// robots & autonomy
What humanoid and general-purpose robots can really do, who is shipping them, what they cost, and how far physical AI has moved from demos toward factories and homes.
IDC counts nearly 25,000 humanoid robots shipped worldwide in the first half of 2026, up 432.1%. AgiBot says it led with more than 8,600, but three research firms give three different totals.
Humanoid robots can do a few repetitive jobs in controlled workplaces. General-purpose autonomy is not here yet, and some showcase demos have relied on remote human operators.
Yes, you can order one: Unitree lists humanoids from $4,900 to $90,000 and 1X takes deposits on a $20,000 home robot. Agility offers its robot as a service, and Tesla Optimus is not on sale.
Humanoid robots are machines with a roughly human shape, built to work in spaces designed for people. They usually have two arms, two legs and a sensor-packed head. This section follows the robots and the AI models that control them (often called physical AI or robot foundation models). It also follows the companies trying to place them in factories, warehouses and homes. It keeps verified shipments and deployments separate from demos, targets and forecasts. It also notes when a robot was being steered by a remote human operator.
The market is real but small. The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) reports that about 7,000 full-size humanoids, meaning robots taller than 140 centimeters, were sold worldwide in 2025 for commercial and professional use. It says most current applications are specialized and often need teleoperation. The same organization counts roughly five million industrial robots already working in factories. Stanford's 2026 AI Index found that the strongest signals in 2025 came from early industrial pilots and manufacturing ambitions, not widespread deployment.
Two groups of companies draw most of the attention. Chinese manufacturers such as Unitree and AgiBot have pushed prices down and volumes up, the AI Index notes. Unitree lists its G1 from $13,500 before shipping and duties. In the United States, Figure, Agility Robotics and Tesla are aiming at industrial work, while 1X is taking orders for a $20,000 home robot. The IFR says wider adoption is still held back by safety standards, high training and maintenance costs, and the lack of a strong business case.