The International Federation of Robotics has published its first-ever humanoid robot count, placing global 2025 sales at approximately 7,000 units for industrial and professional service use, with most going to research institutions and AI training programs rather than productive factory deployment.
The 2026 World Manufacturing Convention in Hefei opened with guests from more than 50 countries, featuring hexapod inspection robots that climb vertical walls and ceilings using suction-cup legs, a 2.5-kilogram quantum-encrypted power grid robot connected to State Grid’s AI model, and a 50-kilogram cargo drone with 150-kilometer range.
Universal Robots has launched Gen 7 at IMTS, a unified seventh-generation platform featuring the CB7 controller with 40% more compute in a 30% smaller footprint, a new tool flange designed for wrist cameras and AI sensor integration, three new robot arms, and an upgraded teach pendant, positioned as the deployment platform for industrial physical AI.
A senior Hyundai Motor Group executive with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters that a Boston Dynamics IPO in 2027 is unlikely, as the company has not yet deployed its Atlas humanoid robots at scale and remains unprofitable, with analysts suggesting a listing is more likely in 2029 or 2030.
UBTECH has launched its new 14,000 square-meter factory in Liuzhou, Guangxi, designed to produce more than 10,000 humanoid robots annually at a rate of one robot every 10 minutes, using humanoid robots on the production floor alongside Siemens digital twin technology and a flexible mixed-line design.
Tokyo-based startup MW is embedding ceiling-mounted robotic arms into homes as an alternative to humanoids, targeting its first robot-equipped home sale by 2028, 10,000 units annually by 2035, and a ¥10 billion Series A within two years, after raising ¥3 billion in seed funding from major Japanese bank VCs.
First Hydrogen Corp. has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a 60% stake in RoboticsCo, which holds 26 issued patents covering advanced actuation, gearbox, and motor technologies, and has simultaneously launched First Humanoid Corp. as a wholly owned subsidiary to develop and commercialize humanoid robot IP.
Vecna Robotics has raised $31 million led by Unless to scale its U.S.-manufactured autonomous mobile robot fleet, as demand for its CaseFlow case-picking system more than doubled year-over-year and FCC action on foreign-made connected robots increases commercial interest in domestically produced automation platforms.
Around 30 robots including Agibot A3 humanoids and quadrupeds marched outside Poland’s digital affairs ministry in Warsaw, chanting slogans demanding AI labor market regulation in an event organized by Democratism and met by Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski.
French dental robotics startup Lupin Dental has closed a €15 million Series A led by Fynveur, with Bpifrance participation, to expand its robotic system that automates tooth preparation for veneers under dentist supervision, currently approved for clinical use in the UK and India but not yet cleared in the U.S. or EU.
Unitree Robotics has demonstrated UnifoLM-X2-1.0, a world model that enables its humanoid robot to autonomously decide how to move, evade, and attack in real-time combat without a human operator or pre-scripted movements, describing it as the first fully autonomous humanoid combat driven by a world model.
Figure AI and Nscale have signed a strategic partnership providing Figure with access to up to 100,000 NVIDIA Vera Rubin GPUs starting in the second half of 2027, in an initial $3.5 billion compute commitment with intent to scale beyond $6 billion, as Figure’s Helix model generates 35 minutes of training data every second through its Index dataset initiative.
IFA 2026 in Berlin featured the highest number of humanoid robots in the trade show’s history, with PrimeBOT Q1, Booster K1, EngineAI T800, Agibot A3, and Zeroth W1 among the platforms demonstrating martial arts, soccer, calligraphy, and home navigation for B2B and emerging B2C markets.
A Reuters review of more than 100 Chinese military procurement notices, academic studies, and defense industry materials documents China’s People’s Liberation Army moving from humanoid robot demonstrations to active procurement, battlefield scenario research, and training data collection systems, with Norinco’s Fuxi humanoid designed for sentry duty and reconnaissance.
Cornell University has received a four-year, $7.5 million USDA grant to establish a Center of Excellence for Orchard Robotics, developing robots for pollination, fruit thinning, apple harvesting, and weeding in collaboration with nine partner organizations including Washington State University, Carnegie Mellon, Stanford, and Fresh Fruit Robotics.