), LG, Doosan Robotics | | European Union | 60,500 installations (−11%); installed base of 712,000 (IFR EU) | Standards, safety, precision engineering, integrators | AI Act amended by Regulation 2026/1744; EU Machinery Regulation as of Jan. 20, 2027 | Neura, Agile Robots, Franka, KUKA (Midea), Schaeffler, Bosch, Stäubli | | Germany | 5th-largest market (24,800; 41% of the EU; IFR via TNW) | Automotive, machine tools | — | Neura, KUKA, Agile Robots, Schaeffler | | France | 4,500 robots installed in 2025, 7% of the EU; automotive 21%, metals 18% (IFR EU) | Logistics, healthcare, AI (Hugging Face, Mistral) | France 2030, national robotics strategy, Bpifrance | Exotec, Wandercraft, Enchanted Tools, Pollen Robotics (Hugging Face), Moon Surgical, Inbolt, Naïo | | India | 6th-largest market (~10,500, +15%; IFR via TNW) | Automotive, costs | Production incentives | Addverb, Ati Motors | AcronymsIFR International Federation of Robotics, the international robotics federation (annual World Robotics report)IDC International Data Corporation, US market research firmAI Act European regulation on artificial intelligenceMIIT Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information TechnologyEU European UnionH1 first half$bn billion dollars ### Dependencies to watch #### Magnets and rare earths China produces nearly 95% of permanent magnets (IEA, via CleanTechnica). The one-year suspension of China's October 2025 controls expires on November 10, 2026; the April 2025 controls on seven rare earths remain in force (Yahoo Finance). #### Investment screening On November 5, 2026, China blocked SoftBank's acquisition of the Chinese part of ABB Robotics, announced at $5.375bn; the deal is on hold (ABB). #### Tariffs The Section 232 proclamation of October 28, 2026 opens a 180-day negotiation period (KPMG) and may lead to tariffs on robots imported into the United States (White House). #### Chips NVIDIA supplies the onboard compute for most Western humanoids. US chip restrictions affect Chinese manufacturers. #### Capital SoftBank and a handful of very large investors are funding several of the biggest rounds, in the United States and in Europe alike. Regulation and standards ## The compliance timeline Europe sets the most detailed framework, and three deadlines are coming fast: transposition of the product liability directive (December 9, 2026), the EU Machinery Regulation (January 20, 2027), then the AI-specific requirements for machinery, applicable no later than August 2, 2028. For a humanoid sold in Europe, the nearest constraint is machine safety, not AI. December 9, 2026 — Transposition of the product liability directive January 20, 2027 — Application of the Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 August 2, 2028 — AI requirements for machinery, via delegated acts under the EU Machinery Regulation (at the latest) **Chart: Regulatory deadlines 2026-2028.** European Union on one side; China, the United States and international standardization on the other. The vertical line marks today's date. Source: EUR-Lex (Reg. 2023/1230, Reg. 2026/1744, Dir. 2024/2853), Xinhua, ISO, White House, Yahoo Finance. AcronymsISO International Organization for StandardizationAI Act European regulation on artificial intelligenceMIIT Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology | Text or standard | Scope | Deadline | What it changes | |---|---|---|---| | Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 | All machinery, including robots, safety software and safety-related AI functions | Applicable January 20, 2027 (date corrected on July 4, 2023) | Replaces the 2006 directive. New requirements on human-robot interaction and self-learning behavior | | AI Act, amended by Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 | AI systems. The Machinery Regulation moves from Section A to Section B of Annex I | Transparency since August 2, 2026; Annex III high-risk on December 2, 2027; Annex I Section A products on August 2, 2028 | Machinery leaves the AI Act's direct high-risk regime. Its AI requirements will enter the EU Machinery Regulation through delegated acts, applicable no later than August 2, 2028 (Eurogip) | | Directive (EU) 2024/2853 on liability for defective products | Products, including software and AI | Transposition no later than December 9, 2026 | Software and AI become “products”: strict liability for the manufacturer | | ISO 10218-1 and -2:2025 | Industrial robots and their integration | Published in 2025 | Explicit functional safety requirements; the term is collaborative application rather than collaborative robot; built-in cybersecurity | | ISO/TS 15066 | Collaborative robots: contact force limits | Content carried over into ISO 10218-2:2025 | Basis for human-robot contact calculations | | ISO 13482 | Personal care and service robots | 2014 edition in force | Applies to non-industrial uses, including the home | | ISO 25785-1 | Industrial mobile robots with active stability (humanoids, quadrupeds) | ISO/CD draft under consultation, developed in parallel by CEN | First standard addressing fall risk. Manufacturers are already designing to the draft | | Humanoid standards system (China) | Full life cycle of humanoids and embodied AI | Published on February 28, 2026 by the MIIT standardization committee | Our reading: a national standard published ahead of the ISO standard can serve as a reference for Chinese manufacturers exporting abroad | | United States: ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025, OSHA | Industrial robot safety, workplace safety | In force | No specific federal law | | GDPR | Camera-equipped robots, especially in the home and in teleoperation | In force | A remote operator who can see inside a home raises personal data and consent issues | AcronymsISO International Organization for StandardizationANSI US standards bodyA3 Association for Advancing Automation, the US automation associationOSHA US federal workplace safety agencyAI Act European regulation on artificial intelligenceGDPR General Data Protection RegulationMIIT Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information TechnologyEU European Union Practical implications Every deployment in Europe will require a risk assessment, technical documentation and a declaration of conformity, and insurance coverage will need to be adapted. The trade union federation industriAll Europe considers that the Omnibus weakens protection for workers who use AI-enabled machinery (industriAll Europe). Capital ## Funding rounds, valuations, IPOs Fundraising is hitting record levels. Robotics startups raised $18.8bn as of June 22, 2026, more than in all of 2025 ($15bn) (Crunchbase). Q3 2026 added $9.9bn, more than double Q3 2025 ($4.3bn); over the first nine months, the increase reaches +185% (Crunchbase). On a year-to-date 2026 basis, China ($13.2bn) is now ahead of the United States ($12.1bn). On a broader scope, Crunchbase counts $47.4bn raised by “physical AI” in H1 2026 (robotics, industrial automation, sensors, autonomous vehicles, drones, aerospace), including $16bn for Waymo (Crunchbase). Startup funding, as of June 22, 2026 $18.8bn more than all of 2025 ($15bn) Crunchbase 3rd quarter 2026 funding $9.9bn more than double Q3 2025 Crunchbase 2026 cumulative · China $13.2bn ahead of the United States ($12.1bn) Crunchbase Physical AI, broad definition, H1 2026 $47.4bn including $16bn for Waymo Crunchbase **Chart: Valuations of manufacturers and robot models.** In billions of dollars: valuation at the latest private round, or at the listing transaction for Agility. Unitree, listed since August 2026 (+629% on its first trading day), is not compared here. - Figure AI : 39 - Skild AI : > 14 - Physical Intelligence : 11.5 - AgiBot : ~7.4 - Neura Robotics : ~7 - Apptronik : ~5.3 - Agility Robotics : ~2.5 Source: Figure, TNW (Bloomberg), Business Wire, TechCrunch, 36Kr, eWeek, The Robot Report. AcronymsSPAC listed company created to merge with a private company$bn billion dollars **Chart: Capital raised by robotics startups.** In billions of dollars, per Crunchbase. 2026 surpasses 2025 before the end of June. - By period · 2025, full year : 15 - By period · 2026, as of June 22 : 18.8 - By period · Q3 2026 alone : 9.9 - 2026 cumulative by country · China : 13.2 - 2026 cumulative by country · United States : 12.1 Source: Crunchbase News (2026). AcronymsQ3 third quarter$bn billion dollars ### Landmark deals 2025-2026 10 rows | Company | Layer | Deal | Amount | Valuation | Key investors or status | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | Physical Intelligence | Foundation model | 2026 round; new round under negotiation (Oct. 2026) | At least $1bn for the new round | $11.5bn; ~$20bn under negotiation | Avenir and Lux (new round) | | Skild AI | Foundation model | Jan. 2026 round | ~$1.4bn | > $14bn | SoftBank (lead), NVIDIA, Bezos, Samsung, LG | | Figure AI | Humanoid | Series C (Sept. 2025) | > $1bn | $39bn | Parkway (lead), Brookfield, NVIDIA, Intel Capital, Qualcomm | | Neura Robotics | Humanoid, cobot | Series C (June 2026) | Up to $1.4bn, subject to conditions | ~$7bn (eWeek) | Tether (lead), NVIDIA, Amazon, Qualcomm (eWeek) | | Apptronik | Humanoid | Series A extension (Feb. 2026) | $520M ($935M in total) | ~$5.3bn | Google, Mercedes-Benz, B Capital | | AgiBot | Humanoid | Pre-IPO round nearly closed (Oct. 2026) | 1 to 1.5bn yuan | ~50bn yuan (≈ $7.4bn) | Existing shareholders: Tencent, BYD, Hillhouse (GL Ventures) | | Unitree | Humanoid, quadruped | STAR Market listing (August 19, 2026) | ~$0.9bn | Listed: +629% on the first trading day | Meituan (largest external shareholder) | | Agility Robotics | Humanoid | Merger with the SPAC Churchill Capital XI; Nasdaq listing on Nov. 5, 2026 | More than $620M gross announced in Sept. 2026 (The Robot Report) | $2.5bn in the transaction | Foxconn (lead investor in the private placement) | | SoftBank – ABB Robotics | Industrial robots | Acquisition announced in Oct. 2025 | $5.375bn | — | On Nov. 5, 2026, China blocked the acquisition of the Chinese business; deal on hold | | Mecka | Data | Series B (Oct. 2026) | $60M | — | Sequoia (lead), NVIDIA; reported annualized revenue > $100M | AcronymsSPAC listed company created to merge with an unlisted companySTAR Market technology board of the Shanghai Stock Exchange$bn billion dollars$M million dollars ### What these figures say #### The brains are already worth more than most manufacturers Physical Intelligence and Skild are valued above most manufacturers, with few or no robots of their own. Figure remains ahead. #### IPOs are beginning Unitree has been listed in Shanghai since August 2026. Agility, listed since November 5, presents itself as the only US-listed company dedicated to humanoids with commercial deployments. AgiBot has postponed its Hong Kong IPO. #### Industrial companies are taking positions Hyundai (Boston Dynamics), Mercedes-Benz (Apptronik), Schaeffler (Agility) and BYD (AgiBot) hold stakes in robot manufacturers. #### A shakeout is possible A record funding year can precede a severe shakeout, once actual volumes are known. Unit economics ## What one robot hour costs Using our illustrative assumptions, a humanoid purchased for $100,000 costs about $7.50 per hour, or $15 per “human-equivalent” hour if it produces half as much as an employee. That is roughly half the cost of an order picker at $30 per hour, before integration, supervision, downtime and insurance. With the prices published by Agility, the result reverses: profitability depends on the utilization rate. ### Observed prices (November 2026) **Chart: Published or announced prices.** Purchase price in dollars, logarithmic scale. Digit can also be leased for about $8,500 per month; Boston Dynamics does not publish the price of Atlas. - Unitree R1 : from $4,900 (29,900 yuan in China) (confidence B) - 1X NEO : $20,000 or $499/month (confidence B) - Tesla Optimus : target $20,000–$30,000 (confidence C) - Agility Digit (purchase) : ~$200,000 + $36,000/yr (confidence A) Source: Unitree store, Interesting Engineering (1X), Entrepreneur (Tesla), Agility merger filing (via The Robot Report). Acronyms$M million dollars | Robot | Price | Model | Confidence | |---|---|---|---| | Unitree R1 | From $4,900 on Unitree's international store; 29,900 yuan in China since June 2026, vs. 39,900 previously (Hangzhou) | Sale | B | | 1X NEO | $20,000 or $499/month (Interesting Engineering) | Sale or subscription | B | | Tesla Optimus | Long-term target of $20,000 to $30,000, announced by Elon Musk in October 2024 (AI Business) | Sale, external deliveries around late 2027 | C | | Agility Digit | Lease: ~$8,500/month (illustrative rate) + $25,000 for deployment. Purchase: ~$200,000 + $20,000 for deployment + ~$36,000/year for software and maintenance | Mostly leasing | B (merger filing, via The Robot Report) | | Boston Dynamics Atlas | Price not published | Sale | — | ### Hourly cost calculation: illustrative example and Digit case | Assumption or result | Illustrative example | Digit, purchased | Digit, leased | |---|---|---|---| | Five-year cost | $100,000 + $50,000 in maintenance = $150,000 | 200,000 + 20,000 + 5 × 36,000 = $400,000 | 60 × 8,500 + 25,000 = $535,000 | | Cost per robot hour (4,000 hours per year, two shifts) | $7.50 | $20.00 | $26.75 | | Cost per “human-equivalent” hour (50% of a worker's productivity) | $15.00 | $40.00 | $53.50 | | Utilization needed to match a worker at $30/hour | ~2,000 hours per year | ~5,300 hours per year, or about 15 hours a day, every day | ~7,100 hours per year, or about 20 hours a day, every day | Simulate a case Cost of one “human-equivalent” hour per hour Capital costMaintenanceTotal cost per robot hourAdjusted for human productivity The Digit purchase case includes $20,000 of deployment in the price and $36,000 per year for software and maintenance. Excludes integration, supervision, downtime, insurance and financing costs. Note Maintenance weighs heavily: $36,000 per year for a $200,000 Digit, or 18% of the price; up to 14M won (~$9,500) per robot per year according to an estimate cited by the Korea Times. Our illustrative example uses 10%. The $30 per hour is the fully loaded cost of a US order picker cited by Agility's CEO (The Robot Report, 2024). These calculations exclude integration, supervision, downtime, insurance and financing costs. These are precisely the cost items that create service markets. ### Cost structure #### Actuators dominate They account for 40 to 60% of a humanoid's bill of materials (McKinsey). #### Compute weighs less Compute and control account for 10 to 15%, sensors and perception for 10 to 20% (McKinsey). #### Chinese suppliers are gaining ground In gear reducers, they now compete on price with Japan's Harmonic Drive and Nabtesco. ### RaaS, a model taking hold in industry RaaS in one sentence: the customer rents, the vendor carries the risk The customer pays a monthly subscription or per hour of work, not for a robot. It avoids the capital outlay and the technology risk. The vendor captures a recurring margin, but later: according to an analysis by the Dynamo VC fund, a leased Digit generates a contribution of about $295,000 over its lifetime (revenue minus costs), versus about $160,000 when sold, provided the fleet is financed (Dynamo VC). The IFR notes that RaaS already dominates in the United States for professional service robots. This model calls for financiers, insurers and fleet managers. RaaS at a glance Buying means bearing all the risks. Leasing by the hour means transferring them to an operator, which relies on a financier and an insurer. Each arrow is an intermediary business. Robots and serviceMoney | | Buy the robot | Lease by the hour (RaaS) | |---|---|---| | Initial investment | Customer · 100% upfront | RaaS operator | | Maintenance and breakdowns | Customer | RaaS operator | | Software updates | Customer | RaaS operator | | Model obsolescence | Customer | RaaS operator | | Insurance | Customer | RaaS operator and its insurer | | Supervision