Honda’s new ‘Avatar’ humanoid robot suggests the spirit of ASIMO is very much alive
But Honda didn’t abandon humanoid robotics. Instead, much of the technology and expertise accumulated through decades of ASIMO development appears to have migrated into a new generation of research – including the company’s striking Avatar Robot (main pictu...
Key takeaways
- The most recent reports show that humanoid robots are moving from high‑profile demos toward limited commercial use while shipment volumes surge.
- Smart Analytics Global recorded roughly 19,100 units shipped worldwide in the first half of 2026 – more than three times the figure a year earlier – and projects full‑year deliveries near 60,000, with some analysts expecting as many as 100,000 units by year‑end.
- China dominates the market, supplying about 97 % of H1 shipments, backed by supportive policies such as new tariff codes for intelligent robots and insurance coverage for export projects.
- Unitree Robotics, the former global leader, is preparing a record‑size IPO on Shanghai’s STAR Market after shipping over 5,500 humanoids in 2025, and its low‑cost G1 model now costs about $16,000 with minimal electricity use.
- In the United States, Tau Robotics has launched a pilot that rents $30‑per‑hour humanoid cleaners to San Francisco households, though analysts say broad home adoption will still take several years.
But Honda didn’t abandon humanoid robotics. Instead, much of the technology and expertise accumulated through decades of ASIMO development appears to have migrated into a new generation of research – including the company’s striking Avatar Robot (main picture) and an extraordinarily dexterous new robotic hand.
Honda demonstrated both at Humanoids Summit 2026 in May, where visitors could remotely operate the Avatar Robot and experience the movements of its multi-fingered hand.
The robot is conceived less as an autonomous humanoid worker and more as a physical extension of a human operator. Honda’s long-term idea is that someone could remotely use an Avatar Robot to perform work somewhere they cannot – or should not – physically be. Skip to primary navigation Skip to primary sidebar Skip to secondary sidebar
Robotics & Automation News
Where Innovation Meets Imagination
by David Edwards
Whatever happened to ASIMO? Honda’s famous humanoid robot (pictured below with what we believe is an actual human female) disappeared from public view several years ago, just before an extraordinary new wave of humanoid development swept through the robotics industry.
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