From Humanoid Robot Chefs to AI Retail Cobots
Laura McQuarrie — January 18, 2026 — Tech
The top 2025 robots trends reflect growing demand for capable support at home, easing daily chores and offering companionship, while in industrial settings, machines are collaborating with their human counterparts and eliminating repetitive tasks.
Beyond AI-powered robotic vacuums and pool cleaners made for specialized tasks, this year saw several significant leaps in general-purpose household humanoids. Figure’s AI-powered Vision Language Action model, learned to load a dishwasher and fold laundry. Other home robots proved their ability to water plans, clean surfaces, and prepare dishes, and several became available for pre-order, operating with and without teleoperation.
Many robotics innovations aren’t consumer-facing, but in 2025, global airports introduced robots that deliver food orders to travelers’ gates and entire robot-run restaurants.
For more robots trends in the year ahead, check out Trend Hunter's 2026 Trend Report.
Beyond AI-powered robotic vacuums and pool cleaners made for specialized tasks, this year saw several significant leaps in general-purpose household humanoids. Figure’s AI-powered Vision Language Action model, learned to load a dishwasher and fold laundry. Other home robots proved their ability to water plans, clean surfaces, and prepare dishes, and several became available for pre-order, operating with and without teleoperation.
Many robotics innovations aren’t consumer-facing, but in 2025, global airports introduced robots that deliver food orders to travelers’ gates and entire robot-run restaurants.
For more robots trends in the year ahead, check out Trend Hunter's 2026 Trend Report.
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