Why Humanoid Robots May Be the Wrong Bet for Industrial Automation - Automation World

Georgia Tech researchers unveiled a new “thinking” system that lets two‑legged robots learn balance and agility on the fly, marking a significant step toward stable humanoid walking (Technology Org, March 4 2026). At Mobile World Congress, Honor debuted its first consumer‑focused humanoid, impressing the crowd with a moonwalk, backflip and even a dance routine, underscoring a push to bring robots into retail, workplace inspections and companionship roles (CNET; Mashable, March 2026). Japanese telco KDDI announced it will team with avatar maker Avita to roll out commercially‑tested humanoid robots by autumn, targeting retail, healthcare, entertainment and other sectors plagued by labour shortages (Telecoms, March 4 2026). In the maritime industry, HD Hyundai Samho plans to begin installing humanoid robots on its shipyards in 2027 after a trial phase supported by its own robot division, Neura Robotics and LG CNS (Maritime Executive). Meanwhile, five leading Chinese humanoid makers—including AGIBOT, Fourier, Huawei, Leju and Unitree—will showcase their latest models at the Automation World Seoul event, highlighting China’s rapid industrial, retail and service‑sector deployments (The Robot Report). Analysts note the global humanoid market is projected to surge from roughly $40 billion in 2025 to over $1 trillion by 2035, with China, Japan, South Korea and the United States racing to convert flashy demos into real‑world applications (TechCrunch, February 28 2026; Automotive World).

Mentioned in this article