By Stephen DeAngelis
Humanoid robots have a long history in the world of science fiction films. The first humanoid robot of any renown was found in the 1927 German film “Metropolis.” In the movie, a scientist named C.A. Rotwang creates a robot (the Maschinenmensch, or Machine-Human) in the form of a woman. The film was very successful and popularized the concept of humanoid robots worldwide. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, the best-known robot was named Robbie. Robbie first appeared in the 1956 film “Forbidden Planet.”
On the small screen, Rosie the Robot, from the animated series “The Jetsons,” convinced growing boomer children that domestic robots could be helpful around the house. Fast forward three score years and humanoid robots are once again making headlines — this time in the real world. In January, a domestic robot named Sprout was introduced. Journalist Matt O’Brien reports, “If its emotive expressions and blinking lights seem vaguely familiar, it might be from generations of Star Wars droids and other endearingly clunky robotic sidekicks dreamed up in animation studios and children's literature.”[1] Journalist John Leonard reports, “Futurist Peter Diamandis has predicted that general purpose humanoid robots will start appearing in homes this year, able to do some household work and personal assistance tasks.”[2] Leonard points out, however, that the general opinion is that “commercialization of humanoid robots … will get their first jobs in warehouses or factories long before they are ready for homes.”
Humanoids in the Supply Chain
It has been clear for some time that supply chains are getting more automated and more autonomous. Mark H. Yahiro, vice president of business development at RealSense, observes, “Warehousing and logistics have undergone radical changes and several waves of ‘the next big thing’ over the past several decades, with varying impact. Radio frequency scanners made inventory visible. Voice-directed work made picking hands-free. Early automation and goods-to-person systems brought robots into the mix. These advances, while powerful, shared a common limitation: they did not really see the warehouse. They followed instructions, processed barcodes and confirmed voice prompts, but they had very little awareness of what was actually happening in three-dimensional space. We are rapidly entering an era where robots do not simply operate with human commands from static maps and basic point-to-point instructions; they do so autonomously — and with each other.”[3]
Even though most of robots described by Yahiro are unlikely to resemble humans, at some point in the future, humanoid robots are likely to find their way into supply chain operations. Abdil Tunca, a senior principal analyst in Gartner's supply chain practice, explains, “The promise of humanoid robots is compelling, but the reality is that the technology remains immature and far from meeting expectations for versatility and cost-effectiveness.”[4] The staff at SupplyChainBrain reports, “Despite early enthusiasm for the technology, humanoid robots are expected to progress beyond the experimentation phase for less than 100 companies through 2028, with fewer than 20 companies pushing them live for supply chain and manufacturing purposes. According to an analysis from Gartner, the majority of production deployments of humanoid robots over the next couple years will be limited to ‘tightly controlled environments,’ with the hype surrounding the technology outpacing its actual readiness for widespread use.”[5] Gartner analysts point out, “Despite their potential, humanoid robots face significant barriers to supply chain, logistics and manufacturing adoption.”[6] Those barriers include:
- Technological limitations: “Current models lack the dexterity, intelligence, and adaptability required for complex, unstructured environments such as mixed SKU picking, trailer unloading or exception handling in high velocity warehouses.”
- Integration complexity: “Compatibility with existing systems and workflows remains a challenge.”
- High costs: “Substantial upfront investment and ongoing maintenance expenses must be weighed against uncertain returns. With the current technology and costs, humanoids cost multiple times more than task specific polyfunctional robots while delivering lower throughput and uptime.”
- Energy constraints: “Limited battery life restricts operational time for high-mobility tasks.”
