From sci-fi to reality: Humanoid robots could soon be as big as auto industry - Consulting.us

From sci-fi to reality: Humanoid robots could soon be as big as auto industry

30 April 2026 Consulting.us 4 min. read

Development of humanoid robots is picking up pace, and if current trajectories hold, robotics manufacturers could reach revenues of $300 billion by 2035, or in more optimistic scenarios, up to $750 billion. A new report from Roland Berger found that running costs could be as low as $2 per hour, making humanoid robotics huge for competitiveness, growth, and tackling labor shortages. "The key question is no longer whether humanoid robots will emerge as a viable technology, but how quickly they will scale – and which companies position themselves early enough to capture the opportunity," says Damien Dujacquier, managing partner at Roland Berger.

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Unlike fixed industrial arms, humanoid robots can operate within infrastructure designed for humans, performing varied tasks without requiring expensive facility redesigns. This flexibility is critical for high-variance tasks such as kitting, machine loading, and handling flexible materials like cables or hoses.

While some hardware like sensors and structural components are quite mature, the primary bottleneck in advanced robotics has now shifted to AI architecture and data strategy. Developers are now focusing on vision-language models and end-to-end learning to connect perception directly to action.