Gartner Predicts Humanoids Lag Warehouse Production
On January 21, 2026, Gartner predicts that through 2028 fewer than 100 companies will advance humanoid robot proofs of concept beyond initial experimentation, with under 20 scaling to production in supply chain and manufacturing. The firm cites technological immaturity, high costs, limited battery life and safety constraints, and recommends outcome-driven pilots and preference for polyfunctional wheeled robots for high-throughput operations.
Key Points
- 1Forecasts that fewer than 100 companies will advance humanoid PoCs beyond experimentation by 2028.
- 2Highlights technological immaturity, high costs, short battery life, and safety challenges limiting deployment.
- 3Advises pilots and ROI validation; recommends polyfunctional wheeled robots for high-throughput operations.
Scoring Rationale
Authoritative Gartner forecast with actionable guidance, but limited novelty given existing skepticism and incremental updates to deployments.
Sources
Public references used for this report.
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