and teleoperation | Customer | RaaS operator | | What the customer pays for | A robot (~$200,000 for a Digit) | A subscription (~$8,500 per month for a Digit) | For the vendor, a leased Digit generates a contribution almost twice as high as a sold Digit, but later Digit sold~$160k Digit leased (RaaS)~$295k Contribution per robot over its lifetime (revenue minus costs), according to an analysis by the Dynamo VC fund (confidence C). Under a rental model, the fleet has to be financed. Sources: IFR (RaaS dominates service robots in the United States); Agility merger filing (via The Robot Report); Dynamo VC AcronymsIFR International Federation of Robotics (annual World Robotics report)RaaS Robots-as-a-Service: the customer pays for the robot by the hour or by subscriptionSPAC listed company created to merge with a private company Work and governance ## The bottleneck becomes human Once the technology is available, the bottleneck becomes human and organizational: deciding where to deploy, securing acceptance, training people and bearing the risk. In Japan, 34% of companies use, plan or are considering AI-enabled robots (Reuters, via Allwork). In Europe, unions are already contesting the changes made by the Omnibus (industriAll Europe). The bottleneck becomes human Technology and capital are arriving in force. What limits scale-up is four gates that every deployment must pass through: all of them come down to human decisions and organization. What is arriving · technology and capital 150+humanoid manufacturers in China $18.8bnraised by startups as of June 22, 2026 ~25,000humanoids shipped in H1 2026 The bottleneck · four gates to pass through 1DecideWhere to deploy, buy or lease, which supplier 2Secure acceptanceEmployees, unions, customers, image 3TrainManagers of mixed teams, technicians, teleoperators 4Bear the riskSafety, insurance, EU Machinery Regulation, data Where adoption stands 69%of humanoids shipped in H1 2026 still go to research, education or demonstration (IDC) 34%of Japanese companies use, plan or are considering AI-enabled robots Sources: Bloomberg (NDRC), Crunchbase, IDC, Reuters via Allwork; study analysis AcronymsIDC International Data Corporation, US market research firmH1 first half$bn billion dollars ### Jobs that shift, jobs that emerge JOBS · KEY POINTS Robots take over tasks more than entire jobs (IFR, August 2026). Our reading of the sources: by 2030, the effect on employment will come from mobile robots, cobots and conveyors far more than from humanoids, which are still counted in the tens of thousands. The studies cited below show adjustment through hiring rather than through layoffs. The jobs emerging are of two kinds: technical and skilled, or low-skilled and offshorable. #### Start from tasks A job is a set of tasks, and robots take over only some of them. In the United States, current technology could in theory automate 57% of hours worked: 44% through software agents and only 13% through robots. McKinsey specifies that this is a technical potential, not a forecast, and expects a narrower short-term effect on physical work, given limits in dexterity, safety and cost (McKinsey Global Institute, Nov. 2025). In France, fewer than 10% of jobs combine vulnerabilities that threaten their existence, but about half will see their content change significantly (Conseil d'orientation pour l'emploi, 2017). Tasks before jobs Six task families, four horizons. Each cell reflects a dated, sourced example from the text; an empty cell means that no source consulted documents this stage. Already automated by conventional robotics Humanoid in pilot (2026-2028) Humanoid in series production (after 2028) Remains human in the sources consulted Carrying and moving Mobile robots and conveyors: 117,500 logistics robots sold in 2025 Renault, Douai: 25 kg tires, on the night shift (2026) Hyundai: Atlas at the HMGMA plant in 2028 — Feeding and assembling Industrial arms: 603,307 installed in 2025 Mercedes-Benz: line supply by Apollo (trials) — Final assembly line: “no robots replacing humans” (Renault) Inspecting and monitoring Inspection quadrupeds at industrial sites Mercedes-Benz: quality control by Apollo (trials) — — Cleaning Professional cleaning robots Home: NEO, deliveries planned in 2026, still teleoperated — — Caring and assisting Japan: transfer aids and sensors in nursing homes; Korea: Hyodol companion robots — — Care relationship: equipped facilities employ more caregivers Handling exceptions — Manila: ~50 takeovers per 8-hour shift — Supervision, decision-making, safety Study analysis based on the examples cited: IFR, Renault, Mercedes-Benz (Reuters), Hyundai, 1X, Stanford, Rest of World #### Declining, transformed, created Fifteen occupations tracked: declining, transformed, created Each occupation carries a quantified benchmark and a source. Transformed occupations are the most numerous: the robot takes over tasks, rarely an entire occupation. DecliningDecline projected by a public agency3 - Machine loading and unloading−13% in the United States, 2025-2035 A - Manual packing−5% in the United States, 2025-2035 A - Logistics and transport (France)Employment possibly declining by 2030 (qualitative) B TransformedThe occupation remains, its tasks change6 - Order pickers, material handlers+9% in the United States (2025-2035); +80,000 skilled material-handling workers in France by 2030 B - Automotive production operatorsRenault: target of up to 350 Calvin robots by end-2027 C - Industrial maintenance technicians+14% in the United States (2025-2035), median salary $64,100 A - Frontline managers79% and 81% of responding companies rate the impact as strong (metals industry, 2023) A - Care aides and nursesJapan: +28% care aides, +39% nurses in equipped facilities (2017 data) A - Cleaning staff328,000 positions not filled by young labor-market entrants by 2030 in France B Created or growing stronglyNew job titles, new certifications6 - Embodied AI robot technicianOfficial occupation in China since Sept. 9, 2026 A - Robotics integratorUIMM certification RNCP 39239 (2024) A - In-house trained robot leadAmazon: +23% then +26% pay after training A - Remote supervisor, teleoperatorManila: $250 to $315 per month, ~50 robots per operator B - Data collector, motion demonstrator~$15/h (Nigeria); 3,000 to 7,000 yuan per month (China) B - Machinery and AI compliance managerDeadlines: Jan. 20, 2027 and Aug. 2, 2028 A Sources: BLS, Dares and France Stratégie, OPCO 2i, Stanford, France Compétences, Rest of World, Yicai, MIT Technology Review Decliningdecline projected by a public agency | Occupation | What changes | Key figure | Source | Confidence | |---|---|---|---|---| | Machine loading and unloading | Task fully automatable | −13% in the United States, 2025-2035 | BLS | Aprojection | | Manual packing | Conveyors and automated sorting | −5% in the United States, 2025-2035 | BLS | Aprojection | | Logistics and transport (France) | Remote work and automation | Employment possibly declining by 2030, no published figure | Dares and France Stratégie, Métiers 2030 | Bqualitative | Transformedthe occupation remains, its tasks change | Occupation | What changes | Key figure | Source | Confidence | |---|---|---|---|---| | Order pickers, material handlers | Less walking and load carrying; supervision of mobile robots, exception handling | +9% for order pickers in the United States (2025-2035). In France, +80,000 skilled material-handling workers and 156,000 positions not filled by young labor-market entrants by 2030 (baseline scenario published in 2022) | BLS; Dares and France Stratégie | Bprojections | | Automotive production operators | Carrying of heavy parts assigned to humanoids | Renault: target of up to 350 Calvin robots by end-2027 (Tech Funding News). In Douai, tires of about 25 kg, four per minute, on the night shift | Journal du Geek | Ctarget | | Industrial maintenance technicians | Work on robots, conveyors and cobots; shift to preventive maintenance | +14% in the United States (2025-2035), 51,900 openings per year, median salary $64,100. Automation is the cited driver | BLS | Aprojection | | Frontline managers | Leading mixed teams, managing stoppages and exceptions, redesigning workstations | 79% of the 410 responding companies rate the impact on middle management as strong for the assisted operator (cobots, exoskeletons), 81% for automated logistics | Metals Industry Observatory and OPCO 2i, 2023 | Aself-reported | | Care aides and nurses | Transfer aids, sensors, social robots | In about 860 Japanese nursing homes (2017 data), robot adoption goes hand in hand with +28% care aides and +39% nurses; the increase involves non-permanent contracts | Stanford, Health Affairs Review, August 2026 | A | | Cleaning staff | Cleaning robots | 328,000 positions in France not filled by young labor-market entrants by 2030 (baseline scenario published in 2022) | Dares and France Stratégie | Bprojection | New or fast-growing | Occupation | Content | Key figure | Source | Confidence | |---|---|---|---|---| | Embodied-intelligence robot technician | Commissioning, diagnostics, repair | Recognized as an official occupation in China on September 9, 2026, among eleven new occupations | Shanghai government | A | | Robotics integrator | Specifications, cell simulation, commissioning | UIMM “Industrial Robotics Integration Officer” certification, level 6, registered in 2024; the occupation already existed as a CQP (RNCP34985) | France Compétences | A | | In-house trained robot lead | First-level troubleshooting, team training | Amazon mechatronics apprenticeship: +23% in pay after classroom training, then +26% after on-the-job training | Amazon, 2023 | A | | Remote supervisor, teleoperator | Monitor a fleet, take over when the robot makes a mistake | In Manila, an operator paid $250 to $315 a month monitors about 50 robots in Tokyo convenience stores and takes over about 50 times per eight-hour shift | Rest of World, Oct. 2025 | B | | Data collector, motion demonstrator | Filming oneself, wearing a motion-capture suit, teleoperating to train the models | About $15 an hour for a contractor in Nigeria; 3,000 to 7,000 yuan a month in China, high-school level | MIT Technology Review; Yicai | B | | Machinery and AI compliance manager | Technical file, risk assessment, informing employee representatives | EU Machinery Regulation as of January 20, 2027; AI requirements for machinery by August 2, 2028 at the latest | EUR-Lex | Adeadlines | Remote supervision and data collection jobs depend on the level of robot autonomy. Our assumption is that they will decline as autonomy improves. How new occupations emerge At the top, skilled occupations that become established through certification and regulation. At the bottom, transitional occupations tied to the level of robot autonomy: our assumption is that they will decline as autonomy improves. Skilled, lasting occupations 2016France: CQPM “Industrial Robotics Integration Officer” 2019China: industrial robot systems operator becomes an official occupation 2023Amazon: more than 1,000 graduates of the mechatronics apprenticeship 2024France: UIMM robotics integrator certification, level 6 Sept. 2026China: embodied-intelligence robot technician becomes an official occupation Jan. 2027EU Machinery Regulation: compliance becomes an occupation Aug. 2028AI requirements for machinery (delegated acts) Transitional occupations 2022Tokyo: Telexistence robots supervised from Manila 2024Tesla: job posting for a data collection operator in a motion-capture suit 2026Micro1, Scale AI, DoorDash: data collection in more than 50 countries May 2026China: data collectors recruited at high-school level Sources: Observatoire de la métallurgie, China Daily, Rest of World, Amazon, France Compétences, Fortune, MIT Technology Review, Yicai, Shanghai government, EUR-Lex #### Skills, wages, working conditions The gains go to technical profiles; the low-skilled jobs created are poorly paid and can be offshored. In East Asia, robots displaced about 1.4 million low-skilled jobs between 2018 and 2022 and created about 2 million skilled jobs; the least skilled and oldest workers were pushed into informal employment (World Bank). Working conditions are changing in both directions: less load carrying in Douai, but cybersickness and repeated takeovers for the teleoperators in Manila. In China, nearly 60% of Longyu Big Data’s data collection team are part-time stay-at-home mothers (Yicai). #### Volumes and timing Humanoids are not yet weighing on employment; conventional robotics is. About 7,750 humanoids were put into productive use worldwide in H1 2026: this is our calculation based on IDC (25,000 shipments, 31% of which outside research, education, demonstration and data collection; confidence C). The United States alone has 6.9 million material movers (BLS). Adjustment happens first through hiring. According to internal documents revealed by the New York Times, Amazon aims to avoid more than 600,000 hires in the United States by 2033; the company responds that they reflect the view of a single team (Allwork, citing the NYT, confidence B). In Germany, robot-related industrial job losses were fully offset by services: the adjustment fell on young entrants, while incumbent employees changed tasks within their plant (Dauth et al., 2021). In France, 90% of the 760,000 positions to be filled each year through 2030 are replacements for departures (Dares and France Stratégie). Employers plan 2.28 million hires in 2026, 43.8% of which are considered difficult (France Travail, BMO 2026). 2026-2027Conventional robotics and humanoid pilots. 2027-2028First series production in the automotive industry (Renault by 2027, Atlas at Hyundai in 2028); EU Machinery Regulation in January 2027. After 2028Services and the home, depending on the order in which use cases arrive. #### Geography The physical task is being offshored: supervision from Manila for Tokyo convenience stores, data collection in India, Nigeria and Argentina. China officially recognizes the new occupations. France automates less than its neighbors: 4,500 industrial robots installed in 2025, versus 24,800 in Germany and 7,800 in Italy (IFR EU). The tasks targeted first belong to occupations facing labor shortages: 80.6% of planned hires of skilled machining workers are considered difficult in 2026 (BMO). #### Labor relations and the legal framework Hyundai, from threat to agreement in principle On January 22, 2026, the Hyundai Motor union stated that no robot would be deployed without an agreement between the union and management (Korea Times). The tentative wage agreement of August 25, 2026, reached in the 17th round of negotiations, contains no such clause. Both parties acknowledge that Physical AI is necessary, and commit to sharing information on new technologies and to responding jointly to change. Hyundai will hire 500 production workers: 200 in the second half of 2027 and 300 in 2028 (Korea JoongAng Daily). US dockworkers The six-year contract for East and Gulf Coast ports, signed on March 11, 2025, bans fully automated terminals and equipment until September 30, 2030. It requires the union to be consulted well ahead of any technology purchase; it was ratified by nearly 99% (Supply Chain Dive). In France and Europe Introducing new technologies requires informing and consulting the works council (CSE) beforehand (Article L2312-8 of the French Labor Code). On July 15, 2025, the Créteil Judicial Court suspended AI tools deployed without this consultation (CMS). Starting December 2, 2027, the AI Act will also require employers to inform employee representatives before putting a high-risk AI system into service in the workplace (Article 26). The obligation covers Annex III systems, for example an AI that assigns tasks or evaluates employees. AI that serves as a safety component of a machine follows a different path: since Regulation 2026/1744, the AI Act applies to it only through a handful of articles, which do not include Article 26 (Article 2(2), as amended), and its requirements will come through delegated acts under the EU Machinery Regulation by August 2, 2028. #### Skills and training Out of every 100 workers worldwide, 59 will need training by 2030: 29 in their current role, 19 to be redeployed, and 11 are at risk of not receiving it (WEF, Future of Jobs 2025). In France, pathways already exist, such as the UIMM robotics integrator certification. Metalworking companies cite robotics and automation specialists, and maintenance technicians with updated skills, as growing needs (OPCO 2i). #### Questions for the executive committee and HR to work through 1 Which tasks in our hard-to-fill jobs will be automatable by 2028, and which will not? 2 Does the hiring plan account for the hires robots will make unnecessary and for departures that will not be replaced? 