Service robot sales rise 24% amid humanoid technology challenges

Global shipments of professional service robots increased by 24% to nearly 250,000 units in 2025, according to the World Robotics 2026 Service Robots report by the International Federation of Robotics. The transportation and logistics sector remains the largest application, accounting for 47% of the market with 117,500 units sold. While consumer service robots saw a 37% surge, humanoid robots remain a specialized niche, with approximately 7,000 full-size units emerging in the market.

Despite the growing interest in humanoid technology, logistics provider GXO reports that these robots are not yet ready for full-scale production. After conducting 45 pilot programs, GXO CEO Patrick Kelleher stated that humanoid robots have not yet achieved a sufficient return on investment (ROI). Key challenges include fine motor skills and operational speed compared to human workers. While GXO expects to have nearly 20,000 various automation robots operational in its network by the end of 2026, it does not anticipate deploying any humanoid robots in production environments for at least another two years.