Humanoid Robot Shipments Double: Is Customer Willingness Really at a Tipping Point?

According to data revealed by Unitree Technology's Asia-Pacific Director to Nikkei Asia, the company's robot shipments will at least double in 2026, potentially reaching nearly three times the volume of 2025. What does this mean? In 2025, global humanoid robot actual shipments were optimistically estimated at only 3,000-5,000 units. Doubling that just crosses 10,000, and tripling it reaches only over 10,000 units. But in an industry that hasn't even crossed the "10,000 unit" mark yet, daring to shout out these numbers must be backed by customer orders, or at least strong signals of intent.