3 What internal career path, from operator to robot lead to technician, and with what effect on pay? 4 When should the works council (CSE) be informed and consulted, and with what documentation? 5 Which indicators should be tracked during a pilot: accidents, load carrying, throughput, human takeovers per workstation? 6 Who will supervise the robots, in house or at a service provider? If offshore, what are the risks to data and reputation? 7 How should frontline managers be prepared to lead mixed teams? #### Company examples | Company | What is disclosed | What is not | |---|---|---| | Amazon | Mechatronics apprenticeship with a pay raise; internal documents on 600,000 hires avoided by 2033, disputed by the company | Effect of robots by role and by site | | Hyundai | Agreement of August 25, 2026: information sharing, 500 hires; Atlas at the HMGMA plant in 2028 | Number of jobs affected by Atlas | | Renault | Target of up to 350 Calvin robots by end-2027; tire carrying in Douai, on the night shift; “no robots replacing humans on the final assembly line” | Effect on headcount | | Telexistence and Astro Robotics | About 60 operators in Manila; one operator for about 50 robots; robot errors about 4% of the time | Fully loaded cost, staff turnover | | Japanese nursing homes | +28% care aides, +39% nurses in equipped facilities | Recent data: the study covers 2017 | None of these organizations discloses the effect of its robots on its headcount, role by role. #### What remains uncertain #### Studies on France contradict each other Investment in automation increases employment at the plant, firm and industry level, including for unskilled workers (Aghion et al., Insee, 2023). Other work finds a negative effect on employment at competitors that do not adopt robots (Acemoglu, Lelarge and Restrepo, 2020). There is no guarantee that these results, obtained for industrial robots, will hold for humanoids. #### The pace of autonomy It will determine how long data collection and teleoperation jobs last. #### Services are little studied Only one robust study covers care, in Japan. #### Measurement tools largely ignore Physical AI BLS projections factor in generative AI, not robotics specifically; Métiers 2030 does not model robotics. #### Company figures are not audited Volumes, wages and headcounts announced by companies rest solely on their own statements; the tables flag this. ### Decisions that go up to the executive committee 01 #### Where to deploy first Which task, which site, which success metric. 02 #### Buy, lease or wait Purchase, lease or pilot, given prices that remain unstable and returns that depend on the utilization rate. 03 #### Which supplier, what dependency China, the United States or Europe; proprietary or open AI model; lock-in risk. 04 #### Safety and liability Who is liable for an accident, how to insure, how to comply with the EU Machinery Regulation. 05 #### Data What the cameras see, who teleoperates, where the videos go. 06 #### Employment and labor relations Hiring, redeployment, reskilling, works council (CSE) consultation (see “Jobs that are changing, jobs that are emerging”). 07 #### Skills Preparing managers to lead mixed human-robot teams. 08 #### Narrative and reputation How to explain it to employees, customers and the media. ### Acceptance #### Design 1X gave up on a realistic face to avoid the “uncanny valley”: a robot that looks almost human makes people uneasy. #### Privacy NEO’s teleoperated mode allows a 1X employee to see inside a home. The owner must approve each session; they can blur people and put rooms off-limits (Engadget). #### Visible safety At the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing in August 2026, sparks flew after a race finish and fire extinguishers were needed (AP, via OPB). These images shape public perception. Scenarios ## 2027-2035: three trajectories The central scenario brackets published forecasts, with a downside margin: a few hundred thousand humanoids per year in 2030, and several million in 2035 according to Goldman Sachs. Two deviations are plausible. The signals below would tip the outlook from one scenario to another. **Chart: Humanoids per year: three trajectories to 2030, and the Goldman Sachs forecast for 2035.** Indicative. Logarithmic scale. The corridors connect the 2026 forecasts (50,000 to 75,000 units) to each scenario's 2030 ranges. Beyond 2030, only the trajectory published by Goldman Sachs is plotted. Source: ROBOT INDUSTRY scenarios; Goldman Sachs, IDC (2026); Deutsche Bank via GMT Eight; annual growth rate calculated from IDC. AcronymsIDC International Data Corporation, US market research firmH1 first half Fewer than 200,000 #### Slowdown Valuation correction, serious accident, rare earth shock or harsh regulation; the humanoid remains confined to niches. Conventional robotics continues at about +7% per year, the pace of IFR forecasts (655,000 in 2026, 806,000 in 2029) TriggersBankruptcies, product recalls, export controls reinstated 500,000 to 900,000 #### Central Logistics and automotive under leasing; China dominant in hardware, the United States in models; first homes equipped, still teleoperated TriggersSteady price declines, growing autonomy, first contracts renewed More than 1.5M #### Accelerated A foundation model truly generalizes; prices below $15,000; the home market takes off before 2030 TriggersSoftware breakthrough, Tesla at its target pace of 20,000 robots per week (Electrek), massive public funding ### Regulatory and policy deadlines Nov. 10, 2026 End of the one-year suspension of China’s October 2025 rare earth controls Magnet prices and availability Dec. 9, 2026 Transposition of the EU Product Liability Directive Software and AI become products subject to liability Jan. 20, 2027 EU Machinery Regulation becomes applicable Mandatory compliance for robots sold in Europe April 2027 First milestone of the Section 232 proceeding, within 180 days of Oct. 28, 2026 (KPMG) Possible tariffs on robots imported into the United States Dec. 2, 2027 AI Act: high-risk obligations for Annex III systems AI uses in employment, education, access to essential services August 2, 2028 AI requirements for machinery, via delegated acts under the EU Machinery Regulation; AI Act high-risk obligations for other products in Section A of Annex I AI compliance of robots sold in Europe 2030 End of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan; reference point for IDC and Goldman Sachs forecasts Review of the scale-up phase ### Targets announced by companies (confidence C) 2026 1X: first NEO home deliveries (1X). Neura: capacity of 6,000 humanoids (eWeek) The home market and European capacity 2027 UBTech: capacity of 10,000 humanoids (November 2025 target, UBTech). Renault: up to 350 Calvin robots (Tech Funding News) Actual volumes in China and Europe Late 2027 Tesla: first Optimus deliveries to external customers (Electrek). 1X: more than 100,000 robots per year (1X) The Tesla bet, the scale-up of the home market 2028 Hyundai: first Atlas deployments in its plants, including HMGMA; target capacity of 30,000 robots per year (Reuters) First large-scale automotive deployment ### Dashboard indicators - Average price of an industrial and a consumer humanoid. - Share of tasks performed without teleoperation. - Number of paid deployments excluding pilots, and contract renewal rate. - Revisions to bank forecasts (direction and magnitude). - Share prices of Unitree, UBTech and Agility; valuations in private funding rounds. - Safety incidents, recalls, litigation. - Chinese and US export decisions. Opportunities ## The businesses to build Sixteen intermediary activities emerge from the value chain. They are avenues to explore, not a ranking: they stem from our reading and are not quantified. None of them builds robots: they help companies decide, train, deploy, finance or supervise. Several overlap with WE GARTNER's offerings (see the declaration of interests). #### Deciding and training 7 activities #### Certification program “leading human-robot teams” Programs for managers, HR and site managers; corporate licenses Underlying needSkills (layer 11) #### “Physical AI” executive committee advisory Workshops to build the roadmap with the executive committee, governance, labor relations, team support Underlying needDecisions escalated to the executive committee #### Observatory, media and market intelligence Public website, newsletter, reports and database Underlying needInformation on a fast-moving market #### Independent comparison and testing Robot profiles, field tests, supplier selection support Underlying needRobot selection (layer 11) #### Recruitment and retraining Placement of roboticists and technicians; retraining of operators Underlying needJobs transformed and created #### General-audience content Book, video channel, short course “living and working with robots” Underlying needAcceptance #### Physical AI conferences and events Keynotes, executive seminars, annual France-Europe summit Underlying needAcceptance and skills #### Deploying and operating 5 activities #### Rental-based broker-integrator for SMEs Robot selection, deployment, fleet management, rental Underlying needIntegration (layer 11) #### Robot financing and leasing Finance leases, hourly rental, fleet buyouts Underlying needFinancing the rental fleet #### Teleoperation and supervision center Remote operators for humanoid fleets Underlying needPartial autonomy #### Maintenance, parts and refurbishment Technician network, second-hand units, extended warranties Underlying needMaintenance (18% of the price per year for a Digit) #### Component sourcing outside China Qualification of alternative suppliers, trading Underlying needDependence on magnets and actuators (layers 1 and 2) #### Securing 4 activities #### Compliance and certification EU Machinery Regulation, AI Act, ISO 25785, technical files Underlying needEuropean deadlines from 2026 to 2028 #### Specialized insurance (wholesale broker) Liability and property damage coverage for robot fleets Underlying needProduct Liability Directive #### Functional safety and cybersecurity Audits, penetration tests, safety controllers Underlying needHumanoid safety (falls, hijacking) #### European data factory GDPR-compliant collection of egocentric video and demonstrations Underlying needTraining data (layer 8) See the table of the sixteen activities | Activity | What it sells | Underlying need | |---|---|---| | Deciding and training | | | | Certification program “leading human-robot teams” | Programs for managers, HR and site managers; corporate licenses | Skills (layer 11) | | “Physical AI” executive committee advisory | Workshops to build the roadmap with the executive committee, governance, labor relations, team support | Decisions that escalate to the executive committee | | Observatory, media and market intelligence | Public website, newsletter, reports and database | Information on a fast-moving market | | Independent comparison and testing | Robot profiles, field tests, supplier selection support | Robot selection (layer 11) | | Recruitment and retraining | Placement of roboticists and technicians; retraining of operators | Jobs transformed and created | | General-audience content | Book, video channel, short course “living and working with robots” | Acceptance | | Physical AI conferences and events | Keynotes, executive seminars, annual France-Europe summit | Acceptance and skills | | Deploy and operate | | | | Rental-based broker-integrator for SMEs | Robot selection, deployment, fleet management, rental | Integration (layer 11) | | Robot financing and leasing | Finance leases, hourly rental, fleet buyouts | Financing the leased fleet | | Teleoperation and supervision center | Remote operators for humanoid fleets | Partial autonomy | | Maintenance, parts and refurbishment | Technician network, second-hand units, extended warranties | Maintenance (18% of the price per year for a Digit) | | Component sourcing outside China | Qualification of alternative suppliers, trading | Dependence on magnets and actuators (layers 1 and 2) | | Secure | | | | Compliance and certification | EU Machinery Regulation, AI Act, ISO 25785, technical files | European deadlines from 2026 to 2028 | | Specialized insurance (wholesale broker) | Liability and property damage coverage for robot fleets | Product Liability Directive | | Functional safety and cybersecurity | Audits, penetration tests, safety controllers | Humanoid safety (falls, hijacking) | | European data factory | GDPR-compliant collection of egocentric video and demonstrations | Training data (layer 8) | AcronymsISO International Organization for StandardizationAI Act European regulation on artificial intelligenceGDPR General Data Protection RegulationComex executive committee ### Companion robots: a nascent market, funded by third parties FOCUS · COMPANION ROBOTS A companion robot produces nothing: it keeps people company, reminds them to take a medication, alerts a relative. The market remains small in value terms. Public payers are starting to fund it, and the most widely distributed products exceed 10,000 to 20,000 units cumulatively. Robots People affected by loneliness worldwide A 1 in 6 871,000 associated deaths per year WHO (June 2025) ↗ Hyodol robots in service in Korea B ~14,500 in service in June 2026, according to the manufacturer in private homes, lent by local authorities, or in care facilities AFP ↗ Moflin (Casio) units sold A More than 20,000 since November 2024 Casio ↗ Jennie robotic puppy (Tombot) A More than 23,000 preorders and waitlist sign-ups Business Wire ↗ New York seniors provided with ElliQ by the State A 834 in May 2025 94% say they feel less lonely (self-reported) New York State Office for the Aging ↗ Toys AI toys in China, all uses B 29bn yuan in 2025 (MIIT) unattributed forecast of 34.2bn yuan (≈ $4.8bn) in 2026, confidence C Jiemian ↗ Apps AI companion app revenue C More than $120M expected in 2025 (Appfigures projection) TechCrunch ↗ See the indicator table | Indicator | Value | Source | Confidence | |---|---|---|---| | Robots | | | | | People affected by loneliness worldwide | 1 in 6; 871,000 associated deaths per year | WHO (June 2025) | A | | Hyodol robots in service in Korea | ~14,500 in service in June 2026, according to the manufacturer; in private homes, on loan from local authorities, or in care facilities | AFP; Rest of World | B | | Moflin (Casio) units sold | More than 20,000 since November 2024 | Casio | A | | Jennie robotic puppy (Tombot) | More than 23,000 preorders and waitlist sign-ups | Business Wire | A | | New York seniors provided with ElliQ by the State | 834 in May 2025; 94% report feeling less lonely (self-reported) | New York State Office for the Aging | A | | Toys | | | | | AI toys in China, all uses | 29bn yuan in 2025 (MIIT); unattributed forecast of 34.2bn yuan (≈ $4.8bn) in 2026, confidence C | Jiemian | B | | Apps | | | | | AI companion app revenue | More than $120M expected in 2025 (Appfigures projection) | TechCrunch | C | AcronymsMIIT China's Ministry of Industry and Information TechnologyWHO World Health Organization$bn billion dollars$M million dollars ### Five segments #### Senior assistance Who it servesOlder people living alone, caregivers ExamplesElliQ (Intuition Robotics)Hyodol PriceElliQ: $249, then about $59 per month, less with a commitment (The Senior List); Hyodol: 1.6M won (≈ $1,150) (Rest of World), often lent by local governments Where things standIn production; funded by public programs in Korea and in five US states #### Therapeutic artificial pets Who it servesPeople living with dementia, care facilities ExamplesParoJennie (Tombot) PriceParo: ~$6,000 (Robots Guide, IEEE); Jennie: final price not published Where things standParo deployed; Jennie on a waiting list #### Consumer emotional companions Who it servesAdults living alone, families ExamplesLOVOT (GROOVE X)Moflin (Casio)Chinese AI toys PriceMoflin: $429 in the US (Notebookcheck); AI toys: 159 to ~400 yuan, i.e., ~$23 to ~$59 (Beijing Review) Where things standSales in the tens of thousands; more than 80% of the roughly 60 companion toy and robot exhibitors at CES 2026 were Chinese (China Daily) #### Social robots in facilities Who it servesHospitals, Ehpad nursing homes, reception desks ExamplesMirokaï (Enchanted Tools)Pepper (taken over by Maxvision after Aldebaran's bankruptcy in 2025heise)Buddy PriceMirokaï: ~€30,000 (L'Essentiel de l'Éco) Where things standPilot at Broca hospital (AP-HP) #### Domestic humanoids Who it servesAffluent households ExamplesNEO (1X)Figure 03 PriceNEO: $20,000 or $499 per month (Interesting Engineering) Where things standFirst deliveries planned for 2026, still teleoperated **Chart: Companion robot prices.