This year is shaping up to be pivotal for robotics as humanoids become increasingly sophisticated, with models moving from pilot projects and lab-based demos to real world deployments.
Here, experts provide an idea for where the industry is headed over the next year, and how companies can stay ahead of the curve.
Combining Hardware and Software
For one thing, the convergence of advanced foundation models with maturing hardware is transforming robots from single-purpose machines into adaptive, general-purpose systems.
“Robotics isn’t new,” said Jan Liphardt, CEO of robotic software company OpenMind. “But what’s fundamentally different now is firstly that the hardware for universal and humanoid robots is maturing extremely quickly, meaning low cost, reliable hardware is finally here.”
At the same time, software has evolved beyond narrowly defined tasks.
“We’ve realized that large language models can be grafted onto physical hardware and take control of it,” Liphardt said. “We now have a clear line of sight to humanoid robots that can remember, learn, navigate spaces and share skills with other robots.”
Together, falling hardware costs, rising reliability and more capable software are lending robots new levels of interactive capabilities, expanding their use cases and improving accessibility.
“The idea isn’t new, the visibility is,” Liphardt adds. “The logjam has broken. We now know how to build general-purpose robots that people can connect with emotionally, that can teach, help and adapt.”
A Rise in Domestic Deployment
One of the clearest outcomes of this convergence is a renewed push into consumer environments.
While the potential of humanoid models has historically remained a much-discussed possibility, experts said 2026 is the year where designs will move from factories to homes.
“This will be the year humanoid companies pivot to consumer and at-home applications,” George Chowdhury, an analyst at ABI Research said. “Traditional OEMs with ‘physical AI’ products already have strong customer bases within logistics and manufacturing — along with developing mobile manipulator products, which are the incumbent OEMs’ answer to humanoids. These vendors already have a strong hold on commercial markets.
“More companies will jump to these markets, leveraging teleoperation to create viable products today,” he added. “This will accompany a drop in price for humanoids but will assure investors that the technology is market ready.”
Continued Testing Ahead
Tim Ensor, general manager of Intelligence Services at Cambridge Consultants, told AI Business that despite the potential, robotics still has a lot to prove as it moves from pilot projects to wider uptake.
“In 2025 there was a lot of excitement in the lab,” he said. “But by the end of the year, many realized there is still more work to be done.”
“[This year] is when leading business users will start getting to grips with these robots,” he added. “We’ll see more trials, more experimentation and more clarity about where the challenges are in delivering real value.”
Logistics and manufacturing will, he said, remain the primary testing grounds, following high-profile pilots such as Figure AI’s work with BMW.
In this landscape, the companies best positioned to benefit will be those building both mechanical and AI platforms, while those that fail to engage with the rapid spread of technology risk falling behind.
The Risks Ahead
Despite the industry’s potential, the road to widespread adoption is not entirely clear.
Chowdhury warned that safety, privacy and technological immaturity remain major barriers. Teleoperation raises concerns about surveillance, while robotics foundation models still lack the robustness needed for widespread deployment. Integration expertise is also in short supply.
He also highlighted macroeconomic exposure.
“Humanoids and smart robots are intrinsically tied to the success of AI,” he said. “If the AI bubble bursts, robotics innovators are highly exposed.”
Regulation presents another challenge, and Ensor pointed to the tension between productivity and safety. Robots must move fast enough to justify investment but safely enough to work alongside humans.
“When we’re thinking about the latest generation of robotics, the expectation clearly is to get the most out of those technology platforms,” he said. “Businesses must decide how we get them to move quickly and do their work fast, in a way that also guarantees safety.”
For Liphardt, the challenge is ultimately societal.
“The technology question is largely solved,” he said. “The bigger question is what society does with it.”
“For the first time, we have a clear path to humanoids in homes, hospitals, schools and workplaces,” he adds. “No previous technology ever contained the possibility of doing human jobs in this way. It’s incredibly exciting, and of course, it’s also scary.”
Indeed, as robots become more capable, the industry is no longer asking whether the technology will work but how quickly businesses — and society — can adapt.