Journalist Sarah Chea reports that advances in battery technology could overcome the energy constraint barrier. She writes, “A critical component for the expansion of the humanoid robot market is the development of solid-state batteries — with Korean companies at the forefront. Often dubbed the ‘dream battery,’ solid-state technology replaces liquid electrolytes with solid ones. … Solid-state batteries offer distinct advantages in energy density, safety and thermal management, potentially extending operational runtimes to five to eight hours or more. While high-nickel batteries remain the standard for humanoid robots in the near term, a gradual shift toward solid-state adoption is expected over the coming years.”[7]
Global analyst Jan Burian is skeptical that humanoid robots have a place in the supply chain. He writes, “Many assume industrial humanoids should look like humans, move like humans and perform tasks like industrial robots, just with legs. This assumption drives unrealistic expectations and skepticism. Compared to humanoids, industrial robots are deterministic, more precise, more reliable and safer. They can be mobile, collaborate with humans and perform high-volume tasks efficiently. Evaluating humanoids as replacements for industrial robots sets them up for inevitable failure. The core issue is that humanoids are not industrial robots yet.”[8] Admittedly, he has a point.
Concluding Thoughts
Science fiction films will likely to continue to feature humanoid robots; however, it may be a few years before (if ever) they are widely found working in the supply chain. Michael Tam, Chief Brand Officer at Chinese firm UBTech, admits his company’s robots “are at best only half as efficient as human workers.”[9] Nevertheless, companies around the world are working to improve humanoid machines. You might want to watch a recent episode of CBS’s “60 Minutes” to see how Hyundai and Boston Dynamics are working to integrate humanoid robots into the workforce. Predictions about how large the market for humanoid robots will be in the years ahead are staggering. Chea reports, “The humanoid robot market, which was valued at around $2.43 billion last year, will grow to $66 billion by 2032, according to a prediction by Fortune Business Insights, a global market research firm.” And journalist Muflih Hidayat reports, “China's long-term projections indicate potential humanoid robot output reaching 59 million units by 2050.”[10]
Whether or not humanoid robots find a significant place in supply chain operations, robotics and automation will. That means that companies around the globe will fight for a market share of the robotics business. Boston Dynamics CEO Robert Playter believes the U.S. currently leads the race; however, he admits China is closing the gap. He told correspondent Bill Whitaker, “The Chinese government has a mission to win the robotics race. Technically I believe we remain in the lead. But there's a real threat there that, simply through the scale of investment, we could fall behind.”[11] The race to develop ever more capable robots will also involve supply chains that provide actuators, sensors, motors, battery systems, and advanced artificial intelligence systems. Whether humanoid robots play a large role in supply chains or not, the future should be fun to watch.
Footnotes
[1] Matt O’Brien, “Not ready for robots at home? Friendly new humanoid maker thinks it may change minds,” Tech Xplore, 27 January 2026.
[2] John Leonard, “Are you ready for the humanoid robot bubble? - Asian Tech Roundup,” Computing, 30 January 2026.
[3] Mark H. Yahiro, “How Physical AI Will Reshape the Warehouse,” SupplyChainBrain, 29 January 2026.
[4] Jennifer Guhl, “Few Companies Will Scale Humanoid Robots by 2028, Predicts Gartner,” Consumer Goods Technology, 27 January 2026.
[5] Staff, “Hype for Humanoid Robots is Outpacing Supply Chain Readiness,” SupplyChainBrain, 27 January 2026.
[6] Staff, “Humanoid Robots for Supply Chain Will Stall at Pilot Scale,” Material Handling & Logistics, 26 January 2026.
[7] Sarah Chea, “Beaten by China in EV batteries, Korea finds an edge in humanoids,” Korea JoongAng Daily, 3 February 2026.
[8] Jan Burian, “Industrial Humanoid Robots: Are We Even Talking About the Same Thing?” IndustryWeek, 5 February 2026.
[9] Leonard, op. cit.
[10]Muflih Hidayat, “Tesla’s 2026 Humanoid Robot Production Timeline and Manufacturing Challenges,” Discovery Alert, 3 February 2026.
[11] Bill Whitaker, Aliza Chasan, Marc Lieberman, Cassidy McDonald, “Boston Dynamics is training an AI-powered humanoid robot to do factory work,” 60 Minutes Overtime, 4 January 2026.
