Gartner Predicts Humanoids Lag Warehouse Production

On January 21, 2026, Gartner predicts that through 2028 fewer than 100 companies will advance humanoid robot proofs of concept beyond initial experimentation, with under 20 scaling to production in supply chain and manufacturing. The firm cites technological immaturity, high costs, limited battery life and safety constraints, and recommends outcome-driven pilots and preference for polyfunctional wheeled robots for high-throughput operations.