Global Scans · Robotics · Weekly Summary

• [New] Looking at individual countries, China alone would reach approximately 302 million humanoid robots adopted by 2050, while the USA would reach about 77.7 million. RD Magazine
• [New] The 2026-2030 five-year plan emphasises support for industrial and technological development, particularly artificial intelligence, 6G technology, robotics, quantum computing and industries supporting the green transition. / China BOFIT
• [New] By 2030, 80% of people will interact with robots daily; a leap from less than 10% today. Reports
• [New] The robotic passenger economy, which includes driverless taxis and robot deliveries, could generate as much as $7 trillion by 2050. The Atlantic
• [New] Japan Airlines launched a humanoid robot trial at Haneda Airport for baggage handling, aircraft towing, and cabin cleaning through 2028. / Japan LinkedIn
• [New] Beyond EVs, Tesla has begun rolling out robotaxis, and it plans to sell its Optimus robot to consumers, potentially by the end of 2027. AOL
• [New] Japan Airlines and GMO have announced that they will begin a pilot project next month using humanoid robots to address the labour shortage in airport ground handling operations. Technocracy News
• Bank of America now forecasts 90,000 humanoid robot shipments in 2026 alone, a figure that would have seemed delusional in 2023, rising to 1.2 million units annually by 2030. TechFastForward
• NVIDIA has already announced its next-generation GR00T N2 robotics foundation model, building on the widely used GR00T N1.7, which is expected to appear later this year. ETF Database
• NVIDIA has already announced its next-generation GR00T N2 robotics foundation model, building on the widely used GR00T N1.7, which is expected to appear later in 2026. ETF Trends
• Tesla plans to spend $25 billion by 2026 to boost its AI, robotaxi, and robotics efforts, including the Optimus robot and the Cybercab autonomous vehicle. Whalesbook
• Tesla plans to convert the California factory into an assembly plant for Optimus, its humanoid robot project. Business Insider
• At the rate that Hello Robot has been releasing new hardware, that could easily be within 2027 or so - and my guess is that Stretch 5 is very likely to be the first practical, affordable assistive robot for home use. IEEE Spectrum
• UK Humanoid signed one of the largest disclosed humanoid deployment deals ever with Schaeffler, targeting thousands of robots across factories by 2032. LinkedIn
• In collaboration with Boston Dynamics, Hyundai Motor plans to enhance the fan experience by bringing robotics to the upcoming World Cup. Hyundai
• By 2030-2035, most elder tasks will be performed by robots including routine medical tasks, companionship, exercise, cooking, laundry and cleaning. Technocracy News
• By 2030, robots, AI, and other automation will terminate between 400 and 800 million jobs worldwide, which Robozaps says means forcing up to 375 million workers (roughly 14% of the global workforce) to switch occupations entirely. New Atlas
• Xpeng President has made a bold announcement: flying cars will enter large-scale production in 2027, humanoid robot production begins Q4 2026, and robotaxi testing starts in 2026 in Guangzhou. Mint
• Robotics manufacturers could reach revenues of USD 300 billion by 2035; in more optimistic scenarios, USD 750 billion. Mynewsdesk
• Humanoid robots still face major challenges around cost, reliability, safety, manipulation, and whether customers will pay for general-purpose machines. Campus Technology
• Within the next two years, 75% of smartphones will be AI-powered, enabling Physical AI - agents that perform tasks in the real world through robots, drones, and intelligent machines. devFlokers
• Hyundai plans to use Boston Dynamics and its own Boston Dynamics robotics unit to build 30,000 humanoid units annually by 2028, absorbing the entire near-term production capacity. TechFastForward

Last updated: 25 May 2026