** Purchase price in dollars, logarithmic scale. Monthly subscriptions (ElliQ, NEO) come on top of or replace the purchase. - AI companion toys (China) : from ~$23 to ~$59 (159 to ~400 yuan) (confidence B) - ElliQ (Intuition Robotics) : $249 + ~$59/month (confidence B) - Moflin (Casio) : $429 (confidence B) - Hyodol : 1.6M won (≈ $1,150) (confidence B) - Paro : ~$6,000 (confidence B) - NEO (1X) : $20,000 or $499/month (confidence B) Source: Notebookcheck (Moflin), Interesting Engineering (NEO), The Senior List (ElliQ), Rest of World (Hyodol), Beijing Review (toys), IEEE Robots Guide (Paro). Mirokaï (Enchanted Tools) is announced at around €30,000 per unit; it is not converted into dollars here. View the segments table | Segment | Who it serves | Examples | Price | Where things stand | |---|---|---|---|---| | Senior assistance | Older people living alone, caregivers | ElliQ (Intuition Robotics), Hyodol | ElliQ: $249, then about $59 per month, less with a commitment (The Senior List); Hyodol: 1.6M won (≈ $1,150) (Rest of World), often lent by local governments | In production; funded by public programs in Korea and in five US states | | Therapeutic artificial pets | People living with dementia, care facilities | Paro, Jennie (Tombot) | Paro: ~$6,000 (Robots Guide, IEEE); Jennie: final price not published | Paro deployed; Jennie on a waiting list | | Consumer emotional companions | Adults living alone, families | LOVOT (GROOVE X), Moflin (Casio), Chinese AI toys | Moflin: $429 in the US (Notebookcheck); AI toys: 159 to ~400 yuan, i.e., ~$23 to ~$59 (Beijing Review) | Sales in the tens of thousands; more than 80% of the roughly 60 companion toy and robot exhibitors at CES 2026 were Chinese (China Daily) | | Social robots in facilities | Hospitals, Ehpad nursing homes, reception desks | Mirokaï (Enchanted Tools), Pepper (taken over by Maxvision after Aldebaran's bankruptcy in 2025, heise), Buddy | Mirokaï: ~€30,000 (L'Essentiel de l'Éco) | Pilot at Broca hospital (AP-HP) | | Domestic humanoids | Affluent households | NEO (1X), Figure 03 | NEO: $20,000 or $499 per month (Interesting Engineering) | First deliveries planned for 2026, still teleoperated | AcronymsAP-HP Assistance publique – Hôpitaux de Paris, the Paris public hospital systemEhpad French residential care facility for dependent older peopleCES Consumer Electronics Show, Las Vegas trade show ### Who pays: public money opens the market Companions sell poorly direct to consumers: isolated people are rarely the ones who buy technology. Public payers are stepping in. In Korea, local governments distribute Hyodol to seniors living alone: Seoul's Guro district has distributed 412 since 2019 (Rest of World). In the United States, ElliQ is provided through public programs in five states; in March 2026, Washington State added it to Medicaid, the first Medicaid coverage. In China, the MIIT and the Ministry of Civil Affairs are testing, from 2025 to 2027, senior-care robots at home, in community services and in care facilities, including for emotional companionship. The model taking hold is a subscription paid by a third party: local government, health insurer, pension fund. South Korea ~14,500 Hyodol units in service according to the manufacturer (AFP, June 2026), in private homes, on loan from local governments or in care facilities; Guro has distributed 412 since 2019. United States 5 states offer ElliQ through public programs; Washington State has covered it under Medicaid since March 2026. China 2025-2027 MIIT and Ministry of Civil Affairs pilot: senior-care robots at home, in community services and in care facilities. AcronymsMIIT China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology ### What is holding it back #### Products shelved Samsung has suspended its Ballie robot indefinitely after several delays (Bloomberg). #### Privacy A companion robot hears and sees inside the home. Of ten AI companion apps studied by Surfshark, nine collect data that can be used to track their users (Surfshark). #### Dependency According to a social worker in Guro, some seniors equipped with Hyodol withdraw further into their homes; the company's studies report a reduction in depressive symptoms (Rest of World). Caregivers worry that the robot will replace human contact (AFP). #### Regulation Since February 2025, the AI Act has prohibited AI systems that exploit vulnerabilities related to age or disability to distort a person's behavior in a way that causes significant harm (EUR-Lex). Character.AI closed its chats to minors in November 2025 (Bloomberg). ### Forecasts: the scope drives the figure **Chart: 2026 market size by source.** Scope drives the figure: from $0.6bn to $4.8bn depending on whether home robots, healthcare or connected toys are counted. - Future Market Insights · Companion and social robots for the home : $563M - Knowledge Sourcing · Companion robots : $2.2bn - Towards Healthcare · Healthcare companion robots : $3.7bn - Jiemian · AI toys, China only, all uses : ≈ $4.8bn Source: Future Market Insights, Knowledge Sourcing, Towards Healthcare (paid studies, undisclosed methodology); Jiemian · confidence C. Acronyms$bn billion dollars$M million dollars See the forecast table | Source | Scope | 2026 | Horizon | |---|---|---|---| | Future Market Insights | Companion robots and social robots for the home | $563M | $5.2bn in 2036 | | Knowledge Sourcing | Companion robots | $2.2bn | $3.8bn in 2031 | | Towards Healthcare | Healthcare companion robots | $3.7bn | — | | Jiemian | AI toys, China only, all uses | ≈ $4.8bn (34.2bn yuan) | — | Acronyms$bn billion dollars$M million dollars How to read 2026 estimates vary by a factor of 8 to 9 depending on what is counted: robots only, healthcare, or connected toys. The first three are paid studies whose methodology is not public, and none comes from a reference institute such as the IFR. These are orders of magnitude (confidence C). ### The businesses to build around companion robots 01 #### Companion robot operator An all-inclusive subscription: robot, human remote assistance, app for family members, maintenance Why nowPayers fund a service, not a device (Medicaid, Korean local governments) 02 #### Broker for payers Robot selection, tenders and deployment for departmental authorities, pension funds, mutual insurers Why nowLocal governments buy by the hundreds, often without robotics expertise 03 #### Impact measurement Evaluation protocols: loneliness, medication adherence, falls, hospitalizations avoided Why nowNo evidence, no reimbursement: New York State already publishes its results 04 #### Character studio Personalities, voices, memory, scenarios adapted to each culture Why nowCharacter drives value: Tombot designed Jennie with Jim Henson's Creature Shop (WTOP) 05 #### Trusted third party Privacy audits, data hosting in Europe, safeguards against dependency, AI Act compliance Why nowThe robot listens in on the home: trust is a precondition for purchase 06 #### Maintenance and second life Repair, cleaning, refurbishment, short-term rental to care facilities Why nowFleets are aging and will need to be repaired, cleaned or refurbished 07 #### Multi-robot companion software Memory, health calendar, alerts and family app, regardless of the hardware Why nowHardware is becoming commoditized in China; the relationship and the data stay in the software See the table | Activity | What it sells | Why now | |---|---|---| | Companion robot operator | An all-inclusive subscription: robot, human remote assistance, app for family members, maintenance | Payers fund a service, not a device (Medicaid, Korean local governments) | | Broker for payers | Robot selection, tenders and deployment for departmental authorities, pension funds, mutual insurers | Local governments buy by the hundreds, often without robotics expertise | | Impact measurement | Evaluation protocols: loneliness, medication adherence, falls, hospitalizations avoided | No evidence, no reimbursement: New York State already publishes its results | | Character studio | Personalities, voices, memory, scenarios adapted to each culture | Character drives value: Tombot designed Jennie with Jim Henson's Creature Shop (WTOP) | | Trusted third party | Privacy audits, data hosting in Europe, safeguards against dependency, AI Act compliance | The robot listens in on the home: trust is a precondition for purchase | | Maintenance and second life | Repair, cleaning, refurbishment, short-term rental to care facilities | Fleets are aging and will need to be repaired, cleaned or refurbished | | Multi-robot companion software | Memory, health calendar, alerts and family app, regardless of the hardware | Hardware is becoming commoditized in China; the relationship and the data stay in the software | AcronymsAI Act European regulation on artificial intelligence Our view Value would lie less in the robot, increasingly made in China at low cost, than in operating the service, proving its effect and earning the trust of families: three intermediary businesses. Updates ## A study kept up to date The study is reviewed every quarter and after each major publication. Every correction is dated in the version history. A further pass is scheduled for November 11, 2026, after the suspension of part of China's rare earth controls ends. The white paper is at version 1.0; the accompanying data pack is at version 1.3.0. #### Weekly Sources trackedThe Robot Report, IEEE Spectrum Robotics, TechCrunch, 36Kr, Caixin, Crunchbase News What is updatedEvents, funding rounds, new robots, appointments #### Monthly Sources trackedPress releases from the 50 priority companies, arXiv cs.RO, Google DeepMind, NVIDIA and Physical Intelligence blogs What is updatedCompany and robot profiles, AI models #### Quarterly Sources trackedResults from Tesla, Hyundai, UBTech, Unitree, Agility, Fanuc, Yaskawa, Intuitive, Symbotic; Crunchbase; IDC What is updatedCapital, volumes, forecasts #### Annual Sources trackedIFR World Robotics (late September), national plans, ISO standards What is updatedMarket figures, white paper overhaul #### When due Sources trackedOfficial Journal of the EU, MIIT, METI, White House, Chinese Ministry of Commerce What is updatedRegulation, export controls ### Version history | Version | Date | Changes | |---|---|---| | 1.0 | November 8, 2026 | First publication, after an adversarial review of the facts, sources and method | Glossary ## The language of the industry The technical and financial terms used in the study. The search field filters the list. 21 terms **Physical AI / embodied AI** AI that perceives and acts in the physical world, as opposed to AI that produces text or images **Humanoid** Human-shaped robot (bipedal, or a human torso on a wheeled base), designed to work in spaces built for humans **Cobot** Collaborative robot, designed to work close to humans without a cage **AMR / AGV** Autonomous mobile robot / automated guided vehicle, mainly in logistics **DoF (degrees of freedom)** Number of independent axes of motion of a robot **Actuator** Assembly of motor, gear reducer and sensors that moves a joint **Harmonic gear reducer** Compact gear with a high reduction ratio, the standard for robot joints **Planetary roller screw** Mechanism that converts rotary motion into linear motion for linear actuators (legs, arms) **VLA (vision-language-action)** AI model that links what the robot sees, a natural-language instruction and the movements to execute **World model** Model that predicts what will happen if the robot acts in a given way **Foundation model** Large pretrained model, reusable across many tasks and multiple robots **Sim-to-real** Transfer to the real world of skills learned in simulation **Teleoperation** Remote control of the robot by a human, often to collect training data **Egocentric data** First-person videos (glasses, headsets) of humans performing tasks **RaaS** Robots-as-a-Service: the customer pays a subscription or an hourly rate for work rather than buying the robot **BOM** Bill of materials: total cost of a robot's components **Robot density** Number of industrial robots per 10,000 manufacturing employees (IFR indicator) **Active stability** Property of a robot that falls if it loses power (humanoid, quadruped); subject of the ISO 25785-1 standard **SPAC** Listed company created to merge with a private company and take it public **Section 232** US procedure that allows restrictions on imports deemed to threaten national security **Delegated act** European Commission text that supplements a regulation within a framework set by that regulation Sources ## Where the figures come from The full list (156 sources, with their date and quality) is in the sources file of the data pack. Main sources: #### Market statistics - IFR — Executive Summary World Robotics 2026, Industrial Robots - IFR — China Installs 59 Percent of World's Industrial Robots - IFR — European Union press release, World Robotics 2026 - IFR — United States press release, World Robotics 2026 - IFR — World Robotics 2026 market presentation - IFR — Global Sales of Professional Service Robots Surge 24% - IDC — Humanoids H1 2026 (official IDC account, via Sina) - Robotics & Automation News — AgiBot No. 1 in H1 2026 according to IDC - IFR — Robot density, press release of April 8, 2026 (Japanese version) - IEA, via CleanTechnica — Rare earths and permanent magnets, April 2026 - McKinsey — Humanoid bill of materials and supply chain #### Capital and forecasts - Crunchbase News — robotics funding rounds in Q3 2026 - Crunchbase News — Physical AI in H1 2026 - 24/7 Wall St. — Goldman Sachs: 6.5M humanoids in 2035 - TNW — Morgan Stanley raises its China forecast - Morgan Stanley — Humanoids: A $5 Trillion Market (May 14, 2025) - Tiger Brokers — Goldman Sachs: 51,000 humanoids in 2026 (February note) - SEC — Agility Robotics, Form 8-K of November 4, 2026 - The Robot Report — figures from Agility's merger filing - ABB — Update on divestment of ABB Robotics (Nov. 5, 2026) - Caixin — Unitree's first trading session - Figure — Series C press release #### Players - Tesla North — Optimus production in Fremont, based on Tesla's Q3 2026 Update - Figure — move to one robot per hour - Boston Dynamics — new Atlas - 1X — opening of the NEO factory in Hayward - Gasgoo — UBTech's 2025 results - 36Kr — AgiBot's funding round at 50bn yuan - City of Hangzhou — Price cut on the Unitree R1 - 1X — NEO Factory - Interesting Engineering — 1X's NEO factory, price and capacity - UBTech, via PR Newswire — Mass production of the Walker S2 - Robotics 24/7 — AgiBot and Chimelong, more than 300 robots in a park - Electrek — Tesla pushes Optimus deliveries back to late 2027 - AI Business — Optimus target price announced by Elon Musk (We, Robot, October 2024) - BMW Group — Figure 03 in Spartanburg - Reuters, via The Star — Mercedes-Benz takes a stake in Apptronik - Engadget — 1X's NEO and teleoperation #### Geopolitics and regulation - White House — Section 232 proclamation on robotics - EUR-Lex — Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 - EUR-Lex — Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 “Machinery” - Eurogip — what the AI Omnibus changes for the EU Machinery Regulation - ISO — ISO/CD 25785-1 - Xinhua — MIIT humanoid standards system - Yahoo Finance — end of the suspension of Chinese rare earth controls #### Work and occupations - IFR — position paper on the impact of robots on employment - McKinsey Global Institute — Agents, robots, and us - BLS — Hand laborers and material movers - BLS — Industrial machinery mechanics and maintenance workers - Banque des Territoires — Métiers 2030 (Dares and France Stratégie) - France Travail — BMO 2026 survey - Observatoire de la métallurgie and OPCO 2i — Cartographie de l'Industrie du futur - Stanford FSI — robots and employment in Japanese nursing homes - Korea JoongAng Daily — Hyundai Motor wage agreement - Rest of World — Manila teleoperators - WEF — Future of Jobs Report 2025 - World Bank — technology and jobs in East Asia - industriAll Europe — Position on the AI Omnibus and machinery #### Defense and companion robots - US Army — xTechHumanoid winners - ArmyInform — Ukrainian ground robots - WHO — report of the Commission on Social Connection (June 2025) - AFP, via Arab News — Hyodol in Korea - Rest of World — Hyodol and Korean seniors - PR Newswire — ElliQ covered by Medicaid in Washington State - New York State Office for the Aging — three years of ElliQ - Business Wire — Tombot raises $7M for Jennie - Jiemian — China's AI toy market - Robots Guide (IEEE Spectrum) — Paro - Notebookcheck — Moflin launched in the US at $429 - Beijing Review — AI toys in China - WTOP — Tombot's Jennie at CES 2026 See the 156 sources in the data pack 156 rows | Publisher | Title | Quality | Date | |---|---|---|---| | 1X Technologies | NEO Factory ↗ | primary | 2026-04-30 | | 24/7 Wall St. | Goldman Sachs now sees 6.5 million humanoid robots by 2035 ↗ | reference | 2026-09-13 | | 36Kr | AgiBot new financing at 50 billion yuan, HK IPO suspended ↗ | reference | 2026-10-14 | | 36Kr | Unitree: 73.6% of humanoid revenue comes from research and education ↗ | reference | 2025 | | ABB | Update on divestment of ABB Robotics ↗ | primary | 2026-11-05 | | ABC7 | New desktop robot provides intelligent companionship to seniors ↗ | reference | 2026 | | AFP / Arab News | In aging South Korea, AI dolls care for the elderly ↗ | reference | 2026-06-11 | | AFP / The Star | Japan plans sovereign AI model, 10 million AI robots ↗ | reference | 2026-07-02 | | AI Business | Chinese company completes first mass humanoid robot delivery ↗ | low | 2025-11-18 | | AI Business | Humanoid robots serve drinks, party with guests at Tesla We Robot event ↗ | reference | 2024-10 | | IEA, via CleanTechnica | New projects, partnerships and policies are needed to address supply chain risks for rare earth elements (IEA press release) ↗ | reference | 2026-04-17 | | AP / OPB | A robot sprinter shatters a 100-meter record again as sparks fly (AP) ↗ | reference | 2026-08-27 | | Adamas Intelligence | Musk on rare earth export restrictions: Optimus was affected ↗ | low | 2025-04 | | Agile Robots | Agile Robots and Google DeepMind partner ↗ | primary | 2026-03-24 | | Allwork.Space (citing the NYT) | Robots could replace 600,000 US jobs by 2033, leaked Amazon plans show ↗ | reference | 2025-10-21 | | Allwork.Space / Reuters | One third of Japanese companies eye AI robots ↗ | reference | 2026-05-21 | | Amazon | Amazon pays employees to gain skills in robotics ↗ | primary | 2023-05-04 | | ArmyInform | Ukrainian robots have carried out more than 66,000 dangerous missions ↗ | primary | 2026-08-12 | | BLS | Hand laborers and material movers (projections 2025-2035) ↗ | primary | 2026-08-27 | | BLS | Industrial machinery mechanics and maintenance workers (projections 2025-2035) ↗ | primary | 2026-08-27 | | BMW Group | BMW Group advances the use of physical AI in production with Figure 03 ↗ | primary | 2026-06-25 | | Banque des Territoires | Métiers 2030 (Dares and France Stratégie) ↗ | reference | 2022-03-10 | | World Bank | New technologies have boosted employment in East Asia and Pacific ↗ | primary | 2025-06-17 | | Beijing Review | The double-edged sword of smart toys in China ↗ | reference | 2026-04-20 | | BetaKit | Mecka raises $60M Series B led by Sequoia ↗ | reference | 2026-10-07 | | BetaNews | Casio's $429 Moflin AI pet launches in US and UK ↗ | reference | 2025-09-17 | | Bloomberg | China warns of bubble risk in booming humanoid robotics industry ↗ | reference | 2025-11-27 | | Bloomberg | Samsung's rolling Ballie robot indefinitely shelved after delays ↗ | reference | 2026-01-07 | | Bloomberg | Character.AI to ban children under 18 from talking to its chatbots ↗ | reference | 2025-10-29 | | Boston Dynamics | Boston Dynamics unveils new Atlas robot ↗ | primary | 2026-01-05 | | Business Wire | Tombot closes $7 million Series A3 ↗ | primary | 2026-06-22 | | Business Wire | Skild AI raises close to $1.4 billion ↗ | primary | 2026-01-14 | | CMS | AI suspended: court requires consultation of the works council (CSE) ↗ | reference | 2025-07 | | Caixin | Chinese robot maker Unitree soars 629% in Shanghai debut ↗ | reference | 2026-08-19 | | Caixin | Unitree defends robot sales as rival claims market crown ↗ | reference | 2026-01-24 | | Casio / PR Times | Moflin: more than 20,000 units sold (Casio press release) ↗ | primary | 2026-07-24 | | China Daily | Chinese AI companion toys at CES 2026 ↗ | reference | 2026-01-28 | | Conseil d'orientation pour l'emploi | Automation, digitalization and employment, volume 1 ↗ | primary | 2017-01-10 | | Crunchbase News | Robotics funding 2026 (Crunchbase News) ↗ | reference | 2026-06-22 | | Crunchbase News | Q3 2026: US and China robotics startup funding jumps ↗ | reference | 2026-10-27 | | Crunchbase News | Physical AI funding, H1 2026 ↗ | reference | 2026-08-18 | | Dynamo VC | Agility Robotics: the $8,500 question ↗ | reference | 2026-09-10 | | EUR-Lex | Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 (Digital Omnibus on AI) ↗ | primary | 2026-07-24 | | EUR-Lex | Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 on machinery ↗ | primary | 2023-06-29 | | EUR-Lex | Directive (EU) 2024/2853 on liability for defective products ↗ | primary | 2024-11 | | EUR-Lex | Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 on artificial intelligence ↗ | primary | 2024-07-12 | | EW Web | ABB to sell robotics division to SoftBank ↗ | reference | 2025-10-09 | | Electrek | Tesla pushes Optimus deliveries to late 2027 ↗ | reference | 2026-10-22 | | Engadget | Boston Dynamics unveils production-ready Atlas at CES 2026 ↗ | reference | 2026-01 | | Engadget | 1X Neo is a $20,000 home robot that will learn chores via teleoperation ↗ | reference | 2025-10-28 | | Eurogip | Machinery Regulation 2023/1230: what the Digital Omnibus on AI changes ↗ | reference | 2026-07 | | Figure | Ramping Figure 03 production ↗ | primary | 2026-04-29 | | Figure | Figure exceeds $1B in Series C funding at $39B post-money valuation ↗ | primary | 2025-09-16 | | World Economic Forum | The Future of Jobs Report 2025 ↗ | primary | 2025-01 | | France Compétences | Industrial robotics integration specialist (RNCP 39239) ↗ | primary | 2024-06-27 | | France Travail | Workforce Needs Survey (BMO) 2026 ↗ | primary | 2026-04-21 | | FrenchWeb | Wandercraft raises $75 million ↗ | reference | 2025-06 | | Future Market Insights | Home Companion & Social Robots Market (2026-2036) ↗ | low | 2026 | | GMT8 Press | Deutsche Bank raises humanoid shipment forecast ↗ | low | 2026 | | Gasgoo | UBTech 2025 report card ↗ | reference | 2026-04-03 | | GeekWire | Digit maker Agility Robotics to go public in $2.5B deal ↗ | reference | 2026 | | GlobeNewswire / 1X | 1X opens NEO factory in Hayward, CA ↗ | primary | 2026-04-30 | | Goldman Sachs | The global market for robots could reach $38 billion by 2035 ↗ | primary | 2024-02 | | Shanghai Municipal Government | China recognizes 11 new occupations ↗ | primary | 2026-09-10 | | IDC | IDC — What the 2026 Humanoid Robot Half Marathon Reveals ↗ | primary | 2026-04-23 | | IFR | IFR — European Union's Industrial Robot Stock Hits Record 700,000 Units ↗ | primary | 2026-09-24 | | IFR | IFR — Executive Summary World Robotics 2026, Industrial Robots ↗ | primary | 2026-09-24 | | IFR | IFR — Five Million Robots now Operate in Factories Globally ↗ | primary | 2026-09-24 | | IFR | IFR — China Installs 59 Percent of World's Industrial Robots ↗ | primary | 2026-09-24 | | IFR | IFR — U.S. now Second-Largest Robotics Market ↗ | primary | 2026-09-24 | | IFR | IFR — Global Sales of Professional Service Robots Surge 24% ↗ | primary | 2026-09-30 | | IFR | IFR — China Makes AI-powered Robots Core of National Strategy ↗ | primary | 2026-05-05 | | IFR | World Robotics 2026 — market overview ↗ | primary | 2026-09-24 | | IFR | China: robot stock above 2 million (World Robotics 2025) ↗ | primary | 2025-09-25 | | IFR | New IFR position paper: the impact of robots on employment ↗ | primary | 2026-08-11 | | IFR | Robot density surges in Europe, Asia and the Americas (press release, Japanese version) ↗ | primary | 2026-04-08 | | ISO | ISO/CD 25785-1 ↗ | primary | 2026 | | ISO | ISO 10218-2:2025 ↗ | primary | 2025-02 | | Insee | Modern manufacturing capital, labor demand and product market dynamics ↗ | primary | 2023-06 | | Institut za standardizaciju Srbije | prSRPS EN ISO 25785-1:2026 project record ↗ | primary | 2026-01-09 | | Intelligent CIO | Wandercraft: 350 robots planned for Renault ↗ | low | 2026 | | Interesting Engineering | US' first integrated humanoid factory to build 100,000 NEO robots by 2027 ↗ | reference | 2026-05 | | Intuition Robotics | ElliQ — Partner programs (five states) ↗ | primary | 2026 | | Jiemian | IDC: about 18,000 humanoids shipped in 2025 ↗ | reference | 2026 | | Jiemian | Chinese AI toy market (figures attributed to the MIIT) ↗ | reference | 2026 | | Journal du Geek | At Renault, the Calvin robot begins its career carrying tires ↗ | reference | 2026-06-14 | | Journal of the European Economic Association | The adjustment of labor markets to robots ↗ | primary | 2021 | | KPMG | Section 232 proclamation on robotics and industrial machinery ↗ | reference | 2026-10 | | Khaleej Times / Reuters | Tiangong Ultra beats Usain Bolt's 100m world record ↗ | reference | 2026-08-23 | | Knowledge Sourcing | Companion Robot Market — Strategic Insights and Forecasts (2026-2031) ↗ | low | 2026 | | Korea JoongAng Daily | Hyundai Motor wage talks end in tentative deal ↗ | reference | 2026-08-25 | | Korea Times | Hyundai Motor union warns against humanoid robot deployment ↗ | reference | 2026-01-22 | | L'Essentiel de l'Éco | Mirokaï, the French robot deployed in hospitals ↗ | reference | 2025-02 | | MIT Technology Review | Humanoid data training gig economy ↗ | reference | 2026-04-01 | | White House | Fact Sheet: President Trump adjusts imports of robotics, industrial machinery and their parts ↗ | primary | 2026-10-28 | | McKinsey & Company | Turning humanoid supply chain constraints into billion-dollar wins ↗ | reference | 2026-04 | | McKinsey Global Institute | Agents, robots, and us: skill partnerships in the age of AI ↗ | primary | 2025-11-25 | | Metavert | NVIDIA Isaac & Physical AI platform ↗ | low | 2026 | | Militarnyi | U.S. Army selects five winners in humanoid robot competition ↗ | reference | 2026-10 | | Neoteo | Tesla expects Optimus deliveries to companies near the end of 2027 ↗ | low | 2026-10 | | Notebookcheck | Casio brings its Moflin furry robot to more markets, including the US, for $429 ↗ | reference | 2025-09-18 | | WHO | WHO — Social connection linked to improved health and reduced risk of early death ↗ | primary | 2025-06-30 | | Observatoire de la métallurgie / OPCO 2i | Mapping the Industry of the Future ↗ | primary | 2023-07-03 | | New York State Office for the Aging | Transforming care for older adults: three years of ElliQ ↗ | primary | 2026-02 | | PR Newswire | ElliQ to help Washington Medicaid recipients stay independent ↗ | primary | 2026-03-18 | | Rest of World | Korea's AI robot for senior care: Hyodol ↗ | reference | 2025-08-27 | | Rest of World | Philippines: offshoring automation tech jobs ↗ | reference | 2025-10-20 | | Reuters (via The Star) | Mercedes-Benz takes stake in robotics maker Apptronik, tests robots in factories ↗ | reference | 2025-03-18 | | Reuters / The Star | Boston Dynamics appoints ex-Amazon executive Rohit Prasad as CEO ↗ | reference | 2026-10-07 | | Reuters / The Star | Amazon unveils new AI warehouse robot in $12 billion Europe push ↗ | reference | 2026-06-05 | | Reuters / The Star | SoftBank in talks to buy stake in 1X at $6 billion valuation ↗ | reference | 2026-08-27 | | Robotics & Automation News | IDC data shows Agibot led global humanoid robot shipments in H1 2026 ↗ | reference | 2026-10-02 | | Robotics 24/7 | AGIBOT, Chimelong launch large-scale embodied AI theme park with over 300 robots ↗ | reference | 2026-09-28 | | Robots Guide (IEEE Spectrum) | Paro ↗ | reference | 2026 | | SEC / Agility Robotics | Agility Robotics and Churchill Capital Corp XI Complete Business Combination (8-K) ↗ | primary | 2026-11-04 | | SMM / MIIT | MIIT and Ministry of Civil Affairs: elderly-care robot pilot program 2025-2027 ↗ | primary | 2025-06-09 | | ScienceDaily (press release) | Competing with robots: firm-level evidence from France ↗ | reference | 2020-05-05 | | Sina / 中新经纬 | IDC: global humanoid shipments in H1 2026 (official IDC account) ↗ | primary | 2026-09-29 | | Stanford FSI | Robots ease elder care shortages without displacing workers ↗ | primary | 2026-08-06 | | StartUs Insights | Military robots market report ↗ | low | 2026 | | Supply Chain Dive | ILA members ratify 6-year contract ↗ | reference | 2025-03 | | Surfshark | AI companion apps and data collection ↗ | reference | 2026-02-09 | | U.S. Senate | Bipartisan bill to establish a National Commission on Robotics (S. 4686) ↗ | primary | 2026-06-09 | | TMTPost | UBTech order worth 159M yuan (Zigong) ↗ | reference | 2025 | | TNW | Tombot raises $7M Series A3 for Jennie ↗ | reference | 2026-06 | | TNW (via Bloomberg) | Physical Intelligence in talks at $20bn valuation (Bloomberg) ↗ | reference | 2026-10-27 | | TNW (via CNBC) | Morgan Stanley raises China humanoid robot forecast to 50,000 ↗ | reference | 2026-06-24 | | TechCrunch | AI companion apps on track to pull in $120M in 2025 ↗ | reference | 2025-08-12 | | TechCrunch | Humanoid robot startup Apptronik has now raised $935M at a $5B+ valuation ↗ | reference | 2026-02-11 | | TechCrunch | Mobileye acquires humanoid robot startup Mentee Robotics for $900M ↗ | reference | 2026-01-06 | | TechFundingNews (via Bloomberg) | Wandercraft targets €100M funding as Renault prepares to deploy 350 humanoid robots ↗ | reference | 2026-09-02 | | TechRepublic | Humanoid robot shipments: Chinese vendors (SAG) ↗ | reference | 2026-08-11 | | Tesla North | Tesla starts building production-quality Optimus bots in Fremont (Q3 2026 Update) ↗ | reference | 2026-10-21 | | The Block | Tether leads up to $1.4 billion round in robotics firm Neura ↗ | reference | 2026-06 | | The Next Web | China installs 59% of new factory robots as EU installations fall 11% ↗ | reference | 2026-09-24 | | The Robot Report | Agility Robotics begins trading on Nasdaq ↗ | reference | 2026-11-05 | | The Robot Report | Agility Robotics reports $1.8M revenue ahead of humanoid SPAC ↗ | reference | 2026-09 | | The Robot Report | Here's what it could cost to hire a Digit humanoid ↗ | reference | 2024-07 | | The Robot Report / Pulse | Boston Dynamics CEO Robert Playter steps down ↗ | low | 2026-02-10 | | The Senior List | ElliQ review and pricing ↗ | reference | 2025-12 | | Tiger Brokers | Goldman Sachs on Spring Festival Gala robots ↗ | low | 2026-02-21 | | Towards Healthcare | Healthcare Companion Robots Market (2026-2035) ↗ | low | 2026-02-26 | | U.S. Army | Robotics competition winners advance military exploration of humanoid capabilities ↗ | primary | 2026-09-30 | | UBTech (PR Newswire) | UBTECH Walker S2 begins mass production and delivery ↗ | primary | 2025-11-17 | | City of Hangzhou (eHangzhou) | Unitree makes humanoid robots more affordable ↗ | reference | 2026-06-26 | | WTOP | Tombot's Jennie puppy steals hearts at CES 2026 ↗ | reference | 2026-01 | | Wikipedia | Gemini Robotics ↗ | low | 2026 | | Xinhua | Standards system for humanoids and embodied AI ↗ | primary | 2026-03-02 | | Y Combinator | Cortex AI — Large-scale real-world robot & human data (YC F25) ↗ | primary | 2025 | | Yahoo Finance | China rare earth export pause ↗ | reference | 2026-11 | | Yicai | Chinese firms are hiring unskilled embodied AI data collectors ↗ | reference | 2026-05-15 | | ZeroHedge | Deutsche Bank raises humanoid robot forecast ↗ | reference | 2026-06 | | eWeek (citing the FT) | Neura Robotics funding ↗ | reference | 2026-06-11 | | heise | Aldebaran: acquisition by Maxvision ↗ | reference | 2025 | | humanoid.guide | Who actually builds the joints? Humanoid actuator supplier landscape ↗ | low | 2026-09 | | industriAll Europe | AI Omnibus: a dangerous turning point for workers operating machinery ↗ | primary | 2026-05 | Appendix A · Data pack ## 240 companies, filterable The companies in the public data pack: manufacturers, components, AI, data, services. Filters cover country, value chain layer, role and status; each row opens a profile. A selection, not a census; most profiles have not yet been sourced individually. Download the data (CSV, CC BY 4.0 license): companies · robots · versions · events · license | Company | Country | Founded | Role | Layers | Status | Conf. | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| Appendix B · Data pack ## 76 robots and their versions The catalog of tracked models, with version history where documented. Hovering over a version displays its published specifications. Appendix C · Data pack ## 48 dated events Key developments of 2025-2026 and deadlines already announced, filterable by theme. Upcoming events are flagged. ## Data pack · Companies (240) - **Intuition Robotics** (Israel, Ramat Gan, founded 2016): ElliQ tabletop robot for seniors living alone; $249 then about $59 per month; provided through public programs in five US states, covered by Medicaid in Washington State since March 2026. Website: https://elliq.com - **Hyodol** (South Korea, Anyang, founded 2009): Conversational robot doll for isolated seniors; about 14,500 units in service in Korea in June 2026 (AFP), in private homes, on loan from local authorities or in care facilities; 1.6M won per unit in Korea. Website: https://hyodol.com - **GROOVE X** (Japan, Tokyo, founded 2015): LOVOT companion robot; sold in Japan and China; refurbished LOVOTs (Reborn LOVOT). Website: https://groove-x.com - **Casio Computer** (Japan, Tokyo, founded 1957): Moflin artificial pet ($429); more than 20,000 units sold in Japan since November 2024; launched in the United States and the United Kingdom. Website: https://casio.com - **Tombot** (United States, Santa Clarita): Jennie robotic puppy for people living with dementia; more than 23,000 pre-orders and sign-ups; $7M Series A3 (June 2026), launch planned for fall 2026. Website: https://tombot.com - **Tesla** (United States, Austin, founded 2003): Automaker; Optimus in early production at Fremont since Q3 2026, external deliveries targeted for late 2027. Website: https://tesla.com - **Figure AI** (United States, San Jose, founded 2022): Figure 03 humanoid and Helix VLA model; BotQ plant (1 robot/hour in April 2026); customer BMW. Website: https://figure.ai - **Boston Dynamics** (United States, Waltham, founded 1992): Electric Atlas (2026 production sold out), Spot, Stretch; CEO Rohit Prasad since Oct. 7, 2026. Website: https://bostondynamics.com - **Agility Robotics** (United States, Salem (Oregon), founded 2015): Digit humanoid deployed mainly on lease (GXO, Schaeffler, Toyota Canada, Mercado Libre); listed on Nasdaq (AGLT) since Nov. 5, 2026 after merging with the SPAC Churchill Capital XI; over $300M in multi-year orders announced, subject to conditions. Website: https://agilityrobotics.com - **Apptronik** (United States, Austin, founded 2016): Apollo / Apollo 2 humanoid; partner of Google DeepMind and Mercedes-Benz; valued at ~$5bn. Website: https://apptronik.com - **1X Technologies** (United States, Palo Alto, founded 2014): Formerly Halodi Robotics, of Norwegian origin; NEO home humanoid at $20,000 or $499/month; Hayward (California) plant; SoftBank negotiating a majority stake at ~$6bn (August 2026, not finalized). Website: https://1x.tech - **Sanctuary AI** (Canada, Vancouver, founded 2018): Phoenix humanoid focused on hand dexterity. Website: https://sanctuary.ai - **Foundation Future Industries** (United States, San Francisco, founded 2024): Phantom MK-1 humanoid; two units tested in Ukraine in February 2026. Website: https://foundation.bot - **Persona AI** (United States, Houston, founded 2024): Humanoids for heavy industry and shipbuilding. Website: https://personainc.ai - **Dexterity** (United States, Redwood City, founded 2017): Logistics manipulation robots (truck loading) and Mech platform. Website: https://dexterity.ai - **Mentee Robotics** (Israel, Herzliya, founded 2022): MenteeBot humanoid; acquisition by Mobileye announced Jan. 6, 2026 ($900M). Website: https://menteebot.com - **Clone Robotics** (Poland, Wrocław, founded 2021): Musculoskeletal humanoid with hydraulic artificial muscles. Website: https://clonerobotics.com - **The Bot Company** (United States, San Francisco, founded 2024): Home robot founded by Kyle Vogt (ex-Cruise). - **Sunday Robotics** (United States, Mountain View, founded 2024): Home robot; unicorn after a $165M raise in March 2026. - **Weave Robotics** (United States, Palo Alto): Isaac 1 home robot. - **Matic Robots** (United States, Mountain View, founded 2017): Vision-based home cleaning robot. Website: https://maticrobots.com - **Hexagon Robotics** (Switzerland, Zurich): AEON wheeled humanoid, piloted at BMW Leipzig; actuator partnership with Schaeffler. Website: https://hexagon.com - **NEURA Robotics** (Germany, Metzingen, founded 2019): 4NE1 humanoid and cobots; Series C of up to $1.4bn (June 2026), ~$7bn valuation. Website: https://neura-robotics.com - **Agile Robots** (Germany, Munich, founded 2018): Industrial robots and Agile ONE humanoid; Google DeepMind partner; owner of Franka. Website: https://agile-robots.com - **Humanoid (SKL)** (United Kingdom, Londres, founded 2024): Industrial humanoid; Schaeffler preferred supplier for more than 50% of its actuators through 2031. Website: https://thehumanoid.ai - **PAL Robotics** (Spain, Barcelone, founded 2004): Humanoids and service robots for research. Website: https://pal-robotics.com - **Wandercraft** (France, Paris, founded 2012): Atalante X and Eve exoskeletons; Calvin humanoid; Renault plans 350 robots starting in 2027. Website: https://wandercraft.eu - **Enchanted Tools** (France, Paris, founded 2021): Mirokaï character robots (Miroki, Miroka) for hospitals and nursing homes; tested at Hôpital Broca (AP-HP) and the ICM in Montpellier; announced at around €30,000 per unit. Website: https://enchanted.tools - **Pollen Robotics** (France, Bordeaux, founded 2016): Open-source humanoid Reachy 2; acquired by Hugging Face in 2025. Website: https://pollen-robotics.com - **Hugging Face** (United States, New York, founded 2016): Open-source AI platform; LeRobot library, Reachy Mini robots. Website: https://huggingface.co - **Unitree Robotics** (China, Hangzhou, founded 2016): More than 5,500 humanoids delivered in 2025 according to Unitree (4,200 according to AgiBot, based on Omdia data); G1, H2, R1, Go2; listed on the STAR Market since August 19, 2026. Website: https://unitree.com - **AgiBot (Zhiyuan Robotics)** (China, Shanghai, founded 2023): No. 1 worldwide in H1 2026 (8,600+ humanoids, ~35%); 20,000 robots cumulative; valuation ~¥50bn. Website: https://agibot.com - **UBTech Robotics** (China, Shenzhen, founded 2012): Walker S2 in mass production; 2025 humanoid revenue of ¥821M; target capacity 5,000 (2026). Website: https://ubtrobot.com - **X-Humanoid (Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center)** (China, Pékin, founded 2023): Tiangong Ultra: records in the 100 m (8.64 s) and 400 m at the World Humanoid Robot Games 2026. - **Fourier** (China, Shanghai, founded 2015): GR-1, GR-2, GR-3 (care) humanoids and rehabilitation robots. Website: https://fftai.com - **Galbot** (China, Pékin, founded 2023): G1 wheeled humanoid manipulator for retail and logistics. Website: https://galbot.com - **XPeng Robotics** (China, Canton, founded 2014): IRON humanoid from automaker XPeng; mass production targeted for late 2026. Website: https://xpeng.com - **Xiaomi** (China, Pékin, founded 2010): CyberOne humanoid; home robots; consumer electronics ecosystem. Website: https://mi.com - **Leju Robotics** (China, Shenzhen, founded 2016): Kuavo humanoid; IPO under consideration on ChiNext. Website: https://lejurobot.com - **EngineAI** (China, Shenzhen, founded 2023): SE01, PM01 humanoids. Website: https://engineai.com.cn - **Kepler Exploration Robot** (China, Shanghai, founded 2023): K2 Forerunner humanoid. Website: https://gotokepler.com - **Booster Robotics** (China, Pékin, founded 2023): T1 and K1 small humanoids (research, robot soccer). Website: https://booster.tech - **Astribot** (China, Shenzhen, founded 2022): S1/T1 wheeled humanoid, showcased in North America at IROS 2026. Website: https://astribot.com - **Deep Robotics** (China, Hangzhou, founded 2017): Industrial quadrupeds; IPO planned on the STAR Market. Website: https://deeprobotics.cn - **DOBOT** (China, Shenzhen, founded 2015): Cobots; LUMO all-terrain home humanoid (August 2026). Website: https://dobot-robots.com - **Honor** (China, Shenzhen, founded 2013): Smartphone manufacturer; Lightning robot, winner of the 2026 humanoid half marathon (50 min 26 s). Website: https://honor.com - **Noetix Robotics** (China, Pékin, founded 2023): Small low-cost humanoids for education and consumers. - **Robotera** (China, Pékin, founded 2023): STAR humanoids and dexterous hands. Website: https://robotera.com - **Rainbow Robotics** (South Korea, Daejeon, founded 2011): Humanoids and cobots; Samsung is the largest shareholder. Website: https://rainbow-robotics.com - **Kawasaki Heavy Industries** (Japan, Tokyo, founded 1896): Industrial robots and Kaleido humanoid. Website: https://kawasakirobotics.com - **Toyota Research Institute** (United States, Los Altos, founded 2015): Research on Large Behavior Models with Boston Dynamics. Website: https://tri.global - **Physical Intelligence** (United States, San Francisco, founded 2024): π0/π0.5 VLA models for any robot; $11.5bn valuation, round at ~$20bn under discussion (Oct. 2026). Website: https://physicalintelligence.company - **Skild AI** (United States, Pittsburgh, founded 2023): “Skild Brain”, an omni-robot model; ~$1.4bn raised in Jan. 2026 at over $14bn. Website: https://skild.ai - **Google DeepMind** (United Kingdom, Londres, founded 2010): Gemini Robotics 2 and ER 2 (Jul. 2026); partners Boston Dynamics, Apptronik, Agile Robots. Website: https://deepmind.google - **NVIDIA** (United States, Santa Clara, founded 1993): Jetson Thor, GR00T and Cosmos models, Isaac simulation: shared Physical AI platform. Website: https://nvidia.com - **OpenAI** (United States, San Francisco, founded 2015): Robotics team relaunched; early investor in Figure and Physical Intelligence. Website: https://openai.com - **Meta** (United States, Menlo Park, founded 2004): Robotics and embodied AI research; brought a physical model team into its Superintelligence Labs (2026). Website: https://meta.com - **Amazon** (United States, Seattle, founded 1994): Largest user of logistics robots (Proteus, Vulcan, Sparrow); investor in Neura; Zoox. Website: https://aboutamazon.com - **World Labs** (United States, San Francisco, founded 2024): World models (spatial intelligence), founded by Fei-Fei Li. Website: https://worldlabs.ai - **AMI Labs** (France, Paris, founded 2025): World-model lab founded by Yann LeCun; reported seed round of ~$1bn (March 2026). - **Field AI** (United States, Irvine, founded 2023): Autonomy models for robots in unstructured environments. Website: https://fieldai.com - **Genesis AI** (United States, Palo Alto, founded 2024): Physics simulation and robotics foundation models; French-American team. - **Dyna Robotics** (United States, Redwood City, founded 2024): Robotics foundation model; $120M Series A. Website: https://dyna.co - **Generalist AI** (United States, San Francisco, founded 2024): Foundation models for manipulation. Website: https://generalistai.com - **Rhoda AI** (United States): FutureVision video model; $450M Series A (March 2026). - **Intrinsic** (United States, Mountain View, founded 2021): Programming software for industrial robots, brought under Google in 2026. Website: https://intrinsic.ai - **RLWRLD** (South Korea, Séoul, founded 2024): Korean robotics foundation model; uses Jetson Thor. Website: https://rlwrld.ai - **Mind Robotics** (United States): Rivian spin-off (AI-powered industrial robots); raised $500M in March 2026. - **Bedrock Robotics** (United States, San Francisco, founded 2024): Autonomy for construction equipment; $270M raised. - **Mecka AI** (Canada, Toronto, founded 2024): Egocentric data for robot training; $60M Series B led by Sequoia (Oct. 2026); reported annualized revenue above $100M. - **XDOF** (United States): Large-scale robotics datasets with UC Berkeley; valuation close to $1.2bn. - **Build AI** (United States, San Francisco): Egocentric video; target of one billion hours by 2028. - **Scale AI** (United States, San Francisco, founded 2016): Training data, including robotic teleoperation and annotation. Website: https://scale.com - **Micro1** (United States, San Francisco): Human data platform extended to robotics. Website: https://micro1.ai - **Cortex AI** (United States, San Francisco, founded 2025): Y Combinator startup founded by Lucas Ngoo (Carousell co-founder); egocentric videos and robot trajectories collected in real workplaces; $6M seed (Dec. 2025). Website: https://cortexrobot.ai - **Encord** (United Kingdom, Londres, founded 2020): Multimodal data annotation and management platform. Website: https://encord.com - **Human Archive** (India): Training data collection by freelance workers in India ($8.2M). - **Dassault Systèmes** (France, Vélizy-Villacoublay, founded 1981): Digital twins and industrial simulation. Website: https://3ds.com - **Siemens** (Germany, Munich, founded 1847): Industrial automation, digital twins, production software. Website: https://siemens.com - **Qualcomm** (United States, San Diego, founded 1985): Robotics chips; investor in Neura. Website: https://qualcomm.com - **Horizon Robotics** (China, Pékin, founded 2015): Embedded AI chips for automotive and robots. Website: https://horizon.auto - **AMD** (United States, Santa Clara, founded 1969): Embedded processors and FPGAs for robotics. Website: https://amd.com - **Rockchip** (China, Fuzhou, founded 2001): Onboard chips used by low-cost Chinese robots. Website: https://rock-chips.com - **Hesai** (China, Shanghai, founded 2014): LiDAR for vehicles and robots. Website: https://hesaitech.com - **RoboSense** (China, Shenzhen, founded 2014): LiDAR and robotic perception solutions. Website: https://robosense.ai - **Ouster** (United States, San Francisco, founded 2015): Digital LiDARs. Website: https://ouster.com - **Orbbec** (China, Shenzhen, founded 2013): 3D depth cameras for robots. Website: https://orbbec.com - **RealSense** (United States, San Jose, founded 2025): Depth cameras, from Intel (2025 spin-off). Website: https://realsenseai.com - **Sony Semiconductor Solutions** (Japan, Atsugi): Image sensors. Website: https://sony-semicon.com - **GelSight** (United States, Waltham, founded 2011): High-resolution tactile sensors. Website: https://gelsight.com - **XELA Robotics** (Japan, Tokyo, founded 2018): Skins and tactile sensors for robotic hands. Website: https://xelarobotics.com - **Sharpa** (Singapore, Singapour, founded 2024): SharpaWave dexterous hand (22 degrees of freedom); headquartered in Singapore, R&D and production in Shanghai. Website: https://sharpa.com - **Shadow Robot Company** (United Kingdom, Londres, founded 1987): Reference dexterous hands for research. Website: https://shadowrobot.com - **Inspire Robots** (China, Pékin, founded 2016): Dexterous hands and linear micro-actuators. Website: https://inspire-robots.com - **Linkerbot** (China, Pékin): Low-cost dexterous hands. - **RAS Labs** (United States, Boston): Fingertip tactile sensors; xTechHumanoid 2026 winner. Website: https://raslabs.com - **Novanta** (United States, Bedford (Massachusetts), founded 1968): Force sensors (ATI), motors and precision components. Website: https://novanta.com - **Harmonic Drive Systems** (Japan, Tokyo, founded 1970): Inventor and long-standing leader in harmonic gear reducers. Website: https://hds.co.jp - **Nabtesco** (Japan, Tokyo, founded 2003): Cycloidal (RV) gear reducers for industrial robots. Website: https://nabtesco.com - **Leaderdrive (Green Harmonic)** (China, Suzhou, founded 2011): China's leading harmonic gear reducer manufacturer (425,158 sold in 2025); customers AgiBot, UBTech. Website: https://leaderdrive.com - **Schaeffler** (Germany, Herzogenaurach, founded 1946): Planetary actuators for humanoids, roller screws (Ewellix); investor in Neura. Website: https://schaeffler.com - **THK** (Japan, Tokyo, founded 1971): Linear guides, ball and roller screws, crossed roller bearings. Website: https://thk.com - **NSK** (Japan, Tokyo, founded 1916): Precision bearings and screws. Website: https://nsk.com - **HIWIN** (Taiwan, Taichung, founded 1989): Ball screws, linear guides, gear reducers and robots. Website: https://hiwin.tw - **Timken** (United States, North Canton, founded 1899): Bearings and gear reducers (Cone Drive). Website: https://timken.com - **SKF** (Sweden, Göteborg, founded 1907): Bearings and roller screws. Website: https://skf.com - **Rollvis (GSA)** (Switzerland, Genève): Planetary roller screws; reported as initial source for Optimus. Website: https://rollvis.com - **Sanhua Intelligent Controls** (China, Shaoxing, founded 1984): Linear actuators (Optimus, per press reports); ¥3.8bn robotics campus in Hangzhou. Website: https://sanhuaglobal.com - **Tuopu Group** (China, Ningbo, founded 1983): Rotary actuators and joint modules; ¥5bn plant. Website: https://tuopu.com - **Beite Technology** (China, Shanghai): Planetary roller screws, in qualification for Optimus per press reports. - **Maxon** (Switzerland, Sachseln, founded 1961): Micromotors and compact servo actuators. Website: https://maxongroup.com - **Faulhaber** (Germany, Schönaich, founded 1947): Micromotors for robotic hands and fingers. Website: https://faulhaber.com - **Kollmorgen** (United States, Radford (Virginie), founded 1916): Frameless motors and servo motors. Website: https://kollmorgen.com - **Nidec** (Japan, Kyoto, founded 1973): Motors and gear reducers. Website: https://nidec.com - **Bosch Rexroth** (Germany, Lohr am Main, founded 1795): Ball screws, linear motion, drives. Website: https://boschrexroth.com - **Wittenstein** (Germany, Igersheim, founded 1949): High-end planetary gear reducers. Website: https://wittenstein.de - **Synapticon** (Germany, Schönaich, founded 2011): Drive electronics and functional safety (POSITRON Safety) for humanoids. Website: https://synapticon.com - **Inovance** (China, Shenzhen, founded 2003): Servomotors, PLCs and industrial robots. Website: https://inovance.com - **Leadshine** (China, Shenzhen, founded 1997): Motors and drives. Website: https://leadshine.com - **JL Mag Rare-Earth** (China, Ganzhou, founded 2008): NdFeB permanent magnets. Website: https://jlmag.com.cn - **Ningbo Yunsheng** (China, Ningbo): NdFeB magnets. - **MP Materials** (United States, Las Vegas, founded 2017): Rare-earth mining and magnets outside China. Website: https://mpmaterials.com - **Lynas Rare Earths** (Australia, Perth, founded 1983): Largest producer of separated rare earths outside China. Website: https://lynasrareearths.com - **China Northern Rare Earth** (China, Baotou): China's largest rare-earth producer. - **Neo Performance Materials** (Canada, Toronto): Permanent magnets, plant in Estonia. Website: https://neomaterials.com - **Vacuumschmelze (VAC)** (Germany, Hanau, founded 1923): Permanent magnets made in Europe. Website: https://vacuumschmelze.com - **CATL** (China, Ningde, founded 2011): Batteries; supplier cited for Chinese humanoids. Website: https://catl.com - **LG Energy Solution** (South Korea, Séoul, founded 2020): Lithium-ion batteries. Website: https://lgensol.com - **Samsung SDI** (South Korea, Yongin, founded 1970): Lithium-ion batteries. Website: https://samsungsdi.com - **Panasonic Energy** (Japan, Osaka): Cylindrical batteries. Website: https://panasonic.com - **Fanuc** (Japan, Oshino, founded 1972): World's largest industrial robot manufacturer; CRX cobots. Website: https://fanuc.co.jp - **Yaskawa Electric** (Japan, Kitakyushu, founded 1915): Motoman robots, servomotors. Website: https://yaskawa-global.com - **ABB Robotics** (Switzerland, Zurich, founded 1988): Industrial robots and cobots (GoFa, YuMi); sale to SoftBank for $5.375bn announced in Oct. 2025. Website: https://abb.com/robotics - **KUKA** (Germany, Augsbourg, founded 1898): Industrial robots; owned by Midea. Website: https://kuka.com - **Nachi-Fujikoshi** (Japan, Toyama, founded 1928): Industrial robots and bearings. Website: https://nachi-fujikoshi.co.jp - **Denso Wave** (Japan, Agui): SCARA and compact 6-axis robots. Website: https://denso-wave.com - **Epson Robots** (Japan, Suwa): Leader in SCARA robots. Website: https://epson.com - **Stäubli** (Switzerland, Pfäffikon, founded 1892): Industrial robots, notably cleanroom; strong presence in France. Website: https://staubli.com - **Comau** (Italy, Turin, founded 1973): Automotive robots and integration. Website: https://comau.com - **Estun Automation** (China, Nanjing, founded 1993): Largest Chinese industrial robot manufacturer by volume. Website: https://estun.com - **Efort** (China, Wuhu, founded 2007): Industrial robots. Website: https://efort.com.cn - **Siasun** (China, Shenyang, founded 2000): Industrial and mobile robots. Website: https://siasun.com - **Midea Group** (China, Foshan, founded 1968): Home appliances; owner of KUKA; research on rare-earth-free motors. Website: https://midea.com - **Mitsubishi Electric** (Japan, Tokyo, founded 1921): Industrial robots and automation. Website: https://mitsubishielectric.com - **Omron** (Japan, Kyoto, founded 1933): Automation, mobile robots and cobots. Website: https://omron.com - **Doosan Robotics** (South Korea, Suwon, founded 2015): Cobots. Website: https://doosanrobotics.com - **Universal Robots** (Denmark, Odense, founded 2005): Cobot pioneer and leader (UR15, UR20, UR30). Website: https://universal-robots.com - **Teradyne** (United States, North Reading, founded 1960): Parent company of Universal Robots and MiR. Website: https://teradyne.com - **Techman Robot** (Taiwan, Taoyuan, founded 2016): Cobots with integrated vision. Website: https://tm-robot.com - **AUBO Robotics** (China, Pékin, founded 2015): Cobots. Website: https://aubo-robotics.com - **JAKA Robotics** (China, Shanghai, founded 2014): Cobots. Website: https://jakarobotics.com - **Elite Robots** (China, Suzhou, founded 2016): Cobots. Website: https://eliterobots.com - **Franka Robotics** (Germany, Munich, founded 2016): Sensitive research arms (Franka Research 3). Website: https://franka.de - **Standard Bots** (United States, New York, founded 2016): US-made cobots. Website: https://standardbots.com - **Flexiv** (China, Shanghai, founded 2016): Adaptive force-controlled robots. Website: https://flexiv.com - **Kinova** (Canada, Boisbriand, founded 2006): Lightweight arms for assistance and research. Website: https://kinovarobotics.com - **Mujin** (Japan, Tokyo, founded 2011): Intelligent control software for logistics robots. Website: https://mujin.co.jp - **Amazon Robotics** (United States, North Reading, founded 2012): Proteus, Sparrow, Vulcan, Sequoia robots; next-generation Proteus in Europe in H1 2027. Website: https://amazon.science - **Symbotic** (United States, Wilmington (Massachusetts), founded 2007): Automated warehouse systems (Walmart). Website: https://symbotic.com - **Ocado Technology** (United Kingdom, Hatfield, founded 2000): Robotic warehouses for food. Website: https://ocadogroup.com - **AutoStore** (Norway, Nedre Vats, founded 1996): Automated cube storage; SoftBank shareholder. Website: https://autostoresystem.com - **Exotec** (France, Croix, founded 2015): French unicorn in robotic logistics (Skypod). Website: https://exotec.com - **Geek+** (China, Pékin, founded 2015): Warehouse mobile robots. Website: https://geekplus.com - **Quicktron** (China, Shanghai, founded 2014): Warehouse mobile robots. Website: https://quicktron.com.cn - **Hai Robotics** (China, Shenzhen, founded 2016): Tote storage robots (ACR). Website: https://hairobotics.com - **Locus Robotics** (United States, Wilmington (Massachusetts), founded 2014): Collaborative order-picking robots. Website: https://locusrobotics.com - **GreyOrange** (United States, Atlanta, founded 2011): Warehouse robots and orchestration software. Website: https://greyorange.com - **Berkshire Grey** (United States, Bedford (Massachusetts), founded 2013): Sorting and picking robots. Website: https://berkshiregrey.com - **Dematic** (United States, Atlanta): Warehouse automation integrator. Website: https://dematic.com - **Knapp** (Austria, Hart bei Graz, founded 1952): Intralogistics automation. Website: https://knapp.com - **Swisslog** (Switzerland, Buchs): Logistics and hospital automation. Website: https://swisslog.com - **Addverb** (India, Noida, founded 2016): Warehouse automation and a humanoid in development. Website: https://addverb.com - **Pudu Robotics** (China, Shenzhen, founded 2016): Service robots (food service, cleaning); D9 humanoid. Website: https://pudurobotics.com - **Keenon Robotics** (China, Shanghai, founded 2010): Service robots for restaurants and hotels. Website: https://keenon.com - **Brain Corp** (United States, San Diego, founded 2009): Autonomy for commercial cleaning robots. Website: https://braincorp.com - **Avidbots** (Canada, Kitchener, founded 2014): Floor-cleaning robots. Website: https://avidbots.com - **Gausium** (China, Shanghai, founded 2013): Commercial cleaning robots. Website: https://gausium.com - **Serve Robotics** (United States, Los Angeles, founded 2023): Sidewalk delivery robots. Website: https://serverobotics.com - **Starship Technologies** (Estonia, Tallinn, founded 2014): Autonomous delivery robots. Website: https://starship.xyz - **Richtech Robotics** (United States, Las Vegas, founded 2016): Service robots for restaurants and hospitality. Website: https://richtechrobotics.com - **SoftBank Robotics** (Japan, Tokyo, founded 2014): Service robots (Pepper, Whiz). Website: https://softbankrobotics.com - **Intuitive Surgical** (United States, Sunnyvale, founded 1995): Leader in robotic surgery (da Vinci 5). Website: https://intuitive.com - **Medtronic** (Ireland, Dublin, founded 1949): Hugo surgical robot. Website: https://medtronic.com - **Johnson & Johnson MedTech** (United States, New Brunswick, founded 1886): Monarch and Ottava platforms. Website: https://jnjmedtech.com - **Stryker** (United States, Kalamazoo, founded 1941): Mako orthopedic robot. Website: https://stryker.com - **CMR Surgical** (United Kingdom, Cambridge, founded 2014): Versius surgical robot. Website: https://cmrsurgical.com - **Moon Surgical** (France, Paris, founded 2019): Maestro robotic surgical assistant. Website: https://moonsurgical.com - **Distalmotion** (Switzerland, Lausanne, founded 2012): Dexter surgical robot. Website: https://distalmotion.com - **Zimmer Biomet** (United States, Warsaw (Indiana), founded 1927): ROSA orthopedic robot. Website: https://zimmerbiomet.com - **MicroPort MedBot** (China, Shanghai, founded 2014): Toumai surgical robots. Website: https://microport.com - **Ekso Bionics** (United States, San Rafael, founded 2005): Medical and industrial exoskeletons. Website: https://eksobionics.com - **Cyberdyne** (Japan, Tsukuba, founded 2004): HAL exoskeleton. Website: https://cyberdyne.jp - **Roborock** (China, Pékin, founded 2014): Robot vacuums; Saros Z70 with articulated arm. Website: https://roborock.com - **Ecovacs** (China, Suzhou, founded 1998): Robot vacuums and robot mowers. Website: https://ecovacs.com - **Dreame** (China, Suzhou, founded 2017): Robot vacuums. Website: https://dreametech.com - **iRobot** (United States, Bedford (Massachusetts), founded 1990): Roomba pioneer; restructured in late 2025, taken over by its contract manufacturer Picea. Website: https://irobot.com - **SharkNinja** (United States, Needham, founded 1994): Robot vacuums. Website: https://sharkninja.com - **Narwal** (China, Shenzhen, founded 2016): Floor-cleaning robots. Website: https://narwal.com - **Segway-Ninebot** (China, Pékin, founded 2012): Navimow robot mowers, mobility. Website: https://segway.com - **Husqvarna** (Sweden, Stockholm, founded 1689): Automower robotic lawn mowers. Website: https://husqvarna.com - **ANYbotics** (Switzerland, Zurich, founded 2016): ANYmal inspection quadruped (ATEX version). Website: https://anybotics.com - **Ghost Robotics** (United States, Philadelphie, founded 2015): Vision 60 quadruped for defense and security. Website: https://ghostrobotics.io - **DJI** (China, Shenzhen, founded 2006): Global leader in civilian and agricultural drones. Website: https://dji.com - **Anduril Industries** (United States, Costa Mesa, founded 2017): Autonomous defense systems (drones, Lattice). Website: https://anduril.com - **Shield AI** (United States, San Diego, founded 2015): Hivemind AI pilot and V-BAT drones. Website: https://shield.ai - **Skydio** (United States, San Mateo, founded 2014): Autonomous drones. Website: https://skydio.com - **Helsing** (Germany, Munich, founded 2021): Defense AI and drones; European unicorn. Website: https://helsing.ai - **Quantum Systems** (Germany, Gilching, founded 2015): Reconnaissance drones. Website: https://quantum-systems.com - **Milrem Robotics** (Estonia, Tallinn, founded 2013): Military ground robots (THeMIS). Website: https://milremrobotics.com - **Parrot** (France, Paris, founded 1994): Professional and defense drones. Website: https://parrot.com - **Delair** (France, Toulouse, founded 2011): Professional and military drones. Website: https://delair.aero - **Tekever** (Portugal, Lisbonne, founded 2001): Surveillance drones. Website: https://tekever.com - **IHMC** (United States, Pensacola, founded 1990): Research institute; Alex humanoid with ballistic protection, xTechHumanoid 2026 winner. Website: https://ihmc.us - **Velocity Explorations** (United States): Command software for humanoids; xTechHumanoid 2026 winner. - **John Deere** (United States, Moline, founded 1837): Autonomous tractors and targeted spraying (Blue River). Website: https://deere.com - **Carbon Robotics** (United States, Seattle, founded 2018): Autonomous laser weeding. Website: https://carbonrobotics.com - **Naïo Technologies** (France, Toulouse, founded 2011): Agricultural weeding robots. Website: https://naio-technologies.com - **Lely** (Netherlands, Maassluis, founded 1948): Milking and livestock robots. Website: https://lely.com - **Waymo** (United States, Mountain View, founded 2009): Robotaxis; raised $16bn in Q1 2026. Website: https://waymo.com - **Zoox** (United States, Foster City, founded 2014): Robotaxis. Website: https://zoox.com - **Oxa** (United Kingdom, Oxford, founded 2014): Autonomy software for logistics vehicles. Website: https://oxa.tech - **Formic** (United States, Chicago, founded 2020): Industrial robots as RaaS for SMEs. Website: https://formic.co - **GXO Logistics** (United States, Greenwich, founded 2021): First multi-year humanoid RaaS contract (Digit, 2024). Website: https://gxo.com - **Hyundai Motor Group** (South Korea, Séoul, founded 1967): Owner of Boston Dynamics; Atlas plant targeting 30,000/yr in 2028. Website: https://hyundaimotorgroup.com - **BMW Group** (Germany, Munich, founded 1916): Figure customer (Spartanburg); Hexagon AEON pilot in Leipzig. Website: https://bmwgroup.com - **Mercedes-Benz Group** (Germany, Stuttgart, founded 1926): Apptronik customer and investor. Website: https://mercedes-benz.com - **Renault Group** (France, Boulogne-Billancourt, founded 1899): Shareholder in Wandercraft; 350 humanoids planned from 2027. Website: https://renaultgroup.com - **Toyota Motor** (Japan, Toyota, founded 1937): Digit RaaS contract in Canada (Feb. 2026); Toyota Research Institute. Website: https://toyota.com - **BYD** (China, Shenzhen, founded 1995): Investor in AgiBot; UBTech customer. Website: https://byd.com - **Foxconn (Hon Hai)** (Taiwan, Nouveau Taipei, founded 1974): Electronics contract manufacturer; UBTech humanoid trials; Agility investor. Website: https://foxconn.com - **Robert Bosch** (Germany, Gerlingen, founded 1886): Components; investor in Neura. Website: https://bosch.com - **SoftBank Group** (Japan, Tokyo, founded 1981): Acquisition of ABB Robotics; investor in Skild, AutoStore, Agile Robots, Agility. Website: https://group.softbank - **Mercado Libre** (UY, Montevideo, founded 1999): Digit RaaS customer (Dec. 2025). Website: https://mercadolibre.com - **SF Express** (China, Shenzhen, founded 1993): UBTech customer in logistics. Website: https://sf-express.com - **RAI Institute** (United States, Cambridge (Massachusetts), founded 2022): Research institute founded by Marc Raibert (formerly Boston Dynamics AI Institute). Website: https://rai-inst.com - **Fraunhofer IPA** (Germany, Stuttgart, founded 1959): Production and robotics research institute. Website: https://ipa.fraunhofer.de - **LAAS-CNRS** (France, Toulouse, founded 1968): Public robotics lab (humanoids, locomotion). Website: https://laas.fr - **Honda** (Japan, Tokyo, founded 1948): Automaker; humanoid pioneer with ASIMO (2000-2022). Website: https://global.honda - **Aldebaran** (France, Paris, founded 2005): Creator of NAO and Pepper; after the 2025 bankruptcy, assets and intellectual property acquired by Maxvision Technology (China). Website: https://aldebaran.com - **Inbolt** (France, Paris, founded 2019): AI-based 3D vision to guide industrial robots. Website: https://inbolt.com ## Data pack · Robots (76) - **ElliQ** (Intuition Robotics, Companion robots, production, 2022): Tabletop companion for seniors: conversation, health reminders, video calls, app for family members. - **Hyodol** (Hyodol, Companion robots, production, 2019): Conversational doll for isolated seniors: medication reminders, alerts, conversation. - **LOVOT** (GROOVE X, Companion robots, production, 2019): Companion robot with no utility function; homes, offices, care facilities. - **Moflin** (Casio Computer, Companion robots, production, 2024): Artificial pet whose personality evolves through interaction. - **Jennie** (Tombot, Companion robots, pilot, 2026): Robotic puppy for people with dementia or anxiety. - **Optimus** (Tesla, Humanoids and mobile manipulators, early_production, 2022): Internal tasks in Tesla plants; external sales targeted for late 2027. - **Figure** (Figure AI, Humanoids and mobile manipulators, early_production, 2023): Automotive line supply (BMW); logistics; home (Figure 03). - **Atlas** (Boston Dynamics, Humanoids and mobile manipulators, early_production, 2013): Part handling in automotive plants (Hyundai); research (Google DeepMind). - **Spot** (Boston Dynamics, Quadrupeds, production, 2019): Industrial inspection, security, mapping. - **Stretch** (Boston Dynamics, Logistics mobile robots, production, 2022): Truck and container unloading. - **Digit** (Agility Robotics, Humanoids and mobile manipulators, production, 2019): Tote transport in warehouses and factories, under RaaS. - **Apollo** (Apptronik, Humanoids and mobile manipulators, pilot, 2023): Logistics and line feeding (Mercedes-Benz). - **NEO** (1X Technologies, Humanoids and mobile manipulators, early_production, 2024): Household chores; teleoperation in expert mode. - **EVE** (1X Technologies, Humanoids and mobile manipulators, production, 2023): Security and light logistics. - **Phoenix** (Sanctuary AI, Humanoids and mobile manipulators, pilot, 2023): Dexterous manipulation in retail and industry. - **Phantom MK-1** (Foundation Future Industries, Humanoids and mobile manipulators, pilot, 2025): Logistics in hazardous zones (tested in Ukraine). - **Alex** (IHMC, Humanoids and mobile manipulators, prototype, 2026): Defense humanoid with ballistic protection, hybrid AI-human control. - **MenteeBot** (Mentee Robotics, Humanoids and mobile manipulators, prototype, 2024): Warehouses and home. - **Protoclone** (Clone Robotics, Humanoids and mobile manipulators, prototype, 2025): Musculoskeletal humanoid. - **AEON** (Hexagon Robotics, Humanoids and mobile manipulators, pilot, 2025): Inspection, manipulation; pilot at BMW Leipzig. - **4NE1** (NEURA Robotics, Humanoids and mobile manipulators, pilot, 2024): Industry and services. - **Agile ONE** (Agile Robots, Humanoids and mobile manipulators, pilot, 2025): Factories (with Gemini Robotics models). - **Calvin** (Wandercraft, Humanoids and mobile manipulators, pilot, 2025): Strenuous tasks in Renault plants. - **Mirokaï** (Enchanted Tools, Humanoids and mobile manipulators, pilot, 2024): Hospital logistics, reception. - **Reachy** (Pollen Robotics, Humanoids and mobile manipulators, production, 2020): Research, teleoperation, open source. - **Reachy Mini** (Hugging Face, Consumer robots, production, 2025): Open-source desktop robot for developers. - **G1** (Unitree Robotics, Humanoids and mobile manipulators, production, 2024): Research, education, demonstration. - **H1** (Unitree Robotics, Humanoids and mobile manipulators, production, 2023): Research, demonstration. - **H2** (Unitree Robotics, Humanoids and mobile manipulators, production, 2025): Research, industry. - **R1** (Unitree Robotics, Humanoids and mobile manipulators, production, 2025): Developers, education, consumers. - **Go2** (Unitree Robotics, Quadrupeds, production, 2023): Consumer and education quadruped. - **A2 (Yuanzheng)** (AgiBot (Zhiyuan Robotics), Humanoids and mobile manipulators, production, 2024): Reception, retail, industry. - **X2 (Lingxi)** (AgiBot (Zhiyuan Robotics), Humanoids and mobile manipulators, production, 2025): Mid-size humanoid, interaction. - **G1/G2 (Genie)** (AgiBot (Zhiyuan Robotics), Humanoids and mobile manipulators, production, 2024): Wheeled manipulation, data collection. - **Walker S** (UBTech Robotics, Humanoids and mobile manipulators, production, 2023): Automotive plants, logistics, data collection centers. - **GR** (Fourier, Humanoids and mobile manipulators, production, 2023): Research, rehabilitation, care. - **IRON** (XPeng Robotics, Humanoids and mobile manipulators, pilot, 2024): XPeng plants, retail. - **CyberOne** (Xiaomi, Humanoids and mobile manipulators, prototype, 2022): Technology demonstrator. - **Tiangong** (X-Humanoid (Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center), Humanoids and mobile manipulators, prototype, 2024): Open platform; athletic records (Tiangong Ultra). - **Lightning** (Honor, Humanoids and mobile manipulators, prototype, 2026): Athletic demonstrator (half marathon). - **G1** (Galbot, Humanoids and mobile manipulators, production, 2024): Pharmacies, retail, logistics. - **Kuavo** (Leju Robotics, Humanoids and mobile manipulators, production, 2023): Research, industry. - **K2 Forerunner** (Kepler Exploration Robot, Humanoids and mobile manipulators, pilot, 2025): Industry. - **SE01 / PM01** (EngineAI, Humanoids and mobile manipulators, production, 2024): Research, demonstration. - **T1** (Booster Robotics, Humanoids and mobile manipulators, production, 2024): Research, robot soccer. - **S1** (Astribot, Humanoids and mobile manipulators, pilot, 2024): Domestic and commercial tasks. - **LUMO** (DOBOT, Humanoids and mobile manipulators, prototype, 2026): All-terrain home humanoid. - **PUDU D9** (Pudu Robotics, Humanoids and mobile manipulators, prototype, 2024): Services. - **Isaac GR00T Reference Humanoid** (NVIDIA, Humanoids and mobile manipulators, prototype, 2026): Open research platform on Jetson Thor. - **Kaleido** (Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Humanoids and mobile manipulators, prototype, 2017): Research, rescue. - **ASIMO** (Honda, Humanoids and mobile manipulators, discontinued, 2000): Historic demonstrator, retired in 2022. - **Pepper** (SoftBank Robotics, Professional service robots, discontinued, 2014): Reception; production stopped in 2021. - **NAO** (Aldebaran, Humanoids and mobile manipulators, production, 2008): Education and research. - **Memo** (Sunday Robotics, Consumer robots, pilot, 2025): Home robot. - **Saros Z70** (Roborock, Consumer robots, production, 2025): Robot vacuum with an articulated arm that picks up objects. - **Proteus** (Amazon Robotics, Logistics mobile robots, production, 2022): Cart transport in Amazon warehouses. - **Vulcan** (Amazon Robotics, Logistics mobile robots, production, 2025): Amazon's first robot with a sense of touch; order picking. - **Sparrow** (Amazon Robotics, Logistics mobile robots, production, 2022): Individual item picking. - **Skypod** (Exotec, Logistics mobile robots, production, 2017): High-density storage and order picking. - **AutoStore** (AutoStore, Logistics mobile robots, production, 1996): Cubic bin storage. - **da Vinci** (Intuitive Surgical, Medical robots, production, 2000): Minimally invasive surgery. - **Hugo** (Medtronic, Medical robots, production, 2021): Minimally invasive surgery. - **Versius** (CMR Surgical, Medical robots, production, 2019): Laparoscopic surgery. - **Mako** (Stryker, Medical robots, production, 2006): Orthopedic surgery. - **Atalante X** (Wandercraft, Medical robots, production, 2019): Gait rehabilitation without crutches. - **UR (e-Series)** (Universal Robots, Cobots, production, 2008): Cobots for SMEs: palletizing, screwdriving, welding. - **CRX** (Fanuc, Cobots, production, 2019): Industrial cobots. - **GoFa** (ABB Robotics, Cobots, production, 2021): Industrial cobots. - **YuMi** (ABB Robotics, Cobots, production, 2015): Dual-arm small-parts assembly. - **Franka Research 3** (Franka Robotics, Cobots, production, 2022): Touch-sensitive research arm. - **ANYmal** (ANYbotics, Quadrupeds, production, 2016): Industrial inspection in ATEX zones. - **Vision 60** (Ghost Robotics, Quadrupeds, production, 2020): Defense and security. - **Agras** (DJI, Agricultural robots, production, 2015): Agricultural spraying by drone. - **Starship robot** (Starship Technologies, Professional service robots, production, 2018): Autonomous last-mile delivery. - **BellaBot** (Pudu Robotics, Professional service robots, production, 2021): Restaurant service. - **Astronaut** (Lely, Agricultural robots, production, 1992): Milking robot. ## Data pack · Timeline (48) - 2028-08-02: AI requirements for machinery, via delegated acts of the EU Machinery Regulation (at the latest) (confidence A) - 2028: 30,000-robot-per-year plant targeted by Hyundai (confidence C) - 2027-12: Optimus deliveries to external customers (Tesla target) (confidence C) - 2027-01-20: Application of the EU Machinery Regulation (confidence A) - 2026-11-10: End of China's one-year suspension of rare earth controls (confidence B) - 2026-11-05: China blocks SoftBank's acquisition of the Chinese business of ABB Robotics (confidence A) - 2026-11-05: Agility Robotics lists on Nasdaq (AGLT) (confidence A) - 2026-10-28: United States: Section 232 proclamation on robot imports (confidence A) - 2026-10-27: Crunchbase: $9.9bn raised by robotics startups in Q3, more than double Q3 2025 (confidence B) - 2026-10-21: Tesla announces early Optimus production at Fremont (confidence B) - 2026-10: Rohit Prasad becomes CEO of Boston Dynamics (confidence B) - 2026-10: AgiBot negotiates a round at ~¥50bn and postpones its Hong Kong IPO (confidence B) - 2026-10: Mecka raises $60M (Sequoia) for egocentric data (confidence B) - 2026-09-29: IDC: ~25,000 humanoids shipped in H1 2026 (+432%) (confidence A) - 2026-09-09: China recognizes the occupation of embodied AI robot technician (confidence A) - 2026-09: Goldman Sachs raises its forecast: 6.5M humanoids in 2035 (confidence B) - 2026-09: US Army: five xTechHumanoid winners, including Alex (IHMC) (confidence A) - 2026-09: IFR World Robotics 2026: 603,000 installations, installed base of 5M (confidence A) - 2026-08-25: Wage agreement at Hyundai Motor: information sharing on new technologies, 500 hires (confidence B) - 2026-08-19: Unitree lists on the STAR Market: +629% on its first trading day (confidence B) - 2026-08: World Humanoid Robot Games: 100 m in 8.64 s (Tiangong Ultra), faster than the human record (confidence B) - 2026-07-27: Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 amends the AI Act; machinery moves to Section B of Annex I (confidence A) - 2026-07: Google DeepMind releases Gemini Robotics 2 and ER 2 (confidence C) - 2026-06: Tombot raises $7M; Jennie launch planned for fall 2026 (confidence A) - 2026-06: NEURA Robotics: Series C up to $1.4bn (~$7bn) (confidence A) - 2026-06: Amazon unveils conversational Proteus for Europe (confidence B) - 2026-06: Agility Robotics announces SPAC merger at ~$2.5bn (confidence B) - 2026-04: Figure reaches one robot per hour at the BotQ plant (more than 350 delivered) (confidence A) - 2026-04: 1X starts NEO production in Hayward (confidence A) - 2026-03: Washington State: ElliQ covered by Medicaid, a first for Medicaid (confidence A) - 2026-03: China: 15th Five-Year Plan adopted, embodied intelligence a priority (confidence A) - 2026-03: Physical Intelligence valued at $11.5bn (confidence B) - 2026-03: Google DeepMind partners with Agile Robots (confidence A) - 2026-02-28: MIIT standardization committee publishes the national humanoid standards system (confidence A) - 2026-02: Robert Playter steps down as head of Boston Dynamics (confidence C) - 2026-02: Foundation delivers two Phantom MK-1 units to Ukraine (confidence B) - 2026-01-22: Hyundai Motor's union demands an agreement before any robot deployment (confidence B) - 2026-01-06: Mobileye announces acquisition of Mentee Robotics ($900M) (confidence B) - 2026-01: Samsung indefinitely suspends its Ballie companion robot after several delays (confidence B) - 2026-01: CES: production Atlas unveiled; Boston Dynamics – Google DeepMind partnership (confidence B) - 2026-01: Skild AI raises ~$1.4bn at over $14bn (confidence A) - 2025-11: UBTech launches mass production of the Walker S2 (confidence C) - 2025-10: SoftBank announces acquisition of ABB Robotics for $5.375bn (confidence B) - 2025-10: 1X opens NEO preorders (10,000 in five days, per 1X) (confidence C) - 2025-09: Figure AI valued at $39bn (Series C led by Parkway) (confidence A) - 2025-06: China: MIIT launches a national pilot for elderly-care robots (2025-2027) (confidence A) - 2025-06: Wandercraft raises $75M and partners with Renault on the Calvin humanoid (confidence B) - 2025-04: China: export controls on seven rare earths; Tesla reports an impact on Optimus (confidence